Competition Benefits

There are always a number of literary competitions running throughout the year. The frequency and reward vary wildly. But why should you put yourself out there and have your work submitted to one of these competitions?

Calligraphy writing

I think that the first thing that needs to be mentioned, is that with these competitions you will only get out of them what you put into them. I am not referring to only the manuscript when I say this, I am talking about you time and energy also. If you are putting something in for a competition that you are not sure that you have put your best self forward into then you are only letting yourself down. If you are going to enter a competition, it is like handing in homework. If you leave it to the last minute then you will not have time to revise and then you will be frustrated with yourself for not doing a spell check before hand and losing points. (Is that just me?)

This isn't a post to list the current competitions that are available for you to enter, because that is something searchable. A little bit of the effort that I was mentioning above.

Do's and Don'ts

DO

1. Follow the Terms and Conditions!

2. Manage your time effectively

3. Ask Questions if you don't understand the theme.

4. Keep Track of your entries

5. Enjoy the writing/editing journey (Because if you don't enjoy writing it, people won't enjoy reading it)

Don't

1. Use AI to write the story for you.

2. Let them take your copywrite (a non-exclusive licence is acceptable)

3. Miss the deadline

4. Add elements outside of the submission guidelines. (even if you have a cool map)

5. Send the same entry multiple times

Understanding the parameters of the competition and engaging with a reputable company to respectfully engage with your work had many benefits. These benefits may not always have a monetary value attached, but that is not always the reason to enter.

The Benefits

Winning - Only one person can take the grand prize for these competitions, and it could be you!

Experience - The competition will set boundaries for your accountability. The parameters are set to stretch your expertise and provide an opportunity for you to thrive. This is an experience you won't achieve through other meant.

Networking Opportunity - Some competitions have an award evening where everyone that has entered is welcome to attend. You will be able to meet like minded individuals that have been just excited as you to enter the this competition.

Increased Exposure - From the people that run the competition to the judges, there are a number of industry professionals that will be exposed to your work. It could be a foot in the door.

Healthy Competition - You are competing against people at the same level as you so the feeling of competition is there. You may not see them in person, but you will know.

*Valuable Feedback - Not all competitions guarantee to provide feedback for your entry into the competition. But when they do, they have the experience behind them to help elevate your story and bring you to the next step for the next one.

So when are you going to get your name out there and enter a competition? What is stopping you?