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One of the most important things when writing query letters to agents or publishers is listing your credentials. Most publishers and agents these days want to know where in the writing industry you’ve previously been published, or if you’ve won awards, etc. It’s always better to start small and work your way up in the industry, and what better way to do so than to enter your work into some contests? Contests often award certificates/ribbons for the top 3 pieces of writing, cash prizes, and even publication! They’re a quick way to build up some credentials to add to those query letters and let agents and publishers know that you’ve broken out in the business—even if it’s small at first.
Before you enter contests, however, there are a few things that you should be aware of. The first is the legitimacy of contests. There are many fraud sites out there trying to get writers to enter their contests. What do I mean by fraud? It could be one of many things, including theft of work. However, the most common is a contest which everyone who enters is published, and the hosts of the contest require the “winners” to purchase a copy of the book their work is published in. If you win a contest, you receive a free copy—always remember that! The second thing to be aware of with contests is entry fees. Not every contest requires a fee to enter, but many of them do (especially ones that offer cash prizes to winners). Another thing to remember is that most times, contests only accept works that are previously unpublished. Many times, just like regular publishers, as well, contests which publish work retain rights to your work for a certain amount of time. This means that they are given the rights to first time publication and many times, you need their written permission before getting that work published elsewhere. However, not all contests do this—some give full rights back to the writer so that they can publish their work elsewhere if they wish. Just make certain that before you enter contests, you read all of their rules and regulations and agreement statements before submitting your work.
Now, here is a list of only a few of the many upcoming contests for the 2012 year:
- Writers’ Digest Self-Published Book Awards
- Perfect for those of you who have been daring enough to self-publish a book. This would be a quick way to get your book recognition, money, sales, and even perhaps an actual publisher! It is the 20th year that the Writers’ Digest has been holding this contest, and there have been many wonderful winners in the past. There is one grand-prize winner for this contest, nine first place winners, and honorable mention winners! There are also different categories in which you can enter your book. The grand-prize winner not only receives the recognition I mention above, but also $3,000 and a trip to the Writers’ Digest Conference in NYC! Deadline is April 20th, 2012
- For more information on this contest, please visit: http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/selfpublished
- Writers’ Digest 81st Annual Writing Competition
- A chance to enter some polished pieces you have that you’ve just been waiting to get exposure on! With 10 different categories to enter, you can choose which best suits your niche. Just like their self-published book contest, the grand-prize winner receives $3,000 and a trip to the Writers’ Digest Conference in NYC! However, they also receive critique/attention from four different editors and agents! Deadline is May 1st, 2012
- For more information on this contest, please visit: http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writers-digest-annual-competition
- EVVY Awards
- Held by our very own Emerson, here’s a chance to get some exposure for your work and an award that certainly will shine on your resume and credentials. While we all know that the EVVYs are definitely one of the highlights of the year, what’s better than actually having your work eligible to receive one—in front of a live audience? Not only will you be receiving an award that will push your credentials and resume, but it also gives you a chance to be an EmCeleb! Deadline is April 6th, 2012
- For more information on this contest, please visit: http://evvyawards.org/evvys/submit/
- For a list of a bunch of other wonderful contests, you can also check out this site. It lists the deadlines and prizes for them, as well as linking to the sites providing guidelines. These are more for the actual literary awards, so the competition is tougher, but the reward in the end is far greater—especially in your credentials: http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/creative-writing-contests.html
And, remember! Every year, the Writers’ Market always comes out with new books for poetry and short stories where you can find hundreds of contests. All of them are legitimate, so you don’t have to worry about fraud! Be sure to pick up a copy, or look for one at the local library. They usually always have a copy in, so you can browse multiple contests and get your work out there.
Good luck in your contest ventures, and keep that credential list building!
Written by Erin Sinnott
