Since my last state-of-things post, a few things have changed around my plans. A new novel idea has had me in a chokehold for a couple of months, and I have a very good feeling about this work. So, I’ve scraped the plan to work on a new sci-fi/speculative fiction short story collection, to focus on this instead. But as I’d already written a bunch of stories for said collection, I wanted to do something proactive with them. So I decided to give writing competitions another bash.
It’s been years since I entered competitions, and the publishing landscape has changed. Ebooks and self-publishing are hugely popular, and social media including so-called “Book Tok” has altered how many readers consume and share books, and how authors engage with their readers. Whilst there are other ways to get the attention of the publishing industry, I think having competition successes on your “writing CV” is still worth it – do you agree?
Writing competition plans
I’m doing a few things to give myself the best possible chances. First, I’m using reliable places to find comps in the first place. I was delighted to see Prize Magic still up and running. It has a regularly updated, vetted, and humorous list of writing competitions of all shapes and sizes.
Next, I’m doing my research. For each comp I’m interested in, I delve into the background as much as possible to see if my writing would be a good match. Some places are very clear about what they like/dislike which is very useful. But the best way to get a feel is by checking out previous winning entries. Although judges can change year on year, in general, most organisations have certain types and styles of writing they’re keener on. Whilst I’m not writing specifically to reach certain criteria, I am looking at what I’ve already got and seeing where it best fits.
I’m keeping track of entries using Milanote (which I’m using for my book planning as well), so I can get straight to the competition websites and track all the relevant details.
Lastly, I’m not going to be put off if a piece of my writing doesn’t place. Like publishing, judging is subjective, and if I think the work still has merit, I’ll scout around for another suitable competition for it.
Thoughts on writing competitions
My first impression when I started looking at comps again was that costs have gone up. I think £10 was the priciest a comp you used to get. Now £8 seems to be the norm for many. And no one likes paying more. On the other hand, I appreciate that every comp now lets you submit your work and pay online. No more time spent printing, checking, paying for postage, etc.
There also appear to be many more competitions for full-length works as opposed to just short-form fiction or poetry. I’m not sure why. It may be a tactic to mold future writers to industry expectations, a way to expand diversity, or simply an easier process to filter submissions (and fund it too).
Issues around ownership and copyright are still on the agenda, with some comps having more restrictive or less favourable rules than others. It’s always good to make sure you read the T&Cs thoroughly!
What are your thoughts about writing competitions? Do you think they help writers? Have you entered them yourself? What was your experience? If you’re interested, I have a whole blog post with tips on writing competitions.
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