Time to Write

Should you enter writing contests?

There are a few writing contests that garner major attention for the winners (for example, from agents, publishers, or producers) but for most competitions, the reward is the ego boost of winning and a sum of money. When deciding whether to enter a contest, consider whether or not winning the contest would carry any meaningful prestige, the value of the prizes, and the amount of the entry fee. 

This subject came to mind when I got an email about the Spring Short Story Contest sponsored by The Writer Magazine. The top prize is $1000 and publication in the magazine, the second-place prize is $500 and publication in the magazine, and the third-place prize is $250 and publication on the magazine's web site.

These are good prize amounts, but the entry fee is $25 for your first entry and $15 for any additional entries. With a prize total of $1750, they need only 70 entries @ $25 to cover the prize money. Yes, they do have to pay someone to read the entries but these are short stories with a maximum of 2000 words. 

You can also get 200 words of feedback on the story for an additional $25, which is reasonable. I don't know the quality of the feedback on offer, but especially if you don't have any other way of getting feedback on your writing, it may well be worth paying the extra amount.

They say, "Our critique times vary based on how many submissions we received and can take six months after the contest has closed." That would suggest a large number of entries. 

The magazine also ends up with a nice mailing list of contest losers who can be pitched courses and subscriptions. The winning writers will appreciate being able to show their friends and families their work in print--however, it's not bad for the magazine, either, since they will be filling a number of pages without any additional payment to the authors.

I'm not saying you shouldn't enter this contest. If $25 is not a meaningful amount to you, that's fine. However, if money is tight, contest entry fees can quickly add up and your odds of winning are fairly small. 

Watch our for scams that target aspiring screenwriters

Writers tend to be hopeful souls eager to get our work seen, which also makes us vulnerable to scammers or people selling services unlikely to help you sell your script. Here are a few things to consider.

SCREENWRITING CONTESTS

• If a writing contest has high entry fees and low-value prizes, think twice about entering. 
  
  
• Just as with the lottery, most people who enter writing contests don't win. Yes, somebody will win but before you pay the entry fee, consider whether it's the best use of your money. Have past winners gotten verifiable attention for their scripts? 
  
  
• If a contest claims their winners have projects in pre-production, be aware that "in pre-production" can mean "some producer says they'll read it," or "somebody is sort of interested," or "somebody who wants to be a producer is trying to find the money"...or it can mean nothing at all.
  
  
• If a contest doesn't tell you who is judging it, beware. If they do name them, look them up at imdb.com (International Movie Database) to see whether they have any credits. 

MARKETING SERVICES

• Just because somebody says that they'll send your logline to hundreds of producers doesn't mean the producers will read them. Two have told me they routinely throw these kinds of mailings away.
  
  
• Producers are not interested in looking at storyboards of your screenplay. It's a waste of money to have a service create one for you.
  
  
• Your screenplay doesn't need a website. Sure, you can set up a website that includes information about yourself, but if there's information that's relevant (e.g., your protagonist is a cop and you are a cop), put it in your query letter.
  
  
• Nobody wants to watch a trailer for your unproduced screenplay. Having somebody make one for you is a waste of money. 

AGENTS 

• Reputable agents don't charge a reading fee or any other kind of fee. They get a commission when they sell your work. 

If you've run across any other dubious services for writers, feel free to add them in a comment.

Have you written a screenplay based on material in the public domain?

I'm generally somewhat skeptical of screenplay contests, especially those that have high entry fees. But Screencraft's first Public Domain Screenplay contest might just be worth a shot--if you've written an original film or TV script based on pre-existing stories in the public domain.

Public domain material either never was or is no longer protected by copyright. Examples include Bible stories, the novels of Charles Dickens, folk tales, fairy tales (original versions, not the Disney interpretations), myths, and (usually) books published before 1923.

The grand prize winner gets a $1000 cash prize and meetings with producers, development executives, literary managers, and agents.

The second place winner gets $500 in cash, plus introductions.

The top two also get a free copy of story-mapping software called HartChart (with which I'm not familiar) and the top ten finalists get a 50% discount on that software.

I suspect the competition will not be as intense for this contest as for others that have been going for years and are wide open in terms of stories. But you have to decide whether you want to spend $49 on the entry fee (or $118 if you want feedback on the script). 

The early deadline is May 2, the final deadline is July 10, 2018. I wouldn't advise sitting down to write a script expressly for this contest, but if you already have one based on materials in the public domain, you might want to enter it.

You can find the list of judges and the full rules here: https://screencraft.org/publicdomain/?__s=yuaezsdqotjf7zwtufpj

 

Writing contests with no entry fees

One of the reservations I have about writing contests is that often the entry fee is too high compared to the prizes on offer. Fortunately, the Published To Death blog has a list of 53 writing contests with March 2017 deadlines--none of them requiring any entry fee.

A few of the deadlines have already passed, and you'll see that some of the contests have very specific requirements.

For instance, in one case entry is restricted to Irish residents of the UK, in another the entries have to be poems about Nantucket Island.

The good news is if you fit any of these, the odds are tyou won't have the same number of competitors that you'd have in a more generic contest, so your odds of winning are greater.

You can get the list here. Good luck!

Top prize of $1000 in humorous poetry contest

If you write funny poetry (on purpose) you may be interested in the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest.

Entries are invited until April 1 and, unusually, there's no entry fee. 

Your poem can be published or unpublished and can run up to 250 lines. 

One submission per person, made online. 

They will also award a second prize of $250 and ten honorable mentions worth $100 each. Results will be announced on August 15, 2017.

Submit your poem here.

I seldom feature poetry contest because often the entry fees strike me as excessive for the typically modest prizes, so a contest with free entry and a large prize is a worthy exception. 

POETRY CONTESTS TO AVOID

Unfortunately, there are quite a few scams that target poets.

A common one is a contest in which you don't win but you get a commendation and the great news that they want to publish your entry in a compilation of the very best poems they received. In most cases they require you to purchase several copies in advance, in others they rely on you doing so to show your doubting relatives and friends that you've finally arrived.

These books are always vastly overpriced and you won't be impressed by the quality of the books or of many of the other poems.

Winningwriters.com features a useful list of contests and services to avoid or at least approach with caution. You'll find that list here.

Advice on how to write a novel, from best-selling author Lisa Jewell

What should you write about in your novel?

In a Daily Mail article about a new contest for first-time writers, best-selling author Lisa Jewell shared this advice:

"Don’t write for the publishers and don’t try to second guess the market; it’s elusive and impossible to pin down.

Just write what’s in your head and what’s in your heart and give the reader a reason to keep turning the pages, whether it’s love for your characters or a need to find out what happened ten years ago or what happens next."

The importance of support when you write

Jewell doesn't mention support explicitly but it's obvious from her account of her own writing history that it played an important role. When she sent out the first chapters of her book, she had nine rejections but the tenth agent wanted to read the whole book. That motivated her to finish it, although it took another year.

She says, "A friend in Australia read my daily output and cheered me on."

That book was Ralph's Party, which got her a six-figure advance for two novels and eventually sold more than 250,000 copies the first year it was out. Her newest novel is The Girls. It will be available from May 6, 2016. 

What if it feels impossible?

Jewell says, "Don't worry if it feels impossible. It's supposed to feel that way." 

The contest for first-time novelists

The contest has a first prize of £20,000 and guaranteed publication, and is free to enter. Details are here. Entries must be received by April 16, 2016, and if your novel isn't finished you must be able to complete it by October 30, 2016. 

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Publisher Selina Walker's advice for writing an outstanding novel

How to attract a publisher for your novel

In a Daily Mail article about a new contest for first-time novelists, Selina Walker, Publisher of Century and Arrow at Penguin Random House UK, shared this advice:

"It should be a story that asks questions of the reader; that takes us from our known world and plunges us into another; it should be filled with believable characters who we care about; and it should have a narrative with a beginning, middle and an end that draws all the different strands together in a satisfying way."

What's the dramatic question of your novel?

As an example of a gripping story she cites Harlan Coben's new novel, Fool Me Once. She says, "This is a thriller that quite early on asks a single dramatic question: if you think your husband is dead (and you were with him when he was murdered), why can you now see him on the nanny cam in your daughter’s bedroom? Impossible to put down, you just have to find out what happens next."

That's a good example of a high-concept story--I'm working on an online course in how to come up with high-concept ideas for films and the same methods work for high-concept novels. I'll let you know on this blog when that course is ready.

The contest for first-time novelists

The contest has a first prize of £20,000 and guaranteed publication, and is free to enter. Details are here. Entries must be received by April 16, 2016, and if your novel isn't finished you must be able to complete it by October 30, 2016. 

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Agent Luigi Bonomi's tips for writing a novel agents will love

How to attract a literary agent

In an article about a new contest for first-time novelists, agent Luigi Bonomi shared this advice:

BEGIN THE FIRST PAGE WITH A GREAT SENTENCE that pulls the reader in. Your first important reader is likely to be an agent (if you're looking for representation), and Bonomi says, "If the first page is well written, captivating, intriguing with the promise of a great plot to come, then the agent will continue reading. After just a few pages, they will get a sense of whether this is a story for them."

As an example, he cites the opening sentence of Coming Home, a psychological thriller by Annabel Kantaria: "I was making bechamel sauce for lasagna when I found out that my father had died."

His other tips for winning over an agent:

• Open mid-scene, so the reader is interested immediately in the story. You can go back later and fill in what happened before that scene, if necessary.
  
  
• Provide the agent with a 2-3 page synopsis of about 600 words that includes the ending.
  
  
• Double space your manuscript and proofread it carefully.

The contest for first-time novelists

The details of the contest, which has a £20,000 first prize and is free to enter, are here. Entries must be received by April 16, 2016, and if your novel isn't finished you must be able to complete it by October 30, 2016. 

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No, Santa Claus is not in town (scams to beware)

The excellent Hoax Slayer newsletter reminds us of a few scams that are currently harvesting lots of suckers. Here are a few reminders:

* Nobody is giving away iPhones. Especially not iPhone 6's.

* Nobody is buying iPhones at auction for $5 or £5.

* There is no "one weird trick" that makes you lose weight instantly

* There is no "one weird trick" that made a 70-year-old woman look like 40.

* There are no dying widows looking for strangers to whom to give their fortune.

* There are plenty of Nigerian crooks but they want you to give them money, not the other way around.

* More specifically, it's not true that a 3-year-old girl named Lilly was snatched from the Surrey area of the UK, even though the message features a photo of her and the registration number of the fictional car she was last (not) seen in. Don't pass along this bogus message.

* You don't owe an EZ Pass toll that you forgot to pay. Do not open the attached invoice, it contains malware.

* Your Netflix account probably has not been cancelled. If you get a notice to that effect, do not click anything within that email. Instead, type in the Netflix address on your browser and then log in. 

* Your PayPal account probably has not been limited "due to login from unknown advice." If you get a notice to that effect, do not click anything within it. Otherwise, you may enable the scammers to hijack your PayPal account. I nearly fell for one of these because it happened to arrive shortly after I was made aware of an actual issue with my PayPal account.

* If you get a notice from American Express regarding unusual activity on your account, don't click on anything within it, just go to the real American Express site and log in as usual. 

TIP: When in doubt, always check the address from which the email came. Sometimes they do use one that resembles the name of the apparent source, but you may be surprised to find how often they're from an obviously bogus address.

I'll add a few scams that target writers:

* Traditional publishers are not desperate to be sent manuscripts, they get plenty without advertising. Generally these are companies that will publish anything they are sent, providing the author is willing to put up the money. There are some legitimate companies who assist you with publishing for a fee, but do your research before you sign any contract. Look them up on the web, contact authors whose books they have published, etc.

* Be especially careful if a publisher says they are eager to publish books of poetry because they sell well. Unfortunately, books of poetry (at least by unknown writers) almost never make any money. That's not to say you shouldn't publish them anyway, to give to friends and relatives, but be aware that your chances of making a profit are close to nil. 

* Legitimate agents do not charge a reading fee. They make a percentage of what you make, usually 12-15%. Legitimate agents also do not insist that you use the services of editors or writing coaches they recommend. 

* Legitimate contests do not charge a large entry fee when the prize awards are relatively small. 

 

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Travel Writing Contest - deadline Sept. 21, 2014

If you like to write factually about your travels, the Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing might be of interest. Here are the basic details:

Winners of the Grand Prize for Best Travel Story of the Year in Gold, Silver, and Bronze will win cash and publication on BestTravelWriting.com andTravelersTales.com . Winners in the categories will win publication on both web sites, and all winners will be considered for publication in our annual book series,The Best Travel Writing .

Rules : All entries for the award must be true stories. These pieces may have been previously published or not, but the writer must control all rights to the story. Stories may not violate anyone else’s copyright. Stories must be a minimum of 750 words but there is no maximum. We caution, however, that beyond about four thousand words stories begin to get difficult to contain, so we recommend shorter pieces in the 1000-3000 word range.

To be eligible for the award, all entries and payments must be received by the deadline and must be submitted through this web site. This paragraph represents just a partial description of the rules. Be sure to read theOfficial Rules before entering the competition.

Entry fees : $25 for the first two optional categories, $5 for each additional category for the same story. All stories are automatically submitted for the Grand Prize at no additional charge (thus, when you choose your two "optional categories" you will be entered in three, your two choices and the Grand Prize category). If we choose to publish a story in one of our books, we will pay our usual honorarium of $100 for non-exclusive world rights (that means you can sell it again whenever and wherever you want). To see a description of each category please use the drop down menu on the left side of this page.

For the previous contest they had 200 entries and you can find out about the winners as well as the rest of the details about how to submit, here: 

http://www.besttravelwriting.com/home/

A radio playwriting competition open to all - deadline Jan 31, 2014

If you've ever thought about writing a radio play, this could be your chance. The BBC World Service and the British Council are sponsoring an International Radio Playwriting Competition. They are looking for scripts that will come out to about 53 minutes. They say:

"There are two first prizes - the best radio play by a writer with English as their first language and the best by a writer with English as their second language. The overall winners will each receive £2000 sterling and a trip to London to see their play being recorded for broadcast on BBC World Service.

We are very happy to run this year’s competition in partnership with Commonwealth Writers again and to welcome our co-producers - The Open University. This has allowed us to introduce another prize – the Georgi Markov prize for the most promising script.

The playwriting competition welcomes scripts from anyone living outside the UK, whether established or new, and encourages writers to use the immense power and accessibility of the medium of radio drama – to tell your story, use your imagination and have your “voice” heard. Reading your plays – and hearing the winning plays on air – is a unique way of hearing what’s happening around the world.

Do take the time to read the rules and tips before you send your script. 

The competition is now open for entries and the closing date is midnight GMT on the 31st January 2014.

To enter, click here"

The great thing about radio is that with dialogue and a few sound effects you can create a picture in the mind of the listener that could require a fortune in special effects in a movie. At the other end of the scale you can also create an intimacy unmatched by any other medium. 

If you're uncertain of the correct format to use, or how to deal with sound effects, the tips on the site explain it all. Good luck!

 

Writing contest for unpublished writers - up to 300 words, deadline Dec 31, 2013

Here's a writing contest for unpublished writers and you probably already have something that would make a good entry. It's sponsored by WriteStars and here are the key points:

‘Capture our imagination in up to 300 words by writing the first paragraph(s) of the first chapter of a novel, or story – on any subject, in any genre.

They are looking for colour, originality, and a fascinating new voice – a beginning that makes them want to read on … and on …

First prize: £100. Second prize: £50.

The entry fee is £2.50 – with £1 from every entry going to the literacy charity Children in Crisis.

Please remember to include your contact details.

Entrants must be unpublished writers, and entries must be original.

Winning entries will be published on writestars.co.uk.

Enter at [email protected], or by post at WriteStars ‘Chapter One’ Competition, 43 Berkeley Square, London. W1J 5FJ.

Entry fee of £2.50 payable by PayPal on their site, or by cheque made out to WriteStars Ltd sent to their registered Berkeley Square address.

Please visit the website writestars.co.uk for full rules, terms and conditions or contact them and they’ll send you a copy by post.

Christmas (very) short story contest with UK prizes

If you write the winning Christmas short story (no more than 200 words) and get your entry in before midnight (UK time) on December 19, 2013, you could win your choice of:

* a night away for two at Dewsall Court in Hertfordshire

* a day of pampering at a Champneys resort

* a special treatment at the Inter X clinic in Cheltenham

The first runner-up gets second choice, and the second runner-up gets whichever prize is left.

You have to be a member (free) of totally4women--they do accept men, I checked. While I've I didn't see anything barring writers outside the UK, you'd have to come here to enjoy your prize.

Your story has to be entitled "A Christmas Story" and has to start with the words, "If there had been room at the inn..." and you can submit enries by email. Poetry and prose are both acceptable.  The winning entries are published on their site, and promoted to the media.

For full details: http://www.totally4women.com/2013/12/02/t4w-christmas-writing-competition/

EVEN IF YOU DON'T ENTER THIS CONTEST...

Even if you don't want to enter this contest, why not write a short-short Christmas story to enclose with the Christmas cards you send, or put it on your blog or website? That way you won't feel you've totally neglected your writing if the busyness of the holiday season keeps you from spending as much time as you'd like at your writing desk.

(If you are looking for a present for that deserving writer in your life--which could be you--a copy of "Your Writing Coach" is an excellent choice. It's published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller. This season, consider supporting your local independent bookstore.)

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Short Story Contest - $1000 prize (deadline Feb 1, 2014)

Short Story Contest - $1000 prize (deadline Feb 1, 2014)

If you've written a story up to 7500 words (not a novel excerpt) you might be interested in the writing contest sponsored by Phoebe Journal. Here are the basics:

• All entries should include a cover letter with the submission’s title and author’s contact information (name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address).
• Your name and contact information must not appear anywhere else on the manuscript.
• You may submit multiple entries, but must pay an entry fee for each new submission.
• We will not accept mailed submissions. Please use our online submission manager.

The deadline is February 1, 2014, the prize is $1000, publication in Phoebe, and a one-year subscription. The entry fee is $17.

They are also running contests for nonfiction and poetry, with similar terms. You can get full terms and conditions here:  http://www.phoebejournal.com/2014-winter-writing-contests/

Are you a poet? Here's a fun contest for you

If you are a poet or just fancy trying your hand, there's a fun competition going on with a dealine of January 28, 2014. Here are the details:

Each Tuesday before midday (GMT), from the 16th of April 2013, five words are posted on this competition page. Entrants have one week to compose and submit poems that must include all five words.

At noon next Tuesday, these words will no longer be eligible, and replaced with five new words. The competition will run for a total of forty weeks, until the last week of January 2014.

The Prize

 A prize of 500 euro will be awarded to one winner, and if available, then invited to read at Ó Bhéal’s seventh anniversary event, on Monday 14th of April, 2014 (an additional travel fee of 100 euro plus B&B accommodation will be provided for this). The shortlisted poems and winning entry will also be published in Five Words Vol VII – the next annual anthology of five word poems, launched at the same event.

A panel of poets from the Ó Bhéal board will adjudicate, and a shortlist of twelve poems including the overall winner will be announced during the first week of March, 2014.

How to submit

Entry is open to all countries. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed during this week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable. As long as the original spelling is intact within your syntax, you’re welcome to pluralise, join or even split the word to form two adjoining words. There is no limit on submission quantities, although each payment and submission will need to be made separately. Entries to be sent no later that 12pm on Tuesday.

 There is an entry fee of 5 Euros (about $6.80 or £4.17)

Full details and entry link at: http://www.obheal.ie/blog/?page_id=2371

 Don't expect the words to be June, moon and spoon. This week's are giraffe, cynosure, ceramic, universe, and light. As you can see this is only for poets who like a challenge! (But even if you don't enter, you might enjoy seeing what you can come up with.)

"I seek a poem written by a student attending college,"

Said the editor to the young man.

"Universe? Oh yes, there's lots of that," the young man said.

(...now you know why I don't write poems.) 

 (Need to make more time to write? You'll find a wealth of helpful strategies in my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done," published by Pearson and available now from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller--for you or as a great present.)

 

Crime Writing Contest (and Tips from Henning Mankell)

If you write crime novels, here's a contest for you--and if you are seeing this when the contest deadline of Nov. 30, 2013 has passed, read on anyway because after the contest details there's a link to some tips from Henning Mankell, author of the Wallender books.

THE CONTEST

If you have written an unpublished crime novel that has an international element you might be interested in entering the Telegraph Harvill Secker Crime Writing Competition.

The winner will receive £5000 and his or her novel will be published by Harvill Secker as a digital edition, print edition, or both.

You'll have to submit the first 5000 words of your novel and a two-page, double-spaced synopsis of the rest of the story (yes, reveal the ending!). You don't have to have completed the book yet. The contest is open only to writers who have not yet signed with a literary agent.

There is an entry fee of £5 and the deadline is November 30, 2013

All the details and the entry form are here: http://www.telegraphcrimecompetition.co.uk/

THE TIPS FROM HENNING MANKELL 

Henning Mankell, author of the Wallander Mysteries has a few tips in this 3-minute video:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/crime-writing-competition/10274536/Telegraph-Harvill-Secker-Crime-Writing-Competition-masterclass-Henning-Mankell.html

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