How to Win Writing Contests

Fiction

Winning a writing contest not only gives you happiness and joy, but can also get you much needed attention. Winning is impressive, but you have to first astonish the judges with your entry before you even have a chance at winning. In most contests, judges quickly decide who's in and who's out. There are many more people in the out pile than in, so how do you get in?

You can make your entries to writing contests stand out with these proven tips. Most people are rejected before the real judging even begins. Often, judges find very few entries they believe are worthy of a second read. Just follow these tips and watch your winnings increase greatly.

If you have a network inside of the writing community you are more likely to win a contest that gives prizes. Compare your work with other writers that you admire or really good work on the same subject. Is your work just as good or at least as closely skilled? Find out who is judging the contest if their names are public and check them out. Find out what kind of work and styles they prefer. You are more likely to win if you are doing something the judges personally prefer, it's called bias and it gives you an edge over the competition.

Find others to read and constructively critique your work. Try to find people that read a lot, and are especially familiar with your subject. Students, teachers, bookstore owners, and other writers are great people to ask to read and review your submission. Just ask that they remain absolutely honest and don't just tell you what you want to hear.

Although it is human nature to question things and try to bend the rules, you can't do this in a writing contest. The guidelines are meant to give ease to judges searching through potentially hundreds of submissions for one perfect winner. The curvy font may look pretty, and your page may look more professional single spaced but it is important that you follow the instructions. Often time's incorrect submissions will not even be considered. Generally you are required to use a 12pt standard Times or Arial font face, double spaced.