The Power of Contests

Writer Compass Writing Advice

For some folks, competition is in their blood. They love pushing themselves. The uncertainty. The trophies. Others cringe at the idea that someone is going to judge them and possibly find them unworthy. Many just don’t see the point. But the truth is, contests are great for writers.

Contests help support the writing organizations we belong to, and they’re fantastic opportunities for learning and growth. For the writers who’ve never published, clicking submit and sending your work for strangers to read and evaluate is a hurdle you will cross again and again whether you seek traditional publishing or independently publish. You have to get comfortable with being “done” with your manuscript and sending it out into the world to face acceptance or rejection.

In my experience of submitting unpublished work, it was a mix of both praise and, well... Some judges loved my stories, and some had serious concerns and less than wonderful reactions. It was lovely to get approval. But the negative responses helped me grow more as a writer. I learned to discern between constructive feedback I could apply and plain old negative reader reaction.

Reader reaction is the equivalent of “I don’t like broccoli.” Okay. You don’t like it. I can put cheese on it, or more butter, or shred it into a casserole, but if you don’t like broccoli, I’m not going to be successful marketing any broccoli recipe to you no matter how creative I get.

And that’s okay.

That reader isn’t my target audience.

Learning that lesson as a commercial writer is one of the most important. Much more critical than learning where the comma goes, because you can hire editors.

Beyond the experience of receiving feedback, there is the potential that you could final in a contest or find new readers. Judges frequently include avid readers.

Getting your name and work in front of more eyeballs is always a good thing. Getting your name and the title of your work on a finalists’ lists posted to a website means more exposure. If you are fortunate enough to final, you can publicize that on your social media, in your newsletter, add it to the editorial section or book description on your distribution platforms and author website. It’s news about your book, so holler it from the top of your digital mountain.

And if you get a certificate or a trophy, you can put it near your writing desk to remind you that you are a capable writer. You can do what most of the world’s population will never do—write a book. You are not an imposter.

But what if you don’t have a manuscript ready to go, or you don’t have anything published within the contest date limitations? Volunteer to judge.

Don’t give me that baloney about you wouldn’t know how to judge. If you are a writer, you are a reader—or you damn well should be. And you should be reading in your genre and others. And guess what? You know if you like broccoli. And even if you don’t, you know if it’s an interesting recipe or if the Chocolate Chip Broccoli Surprise needs some work. And you can provide thoughtful, constructive feedback to the author who was brave enough to hit submit and trust a stranger with their work.

Learning to provide thoughtful, supportive feedback is a beautiful skill for a writer to acquire, and contests are a great place to practice.

♠️