In case you are a contest-enterer, or would like to become one, this clever mouse started
a contest blog for you. I went through a period of entering a lot of contests and won a few, but lost a bunch. It was an important period in my life because I wasn't sure how much of a writer I still was since I'd been working on my novel for forever and a day. Sometimes
a third-gendered person just needs a little positive feedback by way of getting published or winning a prize, I guess. Invariably, the other mice will scratch in some comments about what a waste of money/time/space/and/life it is to submit fiction to contests, but there's a time, place, and reason for it for some peeps.
4 comments:
It depends on the organizers. I thing the Glimmer Train contests are fair, I know an unknown write who won once. Narrative.....spend your $20 at Kinkos to self-publish if you want to see your name in print.
W,R-
A few questions, if you don't mind. What was your percentage of success in these contests (if you remember well enough to guesstimate). Did you at least win back your entry fees? One more question and then I'll stop: do you get the feeling agents care about these awards, or no?
Thanks. I was just curious.
I would say 1 acceptance to 30 rejections. You really have to be persistent. I once won $15K, and another time I won $500.00. There was a grant I applied for for 12 years until I won it: $25K, but I guess that wasn't technically a contest. I didn't ever have to pay to submit and be considered for the grant. Otherwise, it was all honorable mention and runner up with no cash attached.
Do agents care? I think sometimes it helps know that someone else has considered your writing to be winning. It gives them confidence if they like your work to maybe take you on. Not sure if that's true, but it's how I've always experienced it.
Hey, in one of your links you seem to be missing the 'h' out of 'http'. Thus 'a third-gendered person' doesn't lead anywhere. You might want to edit that.
Colum
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