Are Contests Worth It?

Photo by IndianSumm/StockXchange.com

The short answer: It depends.

Okay, that could be the shortest post in the history of blogs.

If the judges provide useful feedback, if your skin is thick enough to take criticism, if you want to improve as a writer, rather than have your work rubber stamped, if you've worked at the writing craft and want validation that you've achieved a certain standard of writing, then entering contests can be valuable.

I recently submitted a first chapter to a contest because a category was in jeopardy of being canceled due to a shortage of entries. My chapter had been critiqued dozens of times and rewritten more times than I could have imagined when I began this writing journey. Frankly, I love the story, but I'm tired of the chapter.

One of the judges only gave me a 4 out of 5 on voice. Really? I thought that was one of my strengths.

Sigh. Not getting all the points for voice wounded my pride. I went through the manuscript line by line seeking ways to interject my personality onto the page.

Another judge liked the hero but gave me a low score for not mentioning his goals. Well, he's pretty preoccupied rescuing the damsel in distress. I didn't think he had time to stop and explain his life.

Well . . . there was one place at the very end where he stops and takes a breath. What if he wonders what would have happened if he hadn't been there to save the heroine? Oh, maybe I did have a chance to sneak in his goals.

All in all, I'd say the entry fee was worth the price. I now have a better chapter than I had last week.

An Opportunity for You!
Here's a brand new contest: Susan May Warren at MyBookTherapy is sponsoring The Frasier. The deadline is March 31, so it's not too late to enter. Regardless of whether you're ready to submit your manuscript to a contest or not, Warren has posted a wonderful checklist by which you can judge your first chapter.

First Chapter Checklist



The Frasier Contest

Is Contest Feedback Worth it?

In 2008, I won the Touched by Love contest, finaled in the Golden Gateway and the Summer Sizzle contests, and judged contests as well.

But when contest score sheets arrive in the mail, my stomach flips more times than a world-class gymnast performing a floor routine. I’ve received wonderful feedback that praised my work or told me how I could improve. Every compliment is read over and over, savored like melt-in-your-mouth chocolate.

Then, there are those other comments. Negative feedback hurts; and sometimes, I’ve had to put it aside until my skin feels thick enough to withstand the pain. But I’ve found that the critical comments were the most useful ones. Those I can learn from. After all, if I wanted only positive feedback, I’d give my manuscript to my mother and save the money spent on entry fees.

When I can be objective—usually after a long, bubble bath and ice cream straight from the carton—I study my manuscript. Was the judge right? Is my heroine shallow? Have I failed to show instead of tell? Does my chapter lack description? (Probably yes to the last one, though I’ve really tried to work on that.)

I imagine each judge as a potential reader—she is, isn’t she? If she loves my submission, wonderful! I have a new fan. But if she doesn’t, is there something I can change—while staying true to my story and my voice—yet win her over? Then, I'll have more satisfied readers.

Some comments are best ignored. But first, really try to see if the criticism has merit. In one contest, the judge scored me low score for conflict, then wrote: “Most of the conflict is because of the heroine’s poor choices.” Hello? Hasn’t she heard of Moby Dick? I know my story is rife with conflict. What about the other judge who thought my heroine was unsympathetic? Ouch. My character has abandoned her children. If I haven’t provided proper motivation for this heinous act, then I needed to heed this judge’s criticism and create a more sympathetic heroine. I was glad for the opportunity to rewrite the story now, before submitting it to an editor.

The best way to look at contest feedback is the way a writing partner offers her critique: “Use what you can, and lose the rest.”