WHY SOMEONE ELSE WON THE CONTEST....

Have you entered a writing contest and won?  If so, congratulations! It's not easy and a huge accomplishment.

But if you've entered contests and not placed in the finals, there could be some simple things you can do to improve your chances.

I recently judged a writing contest and it was so interesting to read these entries; imagining myself an editor, and sympathizing with some of the common mistakes they must see repeatedly. (Note: this was NOT a SCBWI contest, so most entrants were probably new