Contest Thoughts
My darling husband often accuses me of burying the lede. So! Before I chuck a trowel full of dirt on top of this information--I'm a finalist in YARWA's 2019 Athena Contest!
How fancy am I?
via GIPHY
You might wonder... Why would a published, agented author enter a contest? Mainly, because I'm still pretty green in my publishing career. The learning curve is steep, and doubts kinda come with the territory. Validation is thin on the ground, and contests can give me a dose of it.
Here's the thing. I never 100% know if my creative output is good. After the million decisions I make while drafting, editing, revising, re-drafting, weeping, detecting plot holes, punching up hooks, and killing darlings, I ask myself... Is what's on the page now better than what it could have been? Dunno. Critique partners help with this, but even they can become biased. They're in the trenches with you and your drafts.
That's when I enter a contest. For me, the point of a contest is NOT to win it. (Although, again, full disclosure: it's fun when you do). Contests are a low-risk way of getting some independent feedback. The judges don't know you. They are readers who had your words handed to them at random, and they are under no obligation to love them. So, contests are a good way to figure out if your writing connects with readers in general.
via GIPHY
But... Not all contests are created equal. We know that, right? Here are the things I look for when entering contests...
Does the contest have a good reputation for inclusion and judges who understand the judging rubric? The point of entering is to see how you stack up against other authors, and the award is only worth winning if all the entries are judged fairly.Do they offer feedback? I prefer the ones that do. It doesn't mean I agree with everything a judge tells me, but if three different judges point out my conflict is as strong as cotton candy, welp, I have some work to do.Who are the judges? Chapter members? Industry professionals? A mix of both? It's an opportunity to low-key network. If an editor at a publisher you'd love to submit to is a contest judge, you could get your name/work in front of them outside of the slush pile. Win-win!Are the winners announced at an event you can attend? Again, this presents an opportunity to network in-person. Authors are readers, and connecting with readers is so, so important. The number one thing that sells books is word of mouth. The more ways you can get your book read by chatty cheerleaders, the better.How big is the contest's social media platform? Use it to interact with the contest--and therefore chapter members and other finalists.Do you get some sort of graphic/image you can plug into your website to signify your achievement?How much does it cost to enter? One last thing... Entering contest can be a bit additive. If you find you're entering contests more than you're actually writing, I'd advise you to step away from the entry forms and focus on creating new, wonderful stories.
Good luck to you and any contests you enter!
How fancy am I?via GIPHY
You might wonder... Why would a published, agented author enter a contest? Mainly, because I'm still pretty green in my publishing career. The learning curve is steep, and doubts kinda come with the territory. Validation is thin on the ground, and contests can give me a dose of it.
Here's the thing. I never 100% know if my creative output is good. After the million decisions I make while drafting, editing, revising, re-drafting, weeping, detecting plot holes, punching up hooks, and killing darlings, I ask myself... Is what's on the page now better than what it could have been? Dunno. Critique partners help with this, but even they can become biased. They're in the trenches with you and your drafts.
That's when I enter a contest. For me, the point of a contest is NOT to win it. (Although, again, full disclosure: it's fun when you do). Contests are a low-risk way of getting some independent feedback. The judges don't know you. They are readers who had your words handed to them at random, and they are under no obligation to love them. So, contests are a good way to figure out if your writing connects with readers in general.
via GIPHY
But... Not all contests are created equal. We know that, right? Here are the things I look for when entering contests...
Does the contest have a good reputation for inclusion and judges who understand the judging rubric? The point of entering is to see how you stack up against other authors, and the award is only worth winning if all the entries are judged fairly.Do they offer feedback? I prefer the ones that do. It doesn't mean I agree with everything a judge tells me, but if three different judges point out my conflict is as strong as cotton candy, welp, I have some work to do.Who are the judges? Chapter members? Industry professionals? A mix of both? It's an opportunity to low-key network. If an editor at a publisher you'd love to submit to is a contest judge, you could get your name/work in front of them outside of the slush pile. Win-win!Are the winners announced at an event you can attend? Again, this presents an opportunity to network in-person. Authors are readers, and connecting with readers is so, so important. The number one thing that sells books is word of mouth. The more ways you can get your book read by chatty cheerleaders, the better.How big is the contest's social media platform? Use it to interact with the contest--and therefore chapter members and other finalists.Do you get some sort of graphic/image you can plug into your website to signify your achievement?How much does it cost to enter? One last thing... Entering contest can be a bit additive. If you find you're entering contests more than you're actually writing, I'd advise you to step away from the entry forms and focus on creating new, wonderful stories.
Good luck to you and any contests you enter!
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