Value of writing contests - haven't seen a GR discussion on this topic in a while

[G.R.]

Shortly after self-publishing my novel, and again after my short story, I contemplated the notion of submitting my work to various online writing contests. There were certainly many of them and some of them seemed to have genuine authenticity behind them while others seemed to not add much value to an author seeking to reach a greater share of readers through token awards. I will say that there are many blogs and websites warning authors away from contests that require a fee, saying that if the contest is legit it should be backed sufficiently without requiring the author to essentially pay people to read it. In general, I tried to heed this advice and for a time only submitted my work to a couple of the more well-known contests (Amazon's Annual Breakthrough Novel Award -- sadly Amazon stopped it, and the Writers of the Future). But there are a lot of other ones that seem to grudgingly be gaining respect among the self-published world. So it prompts me to ask this question:

Has anyone out there entered any of the "fee-based" contests and, if you won anything as a result, has it amounted to any significant increase in sales? In other words, was it worth it???

On the flip side, I was looking at names of past winners of the Amazon ABNA and L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future, and very few of those people have produced much else that I would consider noteworthy (sure, there are exceptions). So does that mean that even winning a highly recognized contest does not guarantee an author can escape from obscurity?

There is no single formula for success, but the lure of all those contests, some mediocre perhaps, is still difficult to resist. Wait, one of the prizes is a bunch of stickers? Oh, my God, where do I sign up? (Someone please slap me out of it.)

[Sharon]

I'm a silver medalist in the Global eBook Awards, and was also a historical fiction judge for three years before being honored in a different category. I can say without hesitation that the GeBA will always be something I support and recommend; I know first-hand how hard the judges work.

Whether or not it's "worth it" is a subjective matter. My sales are decent, although (like most authors) I can't quit my day job. The majority of books never sell more than 100 copies; runaway bestsellers are a rarity. So, no ... there is no "guarantee an author can escape from obscurity," regardless ... but it is another item on your CV/platform that is worth having.

/my 2 cents

[G.R.]

Sharon wrote: "I know first-hand how hard the judges work."

Sharon, thanks for your response. I've never heard the judge side of the coin before. I don't doubt that the judges work very hard to evaluate the quality of the submissions they receive. I was just wondering if the tangible benefit to the author was worth the price. There are so many of these awards that you can find on the internet that it's very easy to spend hundreds of dollars. I wanted to know if other authors out there have entered these contests and if the return on investment was worth it.

If there are some contests out there that people feel overwhelmingly positive about, I'd like to hear about their experience.

[Abigail]

Most Romance Writers of America chapters have contests with a fee. The contests are used as fundraisers.

I love contests. :)

[Ann]

Readers' Favorite is a great contest that I would highly recommend. You can start with a review of your book or manuscript. If you chose one review it is free and if you get a four or five star review from the reader you receive a seal for your book. You can pay to have more than one reviewer read your book. Their goal is not to hurt authors but to help them which I thought was such a great idea. In 2014 I received the five star review for "The Union of the North and the South" in the Romance/Christian category. They have lots of categories which is very helpful. I was able to use the seal on my book as well as quote my reviewer on my bookmarks. What the reviewer writes is considered an editorial review on Amazon, which is nice.
Then you can also enter the Readers' Favorite International Book Award contest which they hold yearly. On September 1 the winners were announced for 2015. I was so please to earn Honorable Mention in Romance/Christian for "The Union of the North and the South.'"
I believe the cost to enter this contest was well worth it for me. As a result I have gotten to have articles in newspapers, an ad in a national magazine, and standing among readers. Having someone review my book outside of my friends and family has given me credibility which has been well worth it. Also Readers' Favorite has a great website which you are part of forever if you either earn a four or five star seal. If you win the award it is listed that you are an Award Winner by your name. I have used Readers' Favorite web site as a place to find good books I would like to read as well.

[Brenda]

Remember that on the internet nobody knows you're a dog. Anybody can get up in the morning and start a contest, and start collecting fees. So exert a little due diligence.

Look into who is running a given contest. How long have they been doing it? Who were the winners -- can you find the prizewinner anywhere, or did they award the prize to their younger brother? Are they supported or sponsored by any entity, like a college or a writers' group, or is it from somebody out of left field?

You might consult one of the blogs or websites that keep an eye upon writer scams. Sad to say, there are some real scuzzbags out there. SFWA runs Writer Beware, for instance: http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/f...

[G.R.]

Interesting. The advice to check carefully into the validity of the contest itself is warranted, but it seems that the perception of these fee-based contests is changing. I will have to give some of them a second look once I have my next story complete.

Thanks to all for their feedback.

[Amber]

Writer Beware, which Brenda mentioned, is a great resource. I highly recommend checking it out when in doubt about a contest, a publisher, an agent, a promoter, anything in which an author could get the short end of the stick.