Articles

Winning Contests 101

I’ve had some relative successes on the RWA contest circuit recently.  Not as many wins as some, but enough.  And while I’d like to think my stellar storytelling abilities have garnered this success, I know that isn’t the truth.  Or rather, it isn’t the whole truth.  Certainly, I couldn’t have gotten as far as I have without some natural ability, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret. 

It takes more than talent to succeed.

So what tiny tidbits of knowledge can I share that might help you succeed as well? 

Know Why You’re Entering

If feedback is what you hope to gain from plunking down your pesos then that’s what you should focus your attention on.  Ask around to find out which contests provide the best feedback, the most detailed score sheets, the ones that encourage judges to write detailed remarks.  Or even, the ones that guarantee published authors for every entrant in the first round.  And then don’t be disappointed if you don’t place.  Keep your eye on the prize and what’s most important to you and your career at this moment. 

If finaling and recognition are number one on your hit list, then enter the more prestigious contests, the ones editors, agents and other unpublished writers immediately recognize.  Ask for recommendations at your local chapter meetings and/or on message boards.  Ask published authors which contests they participated in before they published and which helped them the most or garnered them the most recognition.  In short, do your homework.

If you’re looking for perks along with your win then concentrate on those contests that provide more than your name on the winners list.  I’ve seen several ultimate prizes offered: cold hard cash, a golden heart necklace, a rose pin, or even an alpha smart.  One contest provides the entry fee for the national convention to the overall winner.  Pick which ones offer something you’re interested in and spend your money wisely.

If getting your baby in front of a prize editor is your end goal, then you need to concentrate on contests in which that editor is a final round judge.  And possibly on the lesser known contests.  The smaller contests tend to have less competition – you’ll still get that editor’s attention if you final but that final might not carry as much weight/recognition as some larger contests.  You also need to make sure your work will stand out amongst the twenty to fifty or even several hundred other entrants who are targeting that editor with the same type of manuscript you just sent off in a pristine priority mail envelope.

Know What You’re Entering

Entering an inspirational manuscript into the long contemporary category the senior editor at Harlequin Blaze is set to judge might not be the best move.  Or it might be depending on what you want to accomplish.  Just be aware that most of the competition will probably be manuscripts targeted to Blaze.  That might help or hurt you depending on your first round judges.

If the guidelines ask for a specific amount of pages, don’t feel you must stretch to fill the requirement.  Stop your entry at an intriguing and high-tension moment.  You want the judges to flip that last page and groan because they want the next page/chapter/scene to read. 

And always assume anything you send in will be judged – even if the guidelines say it won’t be.  Some contests require you to submit a synopsis to be judged.  Some ask you to send it for clarification purposes only.  Know that there’s a high probability anything you send will be read.  And that if you dash off a one or two page synopsis at the last minute in order to beat the deadline you’re liable to have hurried yourself into a non-finaling place.  It’s human nature to judge – we do it anytime we meet someone new.  Anything the judge reads will influence their opinion on your entire entry.

Dos and Don’ts

Here are some simple things you can keep in mind while preparing your entry and blazing your way through the contest circuit.

·        Do Follow the Guidelines Specifically – There’s nothing worse than going through all that effort only to have your entry returned because you forgot to double space your 2 page synopsis

·        Do Submit Professional Work – Don’t submit anything you wouldn’t want an editor or agent reading.  You aren’t likely to final if you do this, but think of what might happen if you did.  That prize editor you’ve been dying to have read your work just did – and she didn’t appreciate the .25 margins or the hot pink font.

·        Do Thank Your Judges – No matter what you think of their opinions, they took time from their busy schedules because they wanted to help.  It doesn’t really matter that they didn’t.  Their intentions were good (for the most part).  Why else would they volunteer to judge a contest?

·        Don’t Enter Every Contest – A long list of credits is nice but it’ll also cost you a fortune.  And probably won’t gain you anything more than placing well in five or six strategically placed contests.

·        Don’t Revise – Revising your manuscript to fit the specific guidelines of a contest will get you nothing but trouble.  If you add a murder/sex/first kiss/reunion angle to the first three pages of your entry so it’ll pop a little more for a specific contest, final and get a request from the final round judge, what have you done?  Set yourself up for some major revisions because the editor who asked to see that manuscript is going to want the one that matches the three pages you sent – not the completed secret baby/cowboy/runaway bride full you’ve got waiting in the wings.

·        Don’t spend all your time polishing – Having the perfect first chapter – or even partial – might get you finals, wins, and recognition.  But if you don’t have the full to back it up then you’ll never earn the ultimate prize – the call. 

Cold Hard Truth

There’s one piece of cold, hard truth that is irrefutable when it comes to contests.  Placing well does not mean you’ll sell the manuscript – or any manuscript for that matter.  I remember listening to one Golden Heart winner this past year talk about winning for the third year in a row.  She obviously has talent.  But that doesn’t always mean success. 

One of my manuscripts that’s done well this year - one 1^st, two 2^nd and one 3^rd place finishes – will not be published.  At least not without major revisions.  I might not have gained a contract from these contest entries but what I did gain was knowledge.  I received feedback from three different editors on the problems and strengths of the story (and I’m waiting for one more from my 1^st place win).  I know what’s wrong with the story now.  I’ve just chosen not to invest any more time in it.

Common Sense

And to help you along the way I've included a list of my favorite contest resource sites.

Yahoo Groups

rwacontests 

To subscribe: rwacontests-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Discussion of RWA national and chapter contests

romancecontests

To subscribe:  RomanceContests-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Announcement only listserve for contest information, finals and wins.

ContestsJudges

to subscribe: ContestsJudges-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Announcements and requests for judges in RWA chapter contests. 

*If you plan to enter contests I strongly recommend judging some as well so you have the experience and know what’s involved.  It’s also highly helpful to spot problem areas in another manuscript and might help you spot those same issues with your own.

ContestAlert

To subscribe: ContestAlert-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Group informs you of contest deadlines, finalists and winners

Website Resources

Charlotte Dillon

http://www.charlottedillon.com/RWA-Contests.html

An excellent resource including detailed listing of contests for published and unpublished by month.  Links to chapter sites and contest details.  Also, contest articles.

Mia Zachary

http://www.miazachary.com/OneWritersJourney/WritingContests/index.htm

RWA chapter contests listed by month.  Includes links to chapter sites, notations about contest specifics including Mia’s notes about the contests – price/anything that makes it stand out/deadlines

Eharlequin – message boards – write stuff – entered a contest lately?

http://community.eharlequin.com/WebX?50@750.h8K8axoJKSK.1@.4a8340b2/118

This thread does not include detailed information about contests but does provide a place for conversation and questions.

Divas With Tiaras

http://www.geocities.com/divaswithtiaras/ContestDiva.index.html

List of contests and deadlines.  Also the place to see the yearly list of RWA contest Divas.

Click here to visit the article archives.

Favorite Links

www.writingplayground.com - Come join Kira as she works and plays with the other children on the playground.

www.heartofdixie.org - The north AL chapter of RWA.  Heart of Dixie is responsible for helping Kira in her daily struggle.

www.southernmagic.org - Another AL chapter of RWA, also responsible for Kira's success. 

www.rwanational.org - The national organization.  Find information and statistics about the romance industry.

www.eharlequin.com - Information about Harlequin/Silhouette the publisher Kira is targeting.

www.soapboxqueens.com - visit with Rhonda Nelson, Jennifer LaBrecque and Vicki Lewis Thompson as they talk about writing and life

Beyond Her Book - Barbara Vey with Publishers Weekly talks about reading women's fiction.