Blogger: Mary Keeley
Over the holiday weekend I spent time debriefing after serving on faculty at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Up until now, I’ve had vacillating opinions about the long-term value published and unpublished authors reap from entering contests. You might have had similar thoughts and question contests: to enter or not. I came away from this conference with a decidedly positive perspective.
Contest judges rate entries solely on the quality of the writing. A judge’s personal 
preference can come into play as well. Most contest evaluation forms don’t ask judges to assess if an entry is saleable. Publishers, on the other hand, must view a submission more objectively. They may also like the story and agree the contest winner deserved the honor, but if the publisher doesn’t think the book is marketable, there won’t be a contract offer. In other words, a judge doesn’t have to evaluate a submission from a business perspective, but a publisher does. This is one reason my thoughts have fluctuated.
Another reason is that authors need to weigh the validity of the judge’s feedback. Judges aren’t perfect or all-knowing. Case in point. An author, who writes historical fiction and had researched scrupulously to give an accurate portrayal of the historical culture, received this feedback from a judge: “I’ve watched enough Westerns to know…” I kid you not. Enough said.
But after the winners of the Selah Awards were announced, I observed agents making their way to unagented award winners when the banquet ended. A quiet flurry of business was taking place. Because I’d been impressed with many of these winners in their pitch meetings with me during the week, I too was interested.
There are four factors that led me to want to learn more about the winners in the genres I represent:
- The pitch meeting. The author knew what to say about the book that I need to know: accurate genre identification, the nonfiction book’s theme or compelling message, the novel’s unique theme and concise, easy to follow description of the main plot and the main character’s emotional arc and conflicts.
- Preparation for answers to questions about brand and platform. The author had given considerable thought to brand and had read books by a number of other authors in his or her genre to be able to identify the unique elements that establish his or her own brand. The author’s followers had offered feedback organically, which gave further clarification. And the author was ready with current social media numbers, number of emails collected, and unique website visitors per month. The author was ready with an explanation of the strategy used to build the platform.
- Knowledge of the current market. The author has been following industry and author blogs to be up to date on the kinds of books that are marketable at this time. And the author had his or her finger on the pulse of the target audience and directed the writing to meet the readers’ felt needs.
- Winning the contest. It’s impossible to confirm the quality of an author’s writing in a 15-minute pitch meeting. That’s why the judges’ award decision became the tipping point to follow through on my interest in the author.
I wasn’t surprised that the authors who stood out in the first three factors also walked across the stage to receive their contest awards. This is how contests can work for you too, when you polish your craft to the level that your book shines above the rest before you submit.
TIP: If you enter a contest, it pays to be present at the conference that hosts it, where you are available to agents, should you win.
I didn’t expect to sign any new clients at the conference because it doesn’t often happen that quickly. But I came back with two. They demonstrated the fruit of their labor in doing what it takes to become a publishable author. Let this be an encouragement to you. Your hard work attending to these four factors is a direct path to giving yourself the best chance for a contest win and agents’ attention.
What have you experienced with entering contests? Was the judge’s feedback helpful? What contests have you entered or plan to enter this year?
TWEETABLES:
Contests: to enter or not? Know the pros and cons before you submit. Click to Tweet.
Weigh a judge’s feedback on your contest entry. Apply the constructive, excuse what sounds wrong. Click to Tweet.
On Self-Care and Being Humble
I drifted around the edges of the painting world for a while, and came away with a very negative view of the contest process, and will have to overcome that deeply-ingrained experience. In that Palace of Pretense, fashion and Hip are literally everything, and woe betide the traditionalist. It’s also largely moved by knowing and impressing the Right People.
Sarcasm aside, I can understand that this is, to some degree, necessary and even inevitable; it’s at heart a business, and runs by both meeting and creating ‘wants’ that seem like cultural needs.
Whether this holds true for writing contests as well…I don’t have the knowledge to say.
I do find the emphasis on social media numbers disturbing; it seems to beget a generation of writers whose hearts have to be in a different place; rather than writing being an adjunct to a wider life, it’s a commodity in a life devoted to advertising and a spiritual sort of direct mail marketing. I see this in myself, so I hope that including my own writing paradigm in this area of concern will somehow validate it…or at least make me sound less of a Luddite!
I am the poster child for contests:
SCBWI Annual Critique Contest
SCBWI Work-in -Progress Award
Authoress Secret Agent
#kidpit
numerous flash fiction
agency contests
publishers contests
In each case, the feedback was very valuable and each entry required slightly different writing, so it broadens my skill set and stretches me.
I am thankful to those contests. At times I have felt like quitting, but a strong finish in what could be termed a “silly little contest” kept me going. In each case, I was glad I entered. Probably will do #pitmad.
I would love it if other readers would list contests that are out there so that all of us could read up on them and see if it fits our genre. Thanks.
Sheila, Seekerville (http://seekerville.blogspot.com) lists contests around the first of every month. It’s a great round up of contests for published and unpublished authors. 🙂
Thanks, Jeanne! I will check it out.
Thank you for the web link, Jeanne!
Congratulations, Shelia, on all your wins. You’re obviously writing well–and learning from / applying the feedback.
Mary, I would be interested in knowing what the qualifications are to be a judge for writing contests. I will critique, as long as the writer understands where I am on this writing journey, but personally, right or wrong, I would not feel qualified to judge until I was published.
And if one commits to judge, believing they have the qualifications to fill those size 13 shoes, their heart attitude should be on bended knee. Truth in love. There is no room on the page for sarcasm. Rachelle once shared this: “Carry a shield. And treat other authors as if they don’t.”
I’ve entered 3 or 4 contests and found value in (al)most of the judge’s comments.
Pointing out my passive grammar helped me tighten my writing, and pointing out what was good encouraged me.
But I’d REALLY love to know what judge would have the nerve to say that his/her comments were validated by a Western?????
Perhaps it’s best not to know, is Writer Town is so very small.
I enter contests and, once in a great while, I win. I don’t do it for any other reason than to gain experience, receive feedback, and maybe to add “credits” to my writing resume, since I have yet to realize my goal of publishing my novel. I’ll keep entering because it propels me forward in my writing–a type of “proof of life”–but I still have miles to go when it comes to the first three points on your list.
I love hearing your perceptions about contests, Mary. Coming from a professional in the industry, it adds a broader perspective to the whole notion of to contest or not to contest.
I’ve entered a number of contests, finaled in a few, and won one. I enter them because most of the time, I receive great feedback. I’ve had a few judges whose feedback has been more hurtful. Overall, I’ve received great input for my stories and for learning to become a better writer.
Contests I’ve entered this year are Great Expectations, the Genesis and the TARA.
This is extremely encouraging! Thank you!
Mary, thank you for listing the four factors. This is my first year entering contests and my favorite, so far, is the Genesis one because each writer is given feedback via detailed forms filled out by 3 different judges–plus each judge may include comments/critiques. It’s well worth the entry fee. And like a critique group, I found a wide range of opinions; however, I made note of trends. My favorite judge seemed to get my voice and enjoy my story; that’s the kind of agent I want (someone who enjoys my writing, but knows how to critique in a way that makes the light turn on and not off).
Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
“That makes the light turn on and not off” … beautifully said, Wendy. 🙂
Thank you, Shelli. Light may hurt, light can help. ❀
Wendy, it’s always encouraging when a judge “gets” our voice and our stories, isn’t it? 🙂
I agree–I feel like a winner when someone gets my voice. Congratulations, Jeanne, for how well you’ve done, and are doing, in contests. ❀
Thanks for posting this, Mary. It is a great reference about the benefits of contests.
Well said, Mary. I am co-chair of Oregon Christian Writers’s Cascade Writing Contest. Our finals judges are agents and editors. Entering provides an opportunity for finalists to get their work before professionals. Last year one publishing house seemed quite interested in a high-scoring author.
Marilyn, this was my first year entering the Cascade Contest. It will also be my first year at the Oregon Christian Conference. Hope to meet you.
I entered a state RWA contest and took home second place for my category, but one of the judges actually said to me: “Your story is set in Little Falls, in northern MN, and though I’ve never been to Little Falls, I’ve been to northern MN and I don’t think it would be appropriate for your character to drive a Model T in 1927. Those northern towns were so backward and full of poverty.” WHAT?!?! I’ve done my research and I’ve also lived in Little Falls most of my life. I know for a fact that some of the first automobiles driven in MN were driven in Little Falls! It proved to me that not all judges know their stuff. 🙂 However, I’ve also had amazing feedback that was very helpful for me and my writing. I’ve also been invited to submit my manuscript to two agents through the process and I’ve been happy to write back and say I’m honored by the request, but I already have a lovely agent. 🙂
Things I wouldn’t write on your entry…”Yeah….about the cars? I read in a magazine that cars cause global warming, so your entry gets zero points from me.”
Lots of my feedback was great. Some, notsomuch.
And your agent is fabulous!!
I’m a HUGE fan of writing contests. I learned so much from my contest judges in my pre-published days. Contests enabled me to get my work in front of agents and editors, who judged the final rounds. One of those agents offered me representation! Waving at Rachelle.
I agree with your comments on the value of taking part in writing contests, Mary. For me, taking part in a contest translates to a number of pluses: (1) I have worked hard on a piece, run it past my critique group and edited it as far as I could, (2) I feel enough pride in my work to throw it into the ring competitively—this is huge for those still unpublished—a milestone in our writing journey, and (3) The judges comments show me different perspectives than I have access to in my circle of writer friends. I have entered ACFW’s Genisis contest once and OCW’s Cascade contest twice. Although I haven’t won, I feel as if I have—I’ve shared the thrills of watching my friends accept their awards, and the privilege of cheering them on.
Thank you, Mary, for sharing the reasons you now view contests in a positive light. I am quite hesitant to enter contests. I’d rather invest my money in other ways. That said, I am submitting this year to the annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition for a few reasons:
1) I know it’s legitimate (a major plus to me)
2) I have a couple pieces of writing that I am thinking of submitting
to journals and submitting to the contest would be a good dry run
(if one wins, it will be published in Writer’s Digest)
3) In conjunction with #2 above, submitting to the contest gives me
a deadline before which I have to scrupulously revise those pieces.
Then, if they don’t win first place, there will be another round of
revision before I start sending them out to journals
4) If one of the pieces wins the grand prize (unlikely, but one can dream
🙂 ) I get a free trip to the Writer’s Digest Writers’ Conference in
New York City and a 30-minute platform strategy consultation
with writer / editor Chuck Sambuchino. How great would that be?
My primary focus, though, at the moment, is to finish my WIP novel (the main goal) and to work towards getting short pieces published in literary journals. So this year, writing contests are low on my to-do list.
Excellent assessment of the value of contests from an agent’s perspective, Mary. Early on in my writing, winning contests helped to validate my work and encourage me to continue. Later on, it worked just as you’ve described, to cement the attention of a publisher after having pitched a project at a conference. While not a guarantee of publication (as evidenced by my four unpublished but award-winning fiction manuscripts), there is worth in feeling confirmed that one is on the right track since it can be a long road from learning the craft to signing on the dotted line.
My advice to newbies like me: ENTER! (Since the contest, I know exclamation points are repellent to editors, but my enthusiasm warrants its use anyway.) I submitted three entries to the Genesis contest and had eight different judges. The quality of the actionable advice was fantastic. Every judge provided valuable comments that will affect my rewrites of the three manuscripts before I begin to query. I am so grateful to the eight people who took the time to volunteer.
I think they were all experienced professionals from the caliber of the comments, but I don’t know if they were published. As a member of ACFW, I received the e-mail request for volunteer judges. I plan to volunteer in the future after I’m published or at least under contract, but I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to do that before I really knew what it was required to be successful in the business. I wouldn’t trust the value of anything I would advise until then. One lesson I learned from the contest was that my style of writing is more like Jane Austin than Jill Elizabeth Nelson, so my advice would have been useless and even counterproductive in today’s market. Maybe they would have culled me from the herd if I had volunteered. I would hope so!
Congratulations, newly agented writers and to Mary as well! What an amazing conference it must have been. A good showing in a contest and an agent taboot. Awesome!
Great post, Mary. I agree contests give authors one more important way to stand out. Just entering has commitment value, but as Oregon Christian Writers summer conference director, I’ve seen editors and agents take added interest in Cascade Contest winners. Contestants thank us for the specific feedback and encouragement they receive–even those who don’t win. We’re grateful for the generosity of judges (busy writing professionals) who seem to want to build up the authors. And the Awards evening is a fun!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mary. It is helpful to get an agent’s opinion. I’ve had this debate in my mind many times, and even now am considering entering a contest in June.
I have been considering submitting to contests. Thank you for your perspective and the 4 points so I know where I need to tone up my pitch.
Makes me think of old Grub Street in London where starving writers eked out a living, or the novel HUNGER from Scandinavia.
If a person is truly a writer they will write, even if they have to resort to pencil
stub and paper scrap.
Many good and/or excellent writers cannot afford contest entry fees nor to book themselves into a contest. More’s the pity!
I’ve received helpful constructive feedback from contest judges. Recognition is rewarding, but I believe the critiques make it worth the time and small expense to participate in contests.
This year I gathered my courage to enter three things in a recent contest. I debated about entering until 10 minutes before the deadline. God prompted me to step out and honor the time I had spent preparing contest pieces. I’m so glad He did, for it was such an encouragement to win something for all three entries. I enjoyed meeting with you and am so grateful for your insight.
My own personal experience has shown that contests are variable in importance–because judges and judging is variable. In an ACFW contest, I was given three ratings by three judges. They were 100%, 86%, and 54%! No joke. From 100% down to 54%. I had submitted two that year and finaled with one. That one started with a hurricane. I am a Florida girl born and bred, as they say, and lived through numerous hurricanes. I was told by two of the judges that I did not understand the “horror” factor of hurricanes and should research them more thoroughly–even when the story mentioned a category one hurricane. For Floridians, a Cat 1 hurricane does not stir “horror” in us. So, judging can be very subjective. On the other hand, I’ve also received a lot of good feedback from it–as well as agent attention.