Writing Contests are still viable

By Ava Cuvay

Blame it on Spring Break or the lovely weather we’re (finally!) having in Indiana, but I missed getting my post up yesterday. Which makes me a Dunderhead, right? In keeping with the recent trend of favorite words, I’ll throw that fun one out there... especially since most of my favorite words lean toward the 4-letter variety.

Wait, I take that back. “Moist” is five letters. ;-) Lol! I just had to “go there” because I’m feeling impish this week. I’ll blame that on the weather as well. (Ooooo, “impish.” I’ll have to use that one on a character!)

Unrelated, there’s recently been some scuttlebutt about a big author contest. “Scuttlebutt” is in truth an exceedingly poor word to describe what’s been going on with regards to this contest, and I don’t bring it up to delve into the complex and emotionally-charged details. But it makes me think of my local chapter’s upcoming contest for unpublished authors—the Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest—and what trickle-down effect the aforementioned scuttlebutt-on-steroids might have. What does the future hold for contests in general? Which ones will thrive, which ones will evolve, and which ones will wither away? (Hint: our IGO contest is nearly thirty years old, and has evolved... I'm pretty certain it will be one that survives :-)

Contests like ours, for unpublished authors, have a particularly uphill battle to fight, because it’s so darn easy to upload a document to Amazon, click a button, and—voila!—be a published author. So what is the selling point of contests for the seemingly-dwindling numbers that haven’t yet published? Potential for getting your work in front of an editor is a big draw. Our IGO contest has acquiring editors from both traditional and epub publishers for the finalists of each category.

Receiving a free critique with this chance to be seen by an editor is also a draw. And in my opinion, the best part about contests such as our IGO. I don’t know a single author who doesn’t dread getting their edits back or a critique partner’s comments… or worse, a one-star review! We have to develop thick skins, pull our big girl panties up and sally forth even when our baby requires drastic changes, and the strength to take everything with a grain of salt (preferably around the rim of a margarita). While hitting the “publish” button is relatively easy, the aftermath can be brutal. A contest with a critique included is a great litmus test for a potential author (and, hey, it’s not all bad… you’ll learn where your strengths lie as well!).

Promotion. I abhor contests that seem like popularity contests and “vote for my cover or whatever”… When a contest win is based on how many friends and fans I can rally to my side, I walk away. That’s a personal preference, but there is always an upside to ANY contest: self-promotion. Even if it’s a simple Facebook post asking for people to cross their fingers for you as you wait for the results, you have an opportunity to promote your author self. And if you final/win, the contest usually shouts that from the rooftops of their platforms as well (hey, more promotion for you!). And I’ll be honest… if you do well in a contest and then go on to great things, those contest people claim that victory as well by boasting about how well you’ve done thanks in part to the contest (okay… not those exact words. But also look at it this way: more promotion for you!).

So to anyone considering entering a writing contest, I urge to you take that step! It’s like winning the lottery; you can’t win if you don’t play. And who knows, that winner might very well be you! Unpublished authors, I especially urge you to try contests. I am the first to admit that I entered the Indiana’s IGO contest before I had ever considered joining an RWA chapter. I didn’t win. The critiques I received were a mix of great and omigawd-who-let-me-pretend-I-could-write. But it was the first real step I took toward my dream of publishing and I would absolutely not be here if I hadn’t entered.

So don’t let a little or even an enormous scuttlebutt keep you from entering writing contests. And if you’re an unpublished author looking for a pretty fabulous contest, give our IGO a try! (P.S. It opens up May 1st!) https://indianarwa.com/igo/