Just press submit: Contests are a cinch BY MEAGHAN HACKINEN
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re you looking to publish your first piece, experiment in a new genre, or motivate yourself with a deadline? If so, writing contests may be for you! Beyond the chance that a prestigious win might launch your literary career, every contest entry actively builds your body of work. The skills you develop in writing, editing, and polishing your submission will endure far beyond the contest deadline. Plus—and as FBCW Contest Bank Coordinator, I might be slightly biased—entering contests is simply fun! First, there are some things to consider, from sourcing credible contests to understanding fees and guidelines. Credible contests If you enter “writing contest” in a search engine, you’ll discover there are a lot of contests out there. So how do you get started? I recommend beginning with the familiar: check in with your favourite magazines and literary organizations or ask writer friends. As you broaden your scope, you’ll encounter contests hosted by unfamiliar entities—research before you submit. Contests associated with recognized literary magazines and post-secondary institutions are typically a safe bet, and affiliation with the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) is also a good sign. Contests that promise results such as guaranteed publication for all entries are unlikely to be credible. They may take advantage of an author’s desire to see their work in print. Without a sound adjudication process designed to recognize and award only the best submissions, a contest cannot maintain its integrity. Know the rules Every contest has its own guidelines. Don’t make the mistake of skimming over the rules because you’re in a hurry to get writing—contest organizers won’t appreciate it. Worse, your entry might be disqualified because you submitted the wrong genre, ignored the word limit, or live outside the geographic catchment area. Ensure you understand the guidelines beforehand, and double-check once again when you are ready to submit. If the guidelines appear vague, use an easy-to-read font, double space your work (except for poetry), and use DOC, DOCX, or PDF
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file formats. Often, you will be asked to remove your name from the text to enable anonymous judging. Fees explained While no-fee contests do exist, most charge fees. Submission fees go toward establishing the prize pot, paying honorariums to guest judges, and covering other costs. Sometimes, a contest is a fundraiser, such as Tourette Canada’s annual Do Wha(TS) Write creative writing competition. In other cases, a fee supports the organization’s work. Many contests hosted by literary magazines include a one-year subscription in their entry fee. This practice of bundling subscriptions with contest entries allows small literary magazines to boost distribution and gain new audiences. The question to ask yourself is, is it worth it? Perhaps you love reading and supporting independent publishers—in that case, a $40 submission fee that includes an annual subscription is excellent value. Put your best work forward Whether it’s a 250-word piece of microfiction or a 3,000-word personal essay, take time to revise your work. Remember, your work will be judged anonymously. This puts emerging writers on the same playing field as established, award-winning authors. Make your story shine, and you’ll have a better chance of catching the judge’s eye. Now that you’ve read our quick-start guide, we hope you’ll be able to select credible contests, make sense of rules and fees, and appreciate the importance of putting your best work forward. To make things even easier, FBCW has launched an online Contest Bank as a new member benefit. Visit bcwriters.ca/literarycontests for contest listings. Meaghan Hackinen is a writer and endurance cyclist. Her debut memoir South Away (NeWest Press, 2019) was shortlisted for two awards.
