Do you enter them? And if so, which do you prefer:

fee-based entries?
no fee entries?

I'm curious and would love to know if you think your chances of winning are increased if you PAY to enter.

And too...what KIND of writing contest interest you most? List as many as you would like.

I've entered only no fee entries. I've won three contests, first prize...and NEVER recieved the prizes. (Other than the writing contest here at BWS, of course. Dotsie immediately sent me my prize, a t-shirt and a couple of books. :-)

JJ, I don't think paying increases your chances of winning. I thinkk it narrows it down to the very serious writers (or the rich one, ha, never thought of that) and the competition might be tougher.

I sincerely doubt paying increases your chances of winning a contest because everyone else would also be paying to enter!

I enjoy:

Flash Fiction
Erotica
Psychological thrillers
Mysterys

I have only entered no-fee so far. This is based on my budget more than anything else. I don't enter a contest unless it has a cash or other worthwhile reward.

People who are completely clueless about the quality of their work, are clueless regardless of whether the contest has a fee -- so the fee doesn't necessarily correlate with quality of entries received.

I've won contests in both poetry and short essay.

EW---you never received your prizes? From THREE contests? Holy smokes! That is outrageous and those people should be exposed for possibly running a scam. By that I mean they gather all of these good pieces of work and then make it their own.

I would be an unhappy camper if that happened to me.

I meant I won three contests, and from those three, two of them didn't give me my earned first prize. One of them you even know. I have no scruple saying her name: Beverly Mahone.

I was supposed to win a free weekend at some hotel of my choice. And the second one was a poetry contest, which I'm sure was a huge scam. They told me to come pick up my prize
( I think it was a trophy), but I had to pay them ahead for my hotel and dinner costs...hahaha...

Beverly, wrote me a few times saying she wants to get behind why I am not getting the prize. Each time she was sooo surprised that I hadn't received anything. I just gave up. And yes, I was an unhappy camper about it.

That just plain STINKS Edelweiss and you better believe the name of those scammers would be everywhere I could think of putting them. I almost entered Beverlys contest but something told me "NA!" My little voice saved me once again.

I remember that lady, Beverly. I did NOT trust her from her very first post on this site.

Funny, I thought the same thing, Diamond and Chatty. But I ignored my warning feelings. It was a lesson, that's for sure.

GREAT minds think alike ladies... Sometimes we are too kind and trusting even though our little voice is screaming NO, NO, not kosher!!! Where is this woman anyway, she came, got people to follow her and puff, she was gone!!!Remember the name, Beverly Malone...

Who's Bervely?

A former subscriber here.

Oh...that's pretty low of her.

Anne, If I lived in the US, I may have undertaken something..but it just isn't worth it from over here.

Personally I would NEVER enter a contest where my work has to be sent in or a fee paid, before making sure it's legit. Unfortunately when someone slips into a group where everyone does trust one another it is sad and unavoidable. I suppose we just have to do our best and hope the contests we enter aren't scams...

I'm a new member and just spotted your question. I absolutely love entering contests. I'm always up for the challenge. However, I try very hard to stay away from entry fees. I don't think it increases your chances of winning; I think it just puts money into the pockets of the contest host. Their prizes are not going to be anywhere near the amount of money they collect from participants. I have only entered one or two paying contests and only because the topic grabbed me.

To me the worst scam is when they say you've won and find out all you won was a chance to enter yet another contest. What's up with that? Sounds a lot like that bait and switch PCH...

Long ago, I entered no fee contests. Won a few poetry type.
But haven't had time to do that lately. Don't think if there
was a fee, I would've entered.

There are some really good contests starting very soon, by cutting back some on my work I hope to enter the ondes that sound interesting...

I don't enter many writing contests these days because I am a freelance writer and want to be paid for my novels, short stories, articles, etc. However, I think contests are a good way to begin in the writing field.

I never entered those that required a fee of any sort. I'm suspicious of them. But that's just one opinion.

Jacqueline Seewald

Early in my writing career, I entered a contest in a local newspaper seeking Christmas stories. It was an on-line reader poll type of thing. I didn't win the contest but apparently the newspaper and a publishing company collaborated together to create an anthrology and my story was chosen. I was thrilled to receive a copy of the book with my story in it.

The following year, Nimbus Publishing contacted me and invited me to submit a story for their second volume of Christmas stories. This time I got paid plus a copy of the book.

My writing career has blossomed ever since and new opportunities are continually coming my way.

AnneMarie, how wonderful!

Jacqueline you might be surprised the amount of established writers that enter contests, for fun maybe but never win. These are authors with books out there in the stores and still don't win writing contests. So I would respectfully disagree that contests are just for beginning writers...

OK, ladies,

This is a fun topic and got me reminiscing. I've only entered one writing contest and it was on a whim. I was in high school and the school announced an annual contest known as the "Shaw Essay Contest."

I'd never heard of it before, though I was a senior, but I found out one got excused from 6th period to participate. And I happened to not be all that interested in World History, or whatever my 6th period class was. So I figured, "Why not?"

I still remember that the topic we had to write on was, "It's in the Air," and being a child of the 60s I wrote about how fighter jets were in the air, napalm was in the air, and finally, that love was in the air...

Danged if I didn't win!! Which was really fun, because I got to have my essay published in the local paper, and was feted at a luncheon. Plus my yearbook blurb says I'm the winner for 1970.

Anyway, all this got me to thinking about entering contests, and I discovered that both Writers Digest and The Writer have contests open right now...

You can find out about the Writers Digest contests here: Writers Digest Competitions http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions

And those sanctioned by The Writer are here: The Writer http://www.writermag.com/Market%20Listings.aspx?cat=Contest%2fAward

Hope that's enough variety to get all of you started on a winning effort!!

Anne

Wow! There is certainly something there for everyone who wants to enter a legit contest. Thanks Anne!

Sure, Chatty! Glad to help.

And, drum roll please, we are working on a writing contest for NABBW members, and it will be announced next week...

So keep your eyes open for that, too!

Anne

The more contests the merrier is my motto... Winning one every now and then would be nice too, LOL!!!

Right now I am waiting with baited breath for Aug. 31st and the Publishers Clearing House and winning $5000., a week. Yeah sure! I never win anything worthwhile. But I keep on trying...

Hey, somebody's got to win it, right? Might as well be you (or me!!)

I hope to have more opportunity to enter writing contests after Christmas is over...

Okay so now I need to put my momey where my mouth is... Waiting for the first 2011 contest to arrive.

I decided tro enter a contest I just found where you can win $1000. for your story. I could use a win like that! Now if I only I can remember where I saw it.

Hi, I am not sure if you are suggesting that I submit a story or if you want to submit mine? Where is the contest? Please let me know. Thanks, Laurel

I have looked and looked and can';t find that email I got about this contest. Think it was from Women of Writing (WOW) but apparently erased the email in error. I get so darn many everyday it drives me nuts. Sorry!

Writing contests for which you have to pay an entry fee are almost always scams.

Writing contests for which there is no fee and lavish prizes seldom deliver, either.

The only kind of contest you can trust almost without fail is one run by a legitimate magazine or publisher that promises you publication if you win. If you think about it, what more would an aspiring writer want--at least at the beginning of her career? (Academics don't get paid to publish in juried journals; it's consider a privilege to have one's work accepted.)