  Contests & Activities
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Welcome to this week’s edition of the WDC Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm honored to be your guest host
“At a time when more and more structural barriers & layers of protection prevent obscure and emerging writers from having their work considered by major publishing houses…the literary competition is the unknown author’s best friend.”
Jacob M. Appel, Author and Playwright,
quoted from Jan/Feb 2009 Poets and Writers Magazine
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Greetings, why submit work to contests? I personally agree with Mr. Appel. Although he discusses submitting work to publications, most with a nominal reading fee, as a way to improve one’s writing skills, gain exposure, and build credits for one’s bio, I believe that the contests here in our Community are just as helpful to the emerging and established writer. In some ways, our challenges I think provide a greater benefit to the individual writer. I prefer to call contests challenges because they are not mere competition between writers for a prize, but a challenge to each writer to produce his/her best work and put it out there for others to read.
In a print or on-line publication’s competition, there is often a reading fee and no guarantee of response. I’ve submitted work to such competitions. The reputable ones are fair to contestants, judging the work on its merits as the editors deem fit for their theme or issue without checking first the identity of the writers. That does somewhat level the playing field, where the writing is judged on its merit not the author’s name. I’ve actually won an honorable mention, and publication, in one such anthology. Another editor returned my copy with a hand-written encouraging comment and wished me luck placing my work elsewhere. But most others I’ve learned of my non-acceptance after I read the winners’ list on line and later received my SASE with the winners’ names and an offer to subscribe to or purchase the publication
So, as Mr. Appel encourages us to do, I suggest we keep submitting work to reputable contests - on and off-site. If we have a few dollars or if we find a good one that doesn’t charge a reading fee, give it a shot. I add, however, that here at WDC we have challenges that are as intense, and as vital and notable, as those in the writing world outside our Community.
What makes our challenges here at Writing.Dot.Com relevant for writers seeking both personal growth and publication, and how are they different? I’ll cite some similarities along with several differences that I’ve found as a contestant and occasional judge.
 Both have guidelines, indicating timetable, length requirements, type of work sought, sometimes a theme or genre, judging parameters – for more detail, check the individual guidelines
Both offer recognized publication credits for a writer’s bio. Yes, I’ve seen published writers use activities at WDC in bios and I know of one writer here who queried and was awarded a paid assignment (article) in direct response to her work product at WDC. Remember, WDC is consistently listed in the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Websites for Writers.
Both offer the opportunity to read previous winning items to assess the general type of writing the editors select. With outside publications, however, sometimes one must purchase a sample in order to read more than an excerpt.
Both offer judging parameters or criteria ~ what they do and don’t care to read; the amount of adherence to a theme, genres they do/do not care to include. Our WDC Contests tend to be more specific as to submission criteria – citing to theme, technical merit, emotional impact, other specifics noted in the guidelines that help the writers decide if the right challenge for them.
Both offer the identities of the judges, so contestants can read some of their work product and get a sense of the judges’ voices. At WDC, however, one can easily link to each judge’s portfolio without first having to search bookstores, libraries, websites, blogs, you tube…you get the picture.
 WDC Contests offer peer review! Yes, Peer Review! Each writer’s work is judged on its merit in comparison with other entries in the considered opinion of the judges and adherence to the guidelines, despite the writer’s name/handle being included. This is similar to submitting to the contests outside that request separate bio pages with the writer’s identity, but for one key feature ~ in my opinion.
At WDC, never have I entered a contest without receiving a considered comment from a judge about my entry. Whether a public review, private review, email, comment, there’s feedback. And the tone of the feedback is writer-to-writer – the judges and other members read and comment on my work as a peer – as a fellow writer of prose or poetry. My entry is read by the judge(s) and sometimes also fellow contestants and other members, each of whom offers per his/her style a comment, or review, or critique, some nit-picking; and always encouragement. This is further inducement to try something different ~ to get outside my comfort zone and write to an uncharted theme or style or genre. There’s no anonymous form letter in response to my effort from a WDC contest judge with an offer to buy something (see above).
Sometimes I even have time to eradicate the nits or change something of substance before the contest ends – something else you can’t do with outside submissions – once you seal shut the envelope or hit the ‘send’ button, you can’t change a word, or apostrophe, whatever. Do check the guidelines for each WDC contest for the judging parameters with respect to modification before submitting your work.
In closing, I now have to my credit two poems in print publication, each of which was written in response to a WDC contest stretching my comfort zone. Neither won the particular challenge, but each received detailed peer review and encouragement. I went on, after considered revision, to submit them to separate outside venues; one in response to a contest for an anthology, the other in open submission for a themed quarterly small press magazine.
Thank You, my fellow writers, for your encouragement and guidance challenging me to grow as a writer and lighting my ongoing path to publication I would like to share below some of the contests in my 'favorites' list ~ check them out
Keep Writing!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading |
Some of my faves (in no particular order) ~ that consistently intrigue my Muse Creative ~ including a couple to incite my persnickety Muse with a creative kick in the ****.Since I'm a guest, I'm including a large sampling of my 'fave' list ~ I know you'll find some here to inspire your Muse Creative as well as some great reading
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And, I promised my faves for when my Muse needs that kick-start
And, always, do check out the Contests featured in "Things to Do and Read" under the Site Navitation panel above for genre-specific and seasonal themed challenges |
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Thank you for this respite in your virtual home ~ as a guest host, I don't know when I'll return here ~ but I look forward to seeing you soon on the WDC Contest circuit.
Keep Writing!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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Contests & Activities: April 01, 2009 Issue [#2976]
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