This week: Start the New Year with Contests Edited by: Vivian  
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In two days, we will enter a new year, 2022. Some people make resolutions. I set goals. Even if I don't make the goal, working toward that end means I will move the right direction.
One big goal I have every year is to improve my writing. I discovered one way to measure improvement is to enter my manuscripts (poetry, short stories, novels, nonfiction) in contests. So, let's discuss just a few possible contests writers may want to consider.
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Start the Year with Contests
I don't enter many writing contests. A judge for the Writer's Digest contest told me it was a good idea to enter contests. There were so many dreadful entries if I had a half reasonable piece, I stood a good chance of getting at least an honorable mention. But is entering worth getting an honorable mention? Perhaps, entering gives more than a chance at a "prize."
Getting a prize, no matter how small, gives a person a lift. It makes writers feel that they can write. But what have we gained besides the good feeling? There are many, many reasons why we won't be a finalist: the judge doesn't like the style; the selection doesn't meet the criteria the judge wants (not all judges are as objective as others); and, of course, perhaps the piece has problems. How can we know where we fall in this continuum?
Unless I get something more than a pat on the back, I don't think it's worthwhile to enter a contest. A prize alone doesn't do it for me. I want to know why I wasn't chosen, or what the judges liked, or didn't, about my work. Judges are usually chosen because they have credentials in the industry: published authors, agents, and publishers. If they like my work and the feedback is positive, I know I am on the right track even if I didn't win. If they don't, I have work to do.
How do you deal with negative feedback is key. I recently read a chat session where people were complaining about the feedback they received in the Amazon Breakout Novel Contest. Negative feedback, while not pleasant, can tell you what other people think of the story line, characters, and style. It should be taken very seriously. You may not agree and certainly judges can be wrong. The judge may be the wrong person to appreciate your work, but at least you have some idea of why your story or novel didn't fly. Sometimes we get too comfortable with our critique groups and beta readers. Getting outside feedback from a few strangers can be valuable.
We may get positive feedback and don't win, what does that mean? We live in a culture that respects winning, and we didn't measure up, but think about it: Someone likes your or my work. They may not like it as much as some other piece, but if someone in the industry likes it, we do have a market. Perhaps not this publisher or editor, but another one will see the potential in what we wrote. Positive feedback should have us charging ahead. feeling great even if we aren't "winners."
So, I'll spend the time to enter a contest, but only if I get something for it, and for me, the feedback is more important than winning. Entering at least a few writing contests is a major New Year goal.
Finding writing competitions can be daunting, but Writing.Com is a good place to begin. I have posted a few of the W.Com contests in the "Editor's Picks" Section below.
Another contest that I like, have entered for 21 years, and have judged some categories is the OWFI (Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.) yearly competition. Oklahoma is in the name because that's where the organization center is, but people from all over the world are members and enter the contest. For information, go to owfi.org and check on Writing Contest in the navigation bar. Most contests have entry fees, but the OWFI entry fee covers all the categories you want to enter, whether one or all thirty-four. The entry time period is January 1 until February 1 at 11:59 PM.
Below is a list of other contests for writing and/or illustrating. I haven't checked recently to see if any are no longer in existence, but if anyone is interested, he/she can quickly check.
1. CYBILS AWARDS - www.cybils.com Nominate in October.
2. THE BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK AWARDS - www.hbook.com/bghb/submissions_bghb.asp
Publishers submit between June 1 and May31 of preceding year. Deadline May 15.
3. RANDOLPH CALDECOTT MEDAL - www.ala.org/alsc/caldecott.html Deadline, December 31.
4. EDGAR AWARDS - mystery/crime/suspense genres - www.ala.org/yalsa/edwards Deadline, November 30.
5. THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL AWARD - www.ala.org Beginning Reader in the U. S. Deadline December 31.
6. GOLDEN KITE AWARDS - www.scbwi.org Must be member of the SCBWI - Entries accepted between June 1 and December 16.
7. EZRA JACK KEATS NEW WRITER AWARD - www.ezra-jack-keats.org Children’s books - Deadline: December 14.
8. NEWBERY AWARD - www.ala.org/alsc/newbery.cfm Deadline December 31.
9. SCOTT O’DELL AWARD FOR HISTORICAL FICTION - www.scottodell.com Deadline: Ongoing
10. INDIE BOOK AWARDS - www.indiebookawards.com/entryguidelines.php Enter by Feb. 24, 2012 - Fee $75.00 per entry.
11. DAN POYNTER GLOBAL EBOOK AWARDS - http://awardsforebooks.com
12. CRYSTAL KITE MEMBER CHOICE AWARD For book covers. Members of SCBWI
13. READERS FAVORITE BOOK REVIEWS & AWARD - http://readersfavorite.com Deadline for award entry: May 1, 2012 - $85.00
14. FOREWARD MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS - http://www.forewordreviews.com/services/book-of-the-year-awards/ $99.00
Deadline Jan. 13, 2012
15. ERIC HOFFER AWARD http://www.HofferAward.com
Won't you join me in making one goal for 2022 to enter at least one or more writing contests?
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Words from Our Readers
My last newsletter discussed the need for good grammar in writing.
QueenNormaJean maybesnow?! 
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Take the time to correct your work. A free app you can use is Grammarly. It alerts you to punctuation, spelling, usage errors. (NOTE: Grammarly does not find all problems, and sometimes it is wrong. But, using the program does help find many problems.)
And most of all, read your writing. Does it sound wrong? Then it probably is wrong. Do us all a favor and edit.
When I review a piece on WDC, I am immediately turned off by bad spelling or punctuation or grammar. Certain allowances are made for dialogue, but the balance of the writing should be perfect.
s 
Thank you for this! This needed to be said. I don;t review as much as I used to here at WdCc, and this is one of the main reasons. In the past 10 years I've been involved in this site, I have been told here by writers the following, excuses for not using correct grammar:
1) my grammar is fine because English is my second language so I don't have to learn it properly (seriously; received this exccuse more than once)
2) you're wrong! my grammar is fine (got this twice that I remember!)
3) that's what editors are for (which you mentioned)
One person I reviewed actually told me off for not correcting all of their mistakes in their piece (which would have been a lot of work on my behalf for little to no reward) because that's the job of reviewers at WdC. Instead of paying for an editor, they wanted freebies on a website.
In fact, one person got so indignant that I picked on their grammar they went and left a string of revenge reviews on my portfolio.
Grammar (spelling, punctuation, etc.) is your main tool as a writer. It's like trying to be a plumber and all you have is a hammer, because you think wrenches are for other plumbers. It's like reading - writers must be readers. To do otherwise would be like saying you want to be a football player having never seen a game in your life, or just an online simulation. Sorry, now I'm ranting as well.
Great newsletter.
blimprider
Amen, sister! From my review template on that subject: "Whether you're writing fact or fiction, prose or poetry, the "holy grail" that you're striving for is immersion. This is an area that no author, myself included, ever wants to talk about: "I've done all this work, and you want to argue over a comma?" But those commas are important. What you're really doing as a writer is weaving a magic spell around your reader, and your reader wants you to succeed. He wants to escape his mundane world for a period, and lose himself in your creation. Errors in spelling and grammar, typos, "there" vs. "their" issues, use of words inconsistent with their actual meanings, all yank him out of his immersion while he backtracks to re-read and puzzle out what you meant to say. This is never good, and this is the section that deals with that."
Thank you those who commented on the grammar issue.
May you have a Happy 2022, and may you write successfully.
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