Writers want to believe their words are perfect, but most realize they need help to fine-tune and polish those words. They become members of writing groups, join writing websites, and ask for critiques from other writers. However, many don’t realize the possibility of excellent feedback from competition, entering their manuscripts in contests.

         Not all writing competitions have feedback from judges, but some do. For example, Writing.Com holds contests for short stories, poetry, as well as in other areas. Usually, entries in contests result in reviews (comments and suggestions) from members who host the competition and from other site members who search contest entries for review material.

         Other competition sources which can result in feedback from judges are competition associated with writing conferences and/or book festivals. One big contest which I recommend is the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI at owfi.org). OWFI has 33 categories, 29 of which are for unpublished material. The top three places in each of the unpublished categories receive money awards. The four winners of the published categories receive a trophy. Most importantly, judges give suggestions for improvement. People who enter do not have to attend the OWFI Writing Conference (held the first of May each year) to enter or to place, but if they do attend, they get an additional benefit to their writing skills, a way to network with other writers of all ability levels, and a chance to meet best-selling authors, agents, and publishers.

         One book festival that has a published book competition is the North Texas Book Festival held in Denton, Texas in April each year. Again, contestants do not have to attend the book festival to enter the competition.

         Writer's Digest sponsors many writing competitions. Considering the possibilities if placing, the entry fees are not too steep. The amount of competitors is extreme, though. However, the amount of feedback can vary from none to a little.

         Writers can research conferences and festivals to find others that have competitions attached. When one sounds interesting, contacting a person in charge of the event can allow writers to know if judges give feedback or not.

         One other thing a writer needs to discover is the cost of entering. OWFI requires contestants to be a member of the organization, a cost of $20-25, and the entry fee is $20, whether a person enters one item or enters all thirty-three categories. For the North Texas Book Festival, the entry fee is $25 per book entered, per division, but the author doesn’t have to be a member of the organization. Research is a must for a writer to find the right competitions for his/her work.
One other benefit to entering competition, a writer learns to meet deadlines.

         The main idea of entering competitions is not be afraid to enter. The possible suggestions for improving one’s writing is beyond measure