Survey Results

Hello

         First off, let me thank everyone who has taken the time to complete our survey on writing contests. We received a great response and now we would like to share the results with everyone.
         I created this survey to gain information that I hope will help us improve our Annual Hidden Talents Short Story Contest. This contest was created by Tall Tales Press Book Publishing Inc. with the intention of seeking out talented writers and giving them the opportunity of having their work published, and thus gaining some of the experience publishers are looking for. Winners of our contest will also be rewarded for their hard work with substantial cash prizes.

Red denotes the questions asked on the survey.
Black denotes my comments about these questions.
Green denotes the results from the survey.
Blue denotes a few of the responses from the survey.


Age
         I asked the age participants out of curiosity. Writing is an art form that can be explored by people of all ages. Writing offers a means of venting, and sharing a creative mind and an active imagination. Writing helps keep our minds active and our ability to dream and use are imagination alive.

         13 - Very Old

         One person claimed to be 245 but I wont believe that until I see the birth certificate.


Entered Contests
         90% have entered contests.
         10% have never entered contests.


Contests Won
         65% have won at least one contest.
         35% are still trying for a win.


Prizes Won
         Prizes people have won include, $25 - $250, publication, and gift points.

          Self esteem, self worth, knowledge.
          In the various contests I've entered, I've won everything from cash ($100 at a time being the top amount I've ever gotten), to prizes, to certificates, to simply the honor of having it publically announced that I won.


Problems
         I have heard many people complain about writing contest and I wanted to find out just what problems they have encountered. I expected complaints about reading/entry fees, but I was surprised that writers had just as many complaints with free contests. Though the contests claimed to be free to enter, writers were later confronted to spend large amounts of money.
         I was a victim of poetry.com. I later found out that everyone is a "winner" and they tried to get me to buy a thousand things to make money off of me.
         The second contest I entered, poetry.com, was a scam. They sent me a letter with the poem printed outside for the whole world to see and said I could have so and so if I paid 100$.
         Yes. the three contest that i entered said it was free then after i entered my poem they sent me a letter saying i owed them money.
         Another problem that appeared a couple of times is that books were only sold to the winners. I can see that this would be a problem if the publisher only tried to sell to the writers. However, as a publisher I can say that it is important to find authors who are willing to help promote their work. When it comes to promoting new writers, there is no such thing as too much publicity.
         Our goal is to promote new writers and we plan to do this by widely distributing their work. This includes copies of the finished book being sent to major publishing houses, newspapers, and even television shows. But we can't do it all, so we hope that the winners will be proud of their accomplishments and will also help promote the book.
         Yeah, those "vanity publisher" contests that make money by only planning to sell books to the "winners" whose poems are merely one of 20,000 crammed into a thick book no one will read.
         Limitations waere another problem, but there always have to be some limitations. As a writer I always hated trying to cut out words or parts of a story, but we had to have some type of limit so we set it high at 5000 words. Age limit was another problem we heard about. We didn't want to eliminate any of the great writers out there so we added a special category for those under the age of 18.
         I think that most of the contests on stories.com put far too many limitations. For example...
                   Must be below an R rating
                   Must be below ---- words.
         Age restrictions. They're stupid to have those. Also length restriction. I've seen things that are way to small. That should be a little on the higher side in order for people to get their point across.
         Lack of clear explanation as to the requirements.
         Poor sportsmanship from other competitors.
         Nah but we can't be all winners right?


Entry Fees
         Ah, the age old debate about writing fees. Yes, as a writer I too hated writing fees, at least until I won my first contest. As a publisher I now see the other side of contests and realize why entry fees are necessary. The cost of running a contest is phenomenal. Not only are there prizes to be paid out, advertising expenses, web site costs and legal fees, but there is the cost of producing the book and distributing it. Yes there will be some income from the sales of books but we are promoting new authors, not selling millions of copies of stories from the likes of Stephen King. We at Tall Tales Press do not expect to make a great deal of money off of this but at the same time we cannot afford to lose money year after year. With that said it is up to each writer to decided if a contest will suit their needs.
         I think they're often necessary in order to even make the contest a reality, because it costs to run a contest, pay winners, and maintain whatever organization the contest is being done through.
         Even if part of the money is used to line the pockets of those in charge, there's nothing wrong with that, because they're doing an important job and deserve to be paid.
         As long as they don't cheat contestants, I have no problem with the powers-that-be charging fees.
         If you're gonna charge more than that, promise at least to give notes about what you read as consolation. I'd rather pay less, but if I must pay more, I want something back.
         I don't like entry fees... unless you win... what's the point?
         I think they should be low enough as to not discriminate against those who cannot buy Gift Points or just do not have many, but they are good because sometimes they bring the prizes up.
         I think us as writers paying to get entered into a contest is both a good thing and a bad thing. Some of us desperately want to have our work published that yes the fees are worth it, but some us don't make lots of money, but we love what we are doing. We want to be a part of our craft, but often can't because we don't have the money for the fees
         As a teen, I don't enter contests with reading or entry fees because I usually don't have the money.
         I won't enter contests that require reading/entry fees. Writers should be paid for their work, if it has value - they should not pay to have their work read, unless they are hiring an editor.
         On the other hand, I don't REALLY object to entry fees, if the money is used toward the prize. That's reality, in many cases - if I wanted to run a contest, I'd have to charge an entry fee (I don't have any prize money to give away at the moment!) I also don't object to a small percentage of that being withheld for "administration." (Up to 10%, maybe.) On the other hand, if the contest is run by a publisher who stands to make money publishing the winning entries, then NO entry fee or reading fee should be charged.
         Fair enough. unless the winning prize at the end of the day doesn't match up to the entry/reading fees.
         I dont like fees, considering I'm poor. I don't enter contest with fees because if I lose the contest I would lose however much money I sent. I'd better odds in Vegas.
         Stupid. pointless. you shouldn't have to pay in order to be read.
         Depends on the quality of the contest or reader. If the reader is a REALLY GOOD editor, and will actually be of use, i think its fair to ask (though it makes it hard for younger writers) With a contest, i understand perfectly well if there are cash prizes that there are entry frees, as long as it is reasonable compared to the prize...OR it is for a good cause
         I don't like them, but I can understand them. Having run my own contest on Stories.com, I have a great appreciation for the time and effort involved in sorting through all the entries and then picking out the one or two stories that rise above the rest. It is not easy. It is largely thankless. It makes sense that the judges be paid at least some small fee or token of their appreciation.
         However, real world contests outside of Stories.com, the publisher/judges need to look at it another way. They are potentially going to be showcasing an author's short story that will hopefully help them sell their book or magazine. The publisher/editor will make money off this book. So that, in some respects, is their reward for judging/reading entries. The question is, does the publisher or editor or judge get paid up front (even by the losers of the contest), or do they wait to get paid when the book of stories is published?
         If they ask for reading or entry fees, they are not legit, so do not enter those
         There shouldn't be any fees to read. there might be some great readers/reviewers etc who cannot afford to pay for reading or enereing a contest.
keeping it without fees makes the people with real talents come up.(not that others don't have talents)
         The contests that i had entered didn't have an opening fee. but then when you get into it, they say "come to the award assembly" and it is always on the other side of the country. and they don't pay for a thing..whether it be hotel, plane, food......
         I would never enter a contest with entry fees. My attitude is basically this: When there are so many other contests out there that are free, why enter one with a fee?
         I've learned that entry fees are usually the mark of a legitimate contest. See my answer for number 8--that "free" poetry contest held traps to rake in the dough for big prizes. A straight-foward fee is, in my opinion, far better than deception, and of course the prizes have to come from somewhere. As for reading fees, I'd gladly pay more if I could expect some constructive criticism, though I imagine that's not feasible for larger contests.
         I don't think they should be there, because a lot of really good writers are kids who can't send off for gps, like myself, and haven't received many, unlike myself. They should be given a chance to enter, because in all honesty, the only person you're depriving not letting them enter is yourself. They could have been really good.
         I feel that it is not a contest if you have to pay for it.
         If they're for a good cause, why not?
         I don't feel that you should have to pay someone to read your work. The contest is being held for a reason and it shouldn't be just to collect reading fees.
         I don't really like them, it turns me away from entering the contest
         Although they make a bit of money and are good for some fundraising, I feel that if someone wants to share their creation with the world, they have the choice of whether of not they have to pay. Of course, more people will read the ones that you don't have to pay for, but as for the entry fees, I think they're fine, because anyone can read or write, but less will write and enter the contests.
         I think its a load of crap. But I don't have any money so I'm probably just bitter.
         I understand that in a contest you have hundreds of things to read through, but many writers do not have the entry fee, and I find myself skipping those. I think whomever it is that is sponsoring the contest should be prepared to pay the people needed to read those entries, even to having to lower the winnings if necessary.
         I don't think you should have to pay to enter a contest where you're supposed to *win* something.
         Not real fond of them, but they are not an automatic turn-off. If there is publication involved and the prizes are decent, I may pay a fee.



Coments

         I think in general, writing contests are good, even when there is no prize whatsoever, because if nothing else you get small recognition, and you can become accustomed to circulating your writing (which is something very handy to do if one wishes to be published)
         I think they are a terrific tool for motivating writers. I tend to procrastinate and fret over my own stories a lot. I do a lot of thinking about what I'd like to write. Contest prompts with deadlines looming at me prompt me to actually sit down and put all that planning and thinking on paper.
         I love entering them, i especially like receiving feedback though, even if I don't win.
         I think that they are good for motivating people to write, giving them practice for writing, and also gaining them exposure. I enjoy trying to come up with new ideas for contests.
         I LOVE THEM~!!!!!!!
         I think they are a great way to get exposure for yourself, but you need to investigate them and find the credible ones.
         Worst thing about entering and not winning is that one has no other means of feedback.. whether the story is a total washout or whether it has some merit but needs improvement or whether it was a blockbuster but they didn't have enough prizes..
word limits vs themes...
sometimes they require a big theme fitted into the constraints of a tiny word limit
investigate them and find the credible ones.
         Yes, very good experience, every one should try it, you are always a winner as long as you enter, for you will gain that knowledge that makes you a better writer.
investigate them and find the credible ones.
         I think they're fun, and they're a great way to get feedback on your work!
investigate them and find the credible ones.
         I think they are fun, and I certainly love going and reading all the entries, helping the people out by giving them as-massive-as-possible reviews so that they have a better chance at winning.
investigate them and find the credible ones.
         I love writing contests--even though, as of late, I've been too busy to enter a lot of them these days. But I hope to begin again very soon!

         I've never actually seen one where I live before, but some friends are telling me I should make some money off of my work...I write for fun, and don't really intend on making money off of it. All I write is in my head, the whole storyboard, and I do it to extend my view of life.

         They are heart breakers or heart warmers put to words.

         The judges pick out what they like. I wrote a short story Romance and I felt I was shot down. Some story about fishing beat me out.
         I personally can't stand wasting money entering a contest that gets won by wishy-washy writing which I think is crap but wins because it is sentimental. I want to know in advance if my style can't win. save my money and your time.
         I usually steer clear of most writing contests because most seem rather fake and not like you usually are going to win them anyway, so I figure why wasn't perfectly good money that I could be using on buying me new clothes and improving myself as a human being.