Writing.Com General Discussion

I have to admit I don't see contests (held here or by other entities) as a way to gain feedback. My approach is to polish a story/poem first and then enter it in a contest. Then again, most of my experience in entering contests offsite has been with Writer's Digest, an admittedly very competitive venue. I never know for sure how I fare (as I have yet to crack even the top 50), but I don't worry about it too much. I am a hobbyist writer (albeit one who still devotes a good chunk of time to improving my craft), so I consider contest prizes to be the veritable icing on the cake.

That said, if you're paying $20 bucks to enter, it would be worth poking around to see the tools available and ask people what type of feedback you'd get. This will serve two purposes. One, you'll see if what's provided will actually work for you. Two, it can help you avoid any vanity publishing traps, which run far and wide on the internet. This might be of interest: "Beware Poetry Vultures"  [E]. I know contests sometimes charge entry fees, and I don't have a problem with that. Writer's Digest does so since they have a sizable staff and judging pool to compensate. However, not all contest entry fees are created equal. It's worth doing a little research before paying anything or getting something ready to submit.









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