Submit Your Work To A Free Monthly Writing Contest

By Paulette Mason


Entering contests offers writers an opportunity to gain experience and recognition. Winning prizes is another advantage. There are many such contests available and a quick internet search provides numerous options. Many of them require no entry fees. Entering a free monthly writing contest will cost a writer nothing but time.

As there are so many contests, one has to be selective when choosing which one to apply for. The genres covered vary from mystery, science fiction and romance to non-fiction, travel writing, stories for children and memoirs. You need to find the best fit for you. If you are a newbie, it may be preferable to start small and progress on to larger contests as you acquire more confidence. Reading past winning submissions can be helpful in making a decision.

Entrants are bound by the rules and conditions of a particular contest and so it is important to read these carefully before submitting your entry. You have to know what is expected of you as an entrant. Your work must be original and some contests do not accept submissions that have ever been published elsewhere. You should also be fully aware of what rights the sponsors have over your work once submitted.

Certain guidelines are given as to what your manuscript should look like. There is a deadline for submission and you are given the maximum number of words required. If you ignore the maximum word count or other stipulations like double spacing, your submission could be rejected even if your actual content is superb.

Checking your manuscript thoroughly for errors in spelling and grammar is also essential. The first impression received by the judges is important. If they receive a manuscript littered with errors that could have been easily avoided by using shell check, their opinion may be colored before even considering your content.

Creativity, originality and your language usage are usually the main considerations for judging. It is also vital to make sure that you have not gone completely digressed and gone right off the theme. No matter how brilliant your content, if you do not stick to the theme, you are highly unlikely to win.

The prizes for such contests vary greatly. Some are as small as a T-shirt or a subscription to a magazine. However, others offer considerably larger prizes, including fairly large sums of cash. Submissions are often published too, giving exposure and recognition. Even if you only receive a T-shirt you can still legitimately claim to be a prize-winning author!

Many contests do not require any entry fees at all. They offer a great opportunity for writers to develop their skills, receive some recognition and even to win prizes. It is a simple matter to submit your manuscript to the sponsors as this can usually be done via email. You can build up your confidence by allowing others to see your writing and move to the next level on your path to success as a writer.




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