Writing Contests: If you are
going to enter some, judge a few, or even
coordinate one, then this article is for you.
going to enter some, judge a few, or even
coordinate one, then this article is for you.
This article may be used in a newsletter or on a
website, as long as my name and a link to my
homepage are placed with it. Thanks!
website, as long as my name and a link to my
homepage are placed with it. Thanks!
Entering
Ever so often I see it break out. It starts small, and then grows. It’s filled with
complaints and groans and sometimes much worse. It’s a discussion about the
results from an RWA chapter contest. Someone got the judge-from-hell, or
thinks she did. The scores are too low, she doesn’t agree with the comments
made by said judge and feels there’s no way she got her money’s worth from
the contest. So, before you enter, there are a few things you should know and
be prepared for.
There are some judges-from-hell; people who like to tear down the work of
others, people who think they are right when they are wrong, and people who
have about as much tact as a werewolf during a full moon. The good news is
that contests’ coordinators are working harder than ever to make sure that
judges know how to judge, that pages are critiqued in print, that helpful
comments are made, and that score sheets are more fair and useful. But let’s
face it, judges don’t get paid for judging, judging is a time consuming task and
a big responsibility, things have happened to make some fear even signing
their names to score sheets, and sometimes lining up enough well-trained
judges is really tough, and even then there can be a sour apple in the bunch.
Don't forget there are some contestants-from-hell also; people who will think
they are right and everyone else is wrong, people who can’t believe someone
had the nerve to think their work was less than perfect. We’ve all met them.
When you enter a writing contest, do so for honest feedback, to get used to
letting others judge your work, in the hopes of reaching the finals and getting
your chapters in front of a certain agent or editor.
Those are great reasons. But keep an open mind when those scores come in.
Judging isn’t filled with rules written in stone. It’s an objective matter. I’ve
heard someone talk about a book they hated, that I loved. It’s a human fact
that we don’t like the same things. So be prepared to find that one judge
thinks your story starts off with a great hook, and another doesn’t agree at all.
That one judge doesn't give you a low score on the way you handle point of
view, but the other one does and says you head-hop. We all have different
things that stand out to us when we read, things that pull me out of a story
might not bother someone else, and things that bother them might not catch
my eye.
Editors and agents or people too, and you’ll get the same mixed comments from
them more often than not. If you do get a real judge-from-hell, one of those
tactless and simply wrong people, then contact the contest’s coordinator. Offer
to send copies of the remarks, so the coordinator has proof of what was
written. All RWA chapters want their contests to be helpful, not crushing.
About getting your money’s worth; the cost of entering contests hasn’t gone up
much in the last few years, even though the cost of postage sure has, and
more than once. Don’t forget when you pay that entry fee, a good bit comes out
of it to forward your chapters to a judge, and then back to the coordinator.
Your SASE is only used to send it and the scores back to you. Few chapters
have enough members to make a dent in the number of published and
unpublished judges they will need. There is also the cost of printing up score
sheets, and other odds and ends.
One last little thing. Don’t forget to send a thank you note to the judge, even if
you get a low score. You can send your thank you note and a SASE to the
contest coordinator, who will gladly forward it. Don’t forget to give her the judge’
s number or name.
Judging
I know judging is hard, takes a lot of time, and is often a thankless job, but it’s
a privilege too. It means another writer is trusting you to judge her work with
the same care you would your own. As a judge you have the power to
encourage or to shatter. Don’t forget how mighty the word is, or how delicate a
new writer’s ego can be. Also remember that written words don't allow the
reader to hear your teasing tone or see your smile.
That doesn’t mean to give only good scores, or to say you like how a story is
handled when you see plot problems and cardboard characters. That isn’t
going to help anyone become a better writer. And I think most of us who ask
for feedback on our writing, either through contests or critiques, do so in the
hopes of learning to become better writers. At least that’s why we should be
doing it. Besides, giving a higher score than earned isn’t fair to others who
entered the contest.
Stories you hate and having to hand out low scores are a fact of judging
contests. You are not going to like every story you read. There are writers who
enter that won’t even be near the publishing stage. It’s a judge’s job to be
honest; to point out what doesn’t work, while not forgetting to do so with tact
and thoughtfulness. A judge should also comment on what does work. It’s
amazing how a little sugar can ease some of the bitter.
And lastly. Give yourself plenty of time to read and critique the chapters you
are sent. Don’t wait until the last minute when you will be rushed. If you are
already overloading, don’t volunteer. And don’t forget to send those scores in
on time, if not early.
Coordinating
If judging is a thankless job, then I don’t even know what to call the
coordinator's job. There is so much work to do. So many details, big and little,
to handle. So much to organize and keep up with. There are a few things that
can make a contest more successful though.
A website is tops on the lists of the people I talked to. There are plenty of
places where a chapter can put up a free and easy website, with no HTML
know how needed at all. Having the rules and the entry forms there make it so
easy for those who might want to enter. I know a number of people said when
they saw a contest listed without a website link, they looked for another
contest with a site.
I can't stress how important it is to use the same website address year after
year. Don’t have an address that changes, like thebestofthebest2002contest to
thebestofthebest2003contest. Many sites that share contests’ info don’t link to
the chapters homepage, but to the actually contest page. If it is changed each
year, then the link can be lost. Writers also save those addresses year to year,
and share them. Put those contest's rules and forms on a website page not in
PDF.
Open your contest to anyone who isn't published in novel-length romance.
There used to be a lot of contests that were open only to RWA members, but
now more than half of them are open to anyone, and that number is growing
each year.. Some do charge a higher entry fee for non-RWA members.
Send those chapters out to judges as soon as you can. Giving them even a few
extra days can make it easer on them at times.
In the End
If those running the contests, those judging, and those entering, all work
together and follow the rules and use good manners, the results will be so
much more positive for us all.
Charlotte Dillon ~ www.charlottedillon.com
Ever so often I see it break out. It starts small, and then grows. It’s filled with
complaints and groans and sometimes much worse. It’s a discussion about the
results from an RWA chapter contest. Someone got the judge-from-hell, or
thinks she did. The scores are too low, she doesn’t agree with the comments
made by said judge and feels there’s no way she got her money’s worth from
the contest. So, before you enter, there are a few things you should know and
be prepared for.
There are some judges-from-hell; people who like to tear down the work of
others, people who think they are right when they are wrong, and people who
have about as much tact as a werewolf during a full moon. The good news is
that contests’ coordinators are working harder than ever to make sure that
judges know how to judge, that pages are critiqued in print, that helpful
comments are made, and that score sheets are more fair and useful. But let’s
face it, judges don’t get paid for judging, judging is a time consuming task and
a big responsibility, things have happened to make some fear even signing
their names to score sheets, and sometimes lining up enough well-trained
judges is really tough, and even then there can be a sour apple in the bunch.
Don't forget there are some contestants-from-hell also; people who will think
they are right and everyone else is wrong, people who can’t believe someone
had the nerve to think their work was less than perfect. We’ve all met them.
When you enter a writing contest, do so for honest feedback, to get used to
letting others judge your work, in the hopes of reaching the finals and getting
your chapters in front of a certain agent or editor.
Those are great reasons. But keep an open mind when those scores come in.
Judging isn’t filled with rules written in stone. It’s an objective matter. I’ve
heard someone talk about a book they hated, that I loved. It’s a human fact
that we don’t like the same things. So be prepared to find that one judge
thinks your story starts off with a great hook, and another doesn’t agree at all.
That one judge doesn't give you a low score on the way you handle point of
view, but the other one does and says you head-hop. We all have different
things that stand out to us when we read, things that pull me out of a story
might not bother someone else, and things that bother them might not catch
my eye.
Editors and agents or people too, and you’ll get the same mixed comments from
them more often than not. If you do get a real judge-from-hell, one of those
tactless and simply wrong people, then contact the contest’s coordinator. Offer
to send copies of the remarks, so the coordinator has proof of what was
written. All RWA chapters want their contests to be helpful, not crushing.
About getting your money’s worth; the cost of entering contests hasn’t gone up
much in the last few years, even though the cost of postage sure has, and
more than once. Don’t forget when you pay that entry fee, a good bit comes out
of it to forward your chapters to a judge, and then back to the coordinator.
Your SASE is only used to send it and the scores back to you. Few chapters
have enough members to make a dent in the number of published and
unpublished judges they will need. There is also the cost of printing up score
sheets, and other odds and ends.
One last little thing. Don’t forget to send a thank you note to the judge, even if
you get a low score. You can send your thank you note and a SASE to the
contest coordinator, who will gladly forward it. Don’t forget to give her the judge’
s number or name.
Judging
I know judging is hard, takes a lot of time, and is often a thankless job, but it’s
a privilege too. It means another writer is trusting you to judge her work with
the same care you would your own. As a judge you have the power to
encourage or to shatter. Don’t forget how mighty the word is, or how delicate a
new writer’s ego can be. Also remember that written words don't allow the
reader to hear your teasing tone or see your smile.
That doesn’t mean to give only good scores, or to say you like how a story is
handled when you see plot problems and cardboard characters. That isn’t
going to help anyone become a better writer. And I think most of us who ask
for feedback on our writing, either through contests or critiques, do so in the
hopes of learning to become better writers. At least that’s why we should be
doing it. Besides, giving a higher score than earned isn’t fair to others who
entered the contest.
Stories you hate and having to hand out low scores are a fact of judging
contests. You are not going to like every story you read. There are writers who
enter that won’t even be near the publishing stage. It’s a judge’s job to be
honest; to point out what doesn’t work, while not forgetting to do so with tact
and thoughtfulness. A judge should also comment on what does work. It’s
amazing how a little sugar can ease some of the bitter.
And lastly. Give yourself plenty of time to read and critique the chapters you
are sent. Don’t wait until the last minute when you will be rushed. If you are
already overloading, don’t volunteer. And don’t forget to send those scores in
on time, if not early.
Coordinating
If judging is a thankless job, then I don’t even know what to call the
coordinator's job. There is so much work to do. So many details, big and little,
to handle. So much to organize and keep up with. There are a few things that
can make a contest more successful though.
A website is tops on the lists of the people I talked to. There are plenty of
places where a chapter can put up a free and easy website, with no HTML
know how needed at all. Having the rules and the entry forms there make it so
easy for those who might want to enter. I know a number of people said when
they saw a contest listed without a website link, they looked for another
contest with a site.
I can't stress how important it is to use the same website address year after
year. Don’t have an address that changes, like thebestofthebest2002contest to
thebestofthebest2003contest. Many sites that share contests’ info don’t link to
the chapters homepage, but to the actually contest page. If it is changed each
year, then the link can be lost. Writers also save those addresses year to year,
and share them. Put those contest's rules and forms on a website page not in
PDF.
Open your contest to anyone who isn't published in novel-length romance.
There used to be a lot of contests that were open only to RWA members, but
now more than half of them are open to anyone, and that number is growing
each year.. Some do charge a higher entry fee for non-RWA members.
Send those chapters out to judges as soon as you can. Giving them even a few
extra days can make it easer on them at times.
In the End
If those running the contests, those judging, and those entering, all work
together and follow the rules and use good manners, the results will be so
much more positive for us all.
Charlotte Dillon ~ www.charlottedillon.com
Copyrighted in 2003 by Charlotte Dillon
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