Contests and Visibility

I’ve entered a few writing contests, and I just recentlyentered another.  What I started wondering, though, is why.  What’s the point to them?

The first point is ego-assuagement.  I’ve won two contests and gotten positive feedback from several others.  It always makes me feel good to get independent validation that I’m not a total hack.  We writers can be an insecure bunch at times, so others saying nice things about our stories makes sustains us through dark ties of doubt.

However, at our level, many of these contests are designed to get us noticed.  I’m not talking about the Hugos or Nebulas.  The authors that win those awards are usually already well established, and these awards help push them to the next level.  Rarely, if ever, does a newbie author win one of these prestigious awards.  That leaves the “lower level” awards for the rest of us.

This is not to knock these awards.  I’m extremely proud to have won the IndieReader Award for Paranormal Fiction.  It’s simply a recognition of the fact that they don’t hold the clout of the Bram Stoker Award.

It’s about getting your name out there to achieve one of those viral moments that will get you noticed, and, hopefully, lead to more book sales.  Some desire the fame and fortune that comes with being a bestseller, but most of us are just looking to pay some bills.  Anything beyond that is a bonus.

So how much time should you spend.  This is where discretion comes in since these contests usually tend to cost money to enter.  Not much, but most of us aren’t raking in the cash, so we have to use some discernment in where to place our chips.  What contests might give the most bang for the buck, and which ones do we stand the best chance in.  To me, a contest that gives feedback, regardless of placement, are the go-to contests, because even if I don’t win, I gain some independent feedback that I might be able to use to improve my craft.

The last point is deciding what to enter.  Many writers have only one book to their credit, but lots of us have multiple books, and these contests often limit the number of entries we can make.  That makes novel selection important.  How confident are you in what you’re submitting?  Yes, we love all our books, but being objective and knowing what will do best and get us more notice is key.

So contests can help…in the right venue.  Choose yours well.