Secrets to Winning a Writing Contest

Is there a magic formula to winning a writing contest? Sure there is - write the perfect book. All kidding aside, there is never a guarantee, especially because you'll never know what the judges are looking for. How do you win a writing contest, then?

Well, you write a book that is intriguing, important, provocative, fun, wild & crazy, or simply wild. In all honest, we'll be rejecting most of the manuscripts we receive for our writing contest after reading the first page. The reason is simple: the book is unedited, uninteresting, or poorly written. If you plan on entering your book into a writing contest, or sending your book to a literary agent or book editor, here are a few tips:

Edit the heck out of your writing

Perhaps the first thing we'll look for is whether or not you've bothered to edit the book. Misspelled words and grammatical errors will get your manuscript tossed without a moment's hesitation. The only exception to this rule is if the book actually calls for poor grammar, such as a dialogue between a few uneducated folks. Go through your manuscript carefully, especially the first few pages.

Write a strong opening

If we're not intrigued or interested right off the bat, we'll put your manuscript aside, probably forever. You'll get the same treatment from an editor or literary agent, so if you want to win that writing contest, spend more time on your first few pages and first chapter than anything else. This demonstrates your writing ability and shows the reader that, perhaps with a little more work, the rest of your piece can be whipped into shape.

Create a good reason to read the whole book

Is your book relevant? Is it important? Do you have a clear niche for your book? We look for more than just good writing and an interesting story. We want to know that your book has some relevance. In other words, we want your book to sell. An agent or editor will want to know the same thing, and if you can't immediately demonstrate that your book will be a hit, it will be ignored, and probably won't win the contest

Relax

A writing contest should be fun. Sure, you're submitting your baby - your pride and joy - to the whims of some unseen and probably ignorant reviewer. All the more reason to have some fun with your writing. If you're enjoying yourself, your reader will be more likely to enjoy him or herself as well. I love reading anything that's been written with heart, passion, and soul. If it's flat, dull, or reads like an English literature assignment, I'll drop it faster than you can say, "Ouch. That hurt."

The truth is that you'll never know what the reviewers are looking for in a writing contest. But, if you write well, create something that is interesting, provocative, intriguing, or just fun to read, then you'll have a much better shot at winning than if you write a sloppy and poorly constructed piece.

After all, if you're not having fun, then your reader won't have fun either. Get into your characters. Breathe life into them so that they breathe life into your story. If you're writing non-fiction, then add some humor and state your thoughts powerfully. If we don't believe you, we won't read your book. Both fiction and non-fiction have to be believable to be readable. We have to get in there with you, and we can't do that if you're not "in there" yourself. So, have fun, and enjoy what you're doing. Oh, and write well. Good luck with your writing contest!

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