{"id":378,"date":"2012-04-05T23:10:37","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T23:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/undergrad-students-publishing\/?p=378"},"modified":"2020-10-14T00:02:52","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T00:02:52","slug":"competitions-for-writers-in-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orgs.emerson.edu\/undergraduate-students-publishing\/2012\/04\/05\/competitions-for-writers-in-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Competitions for Writers in 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"
Erin Sinnott \/\/ Blog Writer<\/div>\n
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One of the most important things when writing query letters to agents or publishers is listing your credentials. Most publishers and agents these days want to know where in the writing industry you\u2019ve previously been published, or if you\u2019ve won awards, etc. It\u2019s always better to start small and work your way up in the industry, and what better way to do so than to enter your work into some contests? Contests often award certificates\/ribbons for the top 3 pieces of writing, cash prizes, and even publication! They\u2019re a quick way to build up some credentials to add to those query letters and let agents and publishers know that you\u2019ve broken out in the business\u2014even if it\u2019s small at first.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Before you enter contests, however, there are a few things that you should be aware of. The first is the legitimacy of contests. There are many fraud sites out there trying to get writers to enter their contests. What do I mean by fraud? It could be one of many things, including theft of work. However, the most common is a contest which everyone who enters is published, and the hosts of the contest require the \u201cwinners\u201d to purchase a copy of the book their work is published in. If you win a contest, you receive a free copy\u2014always remember that! The second thing to be aware of with contests is entry fees. Not every contest requires a fee to enter, but many of them do (especially ones that offer cash prizes to winners). Another thing to remember is that most times, contests only accept works that are previously unpublished. Many times, just like regular publishers, as well, contests which publish work retain rights to your work for a certain amount of time. This means that they are given the rights to first time publication and many times, you need their written permission before getting that work published elsewhere. However, not all contests do this\u2014some give full rights back to the writer so that they can publish their work elsewhere if they wish. Just make certain that before you enter contests, you read all of their rules and regulations and agreement statements before submitting your work.<\/div>\n

Now, here is a list of only a few of the many upcoming contests for the 2012 year:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n