Winning Contests

Admittedly writing contests have been on my mind lately as I wrote about reading entries for the Writing Show and on the Gather/Amazon contests. A question often asked on fora and lists concerns the validity and value of writing contests. Writer's Digest offers some guidance to consider before entering. Here's the results of one contest that I know is valid. You judge the worth. The info comes from the July 25th Writer's Digest newsletter update:

Petra Miller's "Saving Grace" beat out more than 2,200 entries to win the Inaugural Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards. As the grand-prize winner, Miller won $2,500, a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor, and $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.

Judges also chose five category winners (Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Thriller/Suspense, Mystery/Crime) who received $500, a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor, and $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.

Read the five first-place entries in their entirety or read the grand-prize winner, "Saving Grace" by Petra Miller. The entry deadline for next year's contest is November 1. See Writers Digest for rules and entry forms. The fee is $12.50 USD, and you can enter online.

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