POETRY CONTESTS - GOOD OR BAD?

Fees and Contests

I think fees are usually necessary to cover the prize money. The issue is: how much of the entry fee are the operators of the contest keeping? Often, contests with NO entry fees turn out to be anthology scams.

This is helpful information! When I was in high school, I paid $40 to enter my poem in some "contest," when really I am sure I was funding its publication in an "anthology." Pretty book, but still.

Here's a fun poetry contest--no fee either.

http://www.winningwriters.com/contestflomp.htm

Velly bad!

Of course it's bad! Oh its naughty bad! Its also beneath any class and style too. I mean imagine yourself haveing to go round boasting 'Oeeweee, I won this and/or that! See, its proof that I am a poet!' Etc. No, honestly! I don't even know why I post in a thread about this!


aspier

I originally posted this on the thread above, but there hasn't been a single peak in 48 hours. I'm not sure if the poets here are not interested in submitting to contests, or if the sticky's have become unglued. Anyway, I thought I'd move it down and see if I get any takers on prepping a poem for this contest.



The deadline for entering the 74th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition is approaching: May 16, 2005

Don’t all go rolling your eyes about the $5 entry fee and the average of 8,000 plus submissions in the poetry category alone! Real people do actually win this contest. My poem placed 8th last year in the non-rhyming category. My story placed 13th in the Short Short Competition.

Now, I ask you, honestly, what are my chances of pulling that off again? But hey, I’d love to help someone else make it into the winner’s circle. So go ahead, give it a try. Post your entry, ask for feedback. Let everyone know you want to win! Access the feedback your fellow poets give you, then revise, revise, revise until it gleams, and then GO FOR IT! It looks great on the ol’ writing resume even if you earn an HM. What’s the worse that can happen, you’ll be out $5 bucks and have one finely polished poem that you can submit elsewhere.

You won’t know if you can do it, if you don’t try

Before submitting any poetry to a contest, and especially before paying any fees - I would suggest checking out this site:

http://www.foetry.com/

Poems for Books Contest (FREE entry)

Poems for Books Contest


Poets may enter one poem in any style. The sponsoring magazine, Ancient Paths, is a Christian publication, but poems may be on virtually any subject and need not (but may) be religious. There is no entry fee, and two prizes will be awarded. For details and a prize list, see http://www.literatureclassics.com/ancientpaths/magazine/contest.html.

It depends

It depends on who is doing the contest if you are writing competition that is teaching you something along the way then yes they are good. If they want to publish you for say a fee then think about it as some contests are definetly scams. But I have won some trophys for some of my poems and now I am looking at the right paying markets to enter. In the ones that I won trophies I really gained a lot of valuable insight and experience.

BAd experience

For example: I recently saw an insert in our local newspaper about a gentleman who was having a "song" published through one of the very popular poetry contest sites. I felt bad because the poor fellow had been deluded into thinking this would give him a big break into the writing industry. Perhaps in some way, some day, it will. I had previously entered the site and posted a sample, and recieved a bunch of rave reviews and praise and invitations and I went ahead and bought the book at a ridiculously inflated rate. Later, I happened into a lady who had a copy of the book by the same title, same cover, etc. and of course, her poem appeared on the front page, just as did mine and the fellow from the local paper. My poem was not in her copy of the book, nor hers in mine. In fact, no two poems were the same. Apparently, everyone is a winner at poetry.com. Especially the people running the show, at a rate of 49.95 per copy, plus various entry fees for other contests and various offers. Apparently what they are doing is pretty legal, even if deceptive.