Winner Takes All
Writing contests are a great way for new writers to gain some recognition for their work and make some money at the same time. When entering a writing contest your story stands on its own merits. The judge does not care whether or not you have been published anywhere. What counts is the story itself.
Tips For Entering Writing Contests
Most writing contests have guidelines that are more rigid than most publications. Be sure to read these guidelines carefully and follow them to the letter. You will only waste your time if you submit material that does not fit the stated guidelines. Pay attention to the requested format for your entry. Some contests do NOT want you to submit your entry in standard manuscript format because they do not want your name to appear on the entry itself for reasons of objectivity.
Many writing contests have entry fees. Oftentimes, this is how the contest sponsors pay for the prize. Short story contests that charge an entry fee are usually between five and ten dollars. If the fee is more than that for a short story contest, I would think twice before sending in my manuscript. Your entry fee is non-refundable so take a good look at the contest and the prizes being offered to see if this is something you feel pretty confident about. Because many writers are hesitant to enter fee-based contests there will be fewer entries that a contest without an entry fee. Fees do not always mean bigger prizes. Some of the biggest science fiction monetary prizes are awarded by L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest which does not require an entry fee.
Oftentimes a writing contest will have a theme. Some are broader than others. If you already have a completed and unpublished piece that fits the theme, this would be a great opportunity to enter it. However, if you must write a new piece to meet the requirements of the theme be careful that the theme is not too narrow. If you do not win the contest, you may not be able to get it published elsewhere. Editors are familiar with most contests and a story with such a narrow theme might jump out at them as being a losing contest entry.
The Contests
Below are a selection of writing contests of interest to science fiction writers. Be sure to visit the websites to get the complete guidelines for each contest. Good luck!
