Short Fiction Contest - $3K first prize

[DeeZire]

http://writersdigest.com/short

Sponsored by Writer's Digest, a magazine for aspiring authors. $15 entry fee, 1500 word limit. Deadline Dec.1 '09.

Writer's Digest has been around for years, so the contest is not a scam, although I suspect porn stories would not contend for the top spot.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

http://writersdigest.com/short

Sponsored by Writer's Digest, a magazine for aspiring authors. $15 entry fee, 1500 word limit. Deadline Dec.1 '09.

Writer's Digest has been around for years, so the contest is not a scam, although I suspect porn stories would not contend for the top spot.

I have to pay to be part of a contest?

That's not a contest is called gambling.

 

[Dragonlipz]

I have to pay to be part of a contest?

That's not a contest is called gambling.

I hate to agree with ZC about anything but if you think that sending cash will help then go ahead and kiss it goodbye......
Sounds like a lucrative scam: if two or three thousand 'aspirants' sent their submissions at $15 a pop, that's not a bad payday......and the payout is 3K????????? (after the first 200 suckers, oops! submissions, then the rest is gravy...............)
Hmmmm......................

 

[DeeZire]

I've seen the same thing with song contests. A friend of mine won one of those - $25k for a $10 entry fee - obviously a better payout than this one.

The fact remains, someone is going to get paid $3k for a 1500 word story. How much does anyone get paid for stories posted at LIT? (Not counting Scouries.) And if time is money, how much money has been pissed away by LIT authors in the act of giving away their writing? In that light, $15 is a rather paltry sum to qualify for a $3k payout.

With that said, I haven't entered a song contest in years. They seem to be based more on the whim of the judges than the quality of the submissions. Being a hack writer myself, the only contest I'd consider entering as an author would have to be sponsored by The Onion.

 

[sr71plt]

Charging an entry fee for a short story contest isn't a scam in the real world. (Where do you think they get the prize money from--a basement printing press?) It's the sponsorship that makes it legitimate/prestigious or a scam. The Pultizer Prize is a self-nomination contest as well--with a $50 entry fee.

 

[Boota]

I entered Writers Digest short fiction contest a long time ago. I didn't expect to win, but was fairly pissed off at what did. It was just plain boring. They printed ten stories, the winner and nine runners up. Every single one of the runner up stories was great. The winner was just so blah I could only imagine some WD editors wife sitting there counting her prize money.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I entered Writers Digest short fiction contest a long time ago. I didn't expect to win, but was fairly pissed off at what did. It was just plain boring. They printed ten stories, the winner and nine runners up. Every single one of the runner up stories was great. The winner was just so blah I could only imagine some WD editors wife sitting there counting her prize money.

Same thing happened in the Hemmingway Short Story Competition a couple years ago. Some Barbie bitch with no fucking brains and a Valley Girl accent won. I couldn't believe it. She couldn't write a coherent sentence.

 

[penandpaper]

Thanks for posting the info.

 

[Dragonlipz]

Charging an entry fee for a short story contest isn't a scam in the real world. (Where do you think they get the prize money from--a basement printing press?) It's the sponsorship that makes it legitimate/prestigious or a scam. The Pultizer Prize is a self-nomination contest as well--with a $50 entry fee.

I submitted and had published a couple of short stories years back...there was a minimal award ($100 bucks) per story and I didn't have to post an entry fee....real world.....or maybe just a printing press in the basement....not 3K, but then how much does WD make on it's subscriptions and advertisements?
One's employer customarily puts up the entry fee (and the nomination) for the Pulitzer....

 

[sr71plt]

I submitted and had published a couple of short stories years back...there was a minimal award ($100 bucks) per story and I didn't have to post an entry fee....real world.....or maybe just a printing press in the basement....not 3K, but then how much does WD make on it's subscriptions and advertisements?
One's employer customarily puts up the entry fee (and the nomination) for the Pulitzer....

Beats me what Writer's Digest makes. I'll bet the contest is a moneymaker for them, though.

Whoever wants to nominate a book/article/etc. for the Pulitzer, including the originator, can do so by just submitting a form and a check for $50. The point here is that a writing contest isn't a scam just because it involves a fee. Most of the prestigious writing contests do require an entry fee.

 

[DeeZire]

...but then how much does WD make on it's subscriptions and advertisements? ...

Considering the sad state of print media these days, WD is probably struggling to make ends meet. An example of that is my favorite songwriter magazine, which just went out of business. In that light, I see it as being supportive of our craft to contribute to their bottom line. But I'm funny that way. I still buy music CD's, fer cryin' out loud.

 

[Dragonlipz]

Please:

Enter the contest and send WD the $15 bucks! I can't stand it already! Send the money and don't worry about whether it's legit or not! Doncha wanna git published?????
(MY MIDDLE FINGER SALUTE)

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Ok... do the math. Their prizes are $3000, $1500 and $500. That's a total of $5000. Divide that by $15 and you get 333.333 entries just to pay for the prizes. I would guess there would be at least 1000 entries so WD would profit by about $10,500 on the contest, less the overhead for running the show.

Personally, I don't think that's a whole lot of money. Writer's Digest could put their efforts into a lot of other things and make far more. So is this contest a good thing for us? My guess is it's not a bad thing, but good? I dunno.

 

[sr71plt]

Contests are a promotional tool for a business like Writer's Digest. The contest itself doesn't have to clear profit (although it does) for the use of a contest to be profitable to Writer's Digest. It generates interest and attention and subscribers and buyers for its other products and services--all with added profit.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Contests are a promotional tool for a business like Writer's Digest. The contest itself doesn't have to clear profit (although it does) for the use of a contest to be profitable to Writer's Digest. It generates interest and attention and subscribers and buyers for its other products and services--all with added profit.

And Coke, McDonalds and all the other companies who run contests see it that way. No one would bother reading Readers Digest if they didn't have contests and giveaways.

 

[TxRad]

1500 words? My shopping lists are longer than that. I never can write short, short stories.

 

[NoJo]

I've entered a few writing competitions and yes the ones with a decent prize require an entry fee. I've won a lot more than I've paid out, so I'm okay with it

 

[Dragonlipz]

I've entered a few writing competitions and yes the ones with a decent prize require an entry fee. I've won a lot more than I've paid out, so I'm okay with it

Good for you.....

 

[Dragonlipz]

Listen Folks:
My 'left wing and a prayer' have taken over and I can't stand the thought of anyone not being able to participate in this worthwhile endeavor.....
Send me your names and the publishing rights to your submissions and I'lll send them along to the Writer's Digest.......Upon receipt of your power of attorney:I'll gladly enter you into the 'competition'
DragonLipz........................................................................

 

[sr71plt]

What's that supposed to mean, Dragon? The Writer's Digest contests are perfectly legitimate and good enough to be mentioned in a submissions query letter if you win.

 

[TxRad]

What's that supposed to mean, Dragon? The Writer's Digest contests are perfectly legitimate and good enough to be mentioned in a submissions query letter if you win.

I think he was making a joke.

 

[sr71plt]

I think he was making a joke.

I got that part. But at whose expense?

 

[TxRad]

I got that part. But at whose expense?

Why does it have to be at anyone's expense? It's a joke for crying out loud.