One of the questions I often receive from students and writers I work with is whether or not there’s value in submitting work to literary contests.
I get it. You’ve worked hard to polish a great piece of fiction or memoir, and you want to send it out somewhere that offers the best chance at publication.
Here’s my perspective. My first publications (both fiction and nonfiction) came about as a result of writing contests sponsored by literary magazines. Contests have a couple of advantages. Generally, the pool of submissions for a literary contest is lower than for general submissions. There’s the advantage of sometimes knowing the judges in advance, and so choosing a piece that may appeal to his or her tastes (although really, any good juror will be reading outside his or her own comfort zone and looking for the strongest writing). There’s also a very fixed timeline for learning about whether or not your piece is accepted.
Most contests sponsored by magazines also offer a one-year subscription to the magazine, so there’s the added bonus of all that free reading. Finally, the cash prize for winning will generally be much higher than for regular publication (some publications will also pay you the prize money PLUS regular publication fees).
The downside? Contest guidelines may not permit you to enter the piece to another contest (ie. no simultaneous submissions). Also, there’s the contest fee, which is typically in the $20-$25 range.
Check out literary contests with notable Canadian magazines like The Malahat Review, Fiddlehead, The New Quarterly, Prairie Fire, The Puritan, and more.
If you’re looking for contests outside of the literary journals, there’s the lauded CBC Literary Prizes, which offer contests in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. If you’re a student, The Bridge Prize out of the University of Lethbridge offers a fiction prize in alternating years for Canadian postsecondary students.
Further afield, check out the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the Bristol Short Story Prize, and the Manchester Fiction Prize.
Know about a contest not mentioned here? Let me know, and I’ll share it with the One Life community.
Also be sure to check out this great list of resources for writers (including sample submission letters) on writer Kevin Hardcastle’s website.