CONS
- You usually have to tie up your manuscript while it is being considered in the contest. That will prevent you from sending it elsewhere.
- You usually have to pay an entry fee. That can add up.
- If a contest has many entrants, your chances of winning may be low.
- The publishing deal offered in a contest may not be as good as one you could get elsewhere.
- If you win a contest, you might be published in an obscure place ( an unknown literary magazine or newspaper). You may have lost the opportunity to expose your piece to broader audience.
- You might not need an agent to place your work if you win a contest. However, a good agent may be able to get you a better deal with a publisher.
PROS
- When contests are judged by writers, it’s nice to experience your colleagues evaluate your manuscript for literary merit rather than a publisher evaluate it merely on the basis of its marketability.
- If you win, it’s wonderful to be publicly affirmed in the writing community.
- Sometimes winning a contest can open doors with regard to publication.
- If publication is offered as a benefit of the contest, it is nice to avoid having to search for an agent/publisher, write queries and synopses, etc.
- Receiving a cash prize can make your day. (I turned a writing cash prize into two kayaks.)
- Winning a contest may open other doors: invitations to speak at conferences, to judge other contests, to be part of other writers groups.
