It was an interesting discussion - at least I thought so. I've never been a coordinator - and from what I hear, I never want to be. It's a huge hassle. But I have been involved both as a participant and a judge.
When you are just starting out, many people ask if you should enter your stuff in contests so you can get it in front of the editor of your choice. The quick answer to that is - maybe. If the editor is one who normally only takes partials from agents and you don't have an agent, it is a possibility. BUT remember, you are not the only entrant in the contest. You have to first win the contest in order to get that manuscript in front of that editor and like any contest or lottery, the odds are not in your favor. If this is a contest where the editor is available for un-agented queries, I'd say no, unless you're looking for feedback. You have a much better chance of getting through the slush pile than you do getting through the contest route.
If all you are looking for is feedback on your manuscript, then yes, enter contests. But remember, the feedback is only as good as the person doing the judging. Some contests have anybody and everybody doing the judging, no matter where they are on the publishing ladder. Some of them are merely warm bodies. And their comments may or may not be accurate. Other judges are further up the ladder, from having finished and submitted something all the way up to published author or even those with agent/editor experience.
If you do get comments, read over them. Is more than one person saying the same or similar things? Pay attention. Do they seem to know what they're talking about? You may need to change some things.
Don't be surprised if you get widely disparate scores. Judging is a very subjective business. One judge may score you low because she just doesn't like that kind of story while another may score you high because she does. What matters is their comments, if any are given. Does the one who gave you the low scores give you specific reasons why she scored you low in certain areas? If it's just sour grapes (I don't like this kind of book), you may want to drop a *nice* note to the coordinator telling her the judge may be too biased to be a fair judge. But if the comments make sense and actually help you, take them to heart and use them in the way they are intended - to help make you a better writer.
In addition to being subjective, judging is very difficult at times. When I run across a manuscript that needs so much help it would be better off in the shredder, I work hard to give the person constructive criticism and to point out any good points in the manuscript. Even if it's only "This was formatted nicely". As a writer, I know how hard it is to write a book - and then to get up the courage to send it out so I try to find *something* good to say somewhere.
Bottom line is, contests can be a great way for beginners to get feedback. But think about this too, you could save your contest and postage fees and join a good critique group for free. Most writers groups have these available and there are several on-line. The choice is up to you.
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Birthdays: Marquis de Sade, Thomas Hardy, Karl Gjellerup, Dorothy West, Carol Shields
Tips and Teasers: Go through your local paper and pick out names that you can mix and match for characters. Keep these in a file for future use.
Thought for the day: "You cannot write for children … They’re much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them." - Maurice Sendak
3 comments:
I just received the judge’s scoresheet for an essay I entered in a regional writing contest. I’m the author of three books and I’ve had scores of articles published; my work has been favorably reviewed in Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and elsewhere; my degree is in journalism and I make my living mainly as an editor for a national educational publisher. I mention these things only so you’ll know I’m not a beginner.
Occasionally I submit pieces to writing contests because it’s better than leaving them unread in a file folder. Many contests have categories for work that’s not easy to sell, such as personal essays. Sending it to a contest obligates somebody (other than my husband) to read the thing.
The person who read my essay for the regional contest’s first round of judging hated everything about it. I was arguing that censorship is senseless. “Condemning books because they talk about sex, drugs, or violence is not only dopey,” I wrote, “but counterproductive. What safer place is there to encounter such things than between the covers of a book?”
The judge gave me extremely low scores for every aspect of the work. She counted off for the title (“Fighting Words”), for the lead paragraph, for my writing style, and even for the way I formatted the entry (in standard manuscript format).
I can only conclude that the judge is pro-censorship and so unprofessional that she could not keep her personal feelings from interfering with her responsibilities. Judging is always subjective. Even so, anyone judging a writing contest has an obligation to evaluate a work on its merits. The judge’s personal politics are, or should be, irrelevant.
I confess, however, that I had ulterior motives in submitting my essay to this particular contest. The writers’ group sponsoring the competition is smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt. I knew my work had a vanishingly small chance of being read by a judge who disapproves of book burning as strongly as I do. I figured I’d offend somebody. From the look of my contest scoresheet, I made my judge’s blood boil. I’m grinning at the thought.
Thanks, Vicky, for giving me a chance to blow off steam. I appreciate what you say about the feedback being only as good as the person doing the judging. I worry that inexperienced writers may give too much credence to opinions that have no value.
It’s important to pick the correct contest to enter. I always try to find out who the judges will be. Are they pros or amateurs?
In the case of the regional contest I’m criticizing here, I entered a second piece, an excerpt from a novel, and for it I got positive feedback. Interestingly, though, I scored lower in the first-round judging than in the finals. The initial round was judged by a writer, a member of the sponsoring group. For the finals, publishing professionals were brought in. I got strong scores and compliments from my pro judge. That’s usually the way when I enter writing contests. The amateur judges rarely like my work as well as the pros do.
So why do I bother? The prizes, ribbons, and certificates are nice when they come unexpectedly in the mail. But more importantly, it’s been a way for me to get my work in front of the right people. I got my agent through a writing contest. She’s the best prize I’ve ever won!
Deborah J. Lightfoot www.djlightfoot.com
You are an instigator, aren't you? :) Sounds like you pushed some buttons there. If this had been any other type of contest than what you describe, I'd have written a letter to the sponsor telling them just what you did here and question this judge's impartiality and professionalism.
That being said, for others who enter contests, if you receive terrible comments from one judge, put them away for a little while, then look at them again and see if they make sense. If the judge seems to be unprofessional, send a letter to the sponsors. Sometimes the judge needs help in learning how to be a better judge.
Sometimes not.
I do like to stir people up when I think they need stirring. :-)
Writers should realize that not all criticism is constructive. Some of it is deeply destructive.
One of my favorite quotes is from Jean Cocteau (French filmmaker, novelist, poet, and all-around gifted artist), who said: “Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note carefully just what it is about your work that the critics don't like—then cultivate it. That's the part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.”
On the other hand, I also like this from Bertrand Russell, philosopher: “The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.”
Deborah
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