Make the Most of a Writing Contest

When you decided to enter a writing contest, it's often a great way to begin a freelance writing career or to just take your hobby to the next level. Despite your motivations behind entering a contest, you must be careful. Not all contests are what they appear. Some places are scams and should be avoided at all costs. But how do you recognize these contests? You can easily learn how to spot the red flags of writing contest scams. If a contest even seems a little fishy, it is best to take your work and run!

Entry Fee's
One of the quickest ways to determine if a writing contest is legitimate or a scam is with the entry fee. While it is perfectly normal for many contests to require an entry fee, there are some that should cause a red flag. A legitimate entry fee, or reading fee, should not be an outrageous cost. A easy way to determine if an entry fee is of an appropriate amount, look at the winning prize. If the entry fee is $25.00 but the winning amount is only $75.00, then run! That is obviously a scam. If a entry fee is of $5.00 or $10.00 and the winning amount is $500, chances are, it is legit.

Everyone is a Winner!
If a contest sounds way too good to be true, 99.9% of the time, it probably is a scam. If a contest says "everyone is a winner" chances are, it is a scam. It wouldn't be much of a contest if everyone won now would it? If a contest says "all entries are considered for publication" chances are it is another scam. Only winning entries are usually considered for publication.

Your Rights
Never, and I mean NEVER, enter a contest that claims the rights to any submissions. There is absolutely no legitimate contest that will claim full rights to your work. You should never give up your rights to your writing without being well compensated.

What was the prize again?
Another red flag that screams scam, is if the prize if not clearly stated. It should be very obvious what the winning prize is. If you can't understand or even find what the prize is, chances are you have stumbled across a scam.

Do Your Research!
The best way to determine if a contest is legitamet or a scam is to simply do your research! Check forums, discussion boards, and comment sections to find reviews of the contest. If you can, talk with fellow writers that have previously taken part in the contest. Always do your homework before entering any contest.