Here’s a guest post from my multi-award winning author Lisa Kessler. I thought it would make a nice author-centric companion to my blog post last week from an agent’s perspective:
Writing contests come in all shapes and sizes. Some are for unpublished works, some for short stories and poetry, and then there are the contests for published novels.
Before I was writing full time, I spent over 25 years in sales and marketing, so I chose to view contests as a marketing tool. I started using them before I ever got my first book published. Contests for unpublished manuscripts are everywhere, but not all contests are the same. When you’re unpublished, you need to decide what your real goal is. Everyone hopes they’ll win, but writing is subjective. Some will love your voice others won’t. You don’t have any control over that.
So what do you hope to achieve?
1 – Constructive feedback – Look for contests that offer judges’ comments along with the scores
2 – Contact with agents and editors – Look for contests that list agents and editors as the “final round” judges. If you have certain agents or editors you’re anxious to work with, be on the lookout for them. Don’t throw money at a contest entry that will put you in front of a publishing house or agent you’re not interested in working with.
3 – Networking – Even if you’re not published yet, contests are a great way to get your name out in the industry. When finalist lists show your name and book, and people start seeing them over and over, you’re building a reputation in your genre.
And what about once you have a book out. Why spend the money to enter your title in contests?
I think they’re worth the money for a few reasons:
1 – If you final, it gives you a new reason to promote a backlist title. You can see a bounce in sales for your entire series after a book in the series finals in a contest.
2 – Awards and Finals can be added to the book’s page on Amazon. My “award-winning” titles definitely sell better than the rest. When a reader is shopping online, lots of books have great reviews, not nearly as many have won awards. It’s a great marketing tool that lasts much longer than a magazine ad.
3 – If you find contests that advertise the finalists in magazines like RT Book Review or the Romance Writer’s Report or Writer’s Digest, they’re worth the entry fee. If you final, your name and book cover can end up in a magazine without the big price tag of you personally placing an ad.
4 – You can also build your readership by entering contests that are judged by readers. These contests find a core group of readers to judge and if they enjoy your book, they will hunt down your backlist. It’s a great way to find new fans of your work for a very small price tag, and if you final or win, it’s another marketing opportunity for all the reasons above.
The downside, of course, is that you won’t final in every contest, and you’ll win even fewer than that. It’s up to each writer to decide on a goal before entering, and then research to find the contests that are best suited. But I would caution you not to spend a large entry fee for a contest. I’m hesitant to spend any more than $50. I’ve seen contests that run up to $300 per entry, and when it gets that steep, your money is probably better spent on print and online advertising.
Overall, contests are a low cost marketing tool for published and unpublished authors, but do your homework. Throwing money and books and shipping at every contest out there won’t serve you.
But the certificate, pins and trophies aren’t too shabby!
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Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.
Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, “Immortal Beloved”, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
When she’s not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego. You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com
She loves hearing from readers – LdyDisney@aol.com
