Am I a bitch to

Enter a writing competition that requires a monetary entry fee?

I mean I'm not poorfag status here Veeky Forums, but I think I speak what everyone here thinks when I say that shit sounds like a bad deal. I mean, I like to think my writing isn't THAT shit, but technically, if a competition has upwards of a hundred to literal thousands of participants, what are the odds?

This isn't even considering the fact that your piece, or work may be objectively great, but the tone, style or message just pisses the judge off, because honestly who the fuck isn't worried about that? This seems like one of those money making schemes that just tricks dumbfucks like me. Give me your advice Veeky Forums, have any of you have real experience with these kind of competitions?

tldr: Am I a bitch to enter competitions that require entrance fee or nah?

just remember that you are participating in a rich kid sport and consider the ways entrance fees distance publications from the artistic present

So you're saying these competitions are just for rich fucks to circle jerk each other?

Come on user, it can't be that bad? Is it?

there's a very specific demographic of gullible, aspiring writer who submit works to contests with an entry fee.

it's not people who are at the level where they can just get published, and the publication is not at the level where they can actually make up their operating expenses by selling copies

just a bit of a racket

Is this coming from personal experience, or just your learned observation?

personal experience
the
i would rather work on a story without a deadline and have it be the very best the story can be, and send it to lit magazines without a submission fee, rather than enter it in an actual contest

as a beginning writer, credits are more valuable than contest winnings. the only advantage i can think of for contests is that you find out sooner whether or not anything came of your piece, rather than just waiting months for an email which may never arrive

another thing is that prompted writing is just such a waste of time and energy when you could be actually creating art

maybe if you had like a whole batch of stories you were trying to place at the same time, it wouldn't hurt very much to enter a contest here and there, but anyway contests are absolutely nothing to bank upon

Keep in mind that that fee guarantees that at least one person will read your piece all the way through. Entrance fees for contests are the only time paying money to publications isn't a scam. Isn't it usually like $20 bucks or something? Just get your mom to buy the cheap tendies for a few weeks.

20 bucks is obscene. I rarely see anything above five or ten, but I'm sure there are some piece of shit publications out there trying to make up their bottom line that way.

I would actually argue that the nominal submission fees certain lit magazines have for unsolicited work is less of a scam because they're not trying to accumulate prize money through it. It's much farther from gambling

I see your points lads.

I guess where I differ, in terms of work ethic, is I favor a deadline. I feel as if that element allows me to be more serious with my work (I mean money is on the line) versus just idly writing one day and maybe on the next.

At least one person reading the work, from line 1 to the last word is nice. However, I can't imagine they'll dedicate much time critiquing, or offering advice. I figure they'll read, judge the quality, and pass or fail it. So I guess there is some benefit, I just can't see it. Chicken tendies are pretty good mate.

The prompts are killers, though. Pieces written to a prompt for a contest would just never exist in an artistically dictated marketplace of writing. Something to consider, but there's nothing wrong with being a sellout

Well, when you're an unknown scrub like me, is there much choice to NOT be a sellout?

I honestly can't recall any writers who didn't write for some publisher at one point. Let alone who wasn't leashed to them.

If you're genuinely inspired to pursue some specific work of art, you should absolutely pursue that personal vision. Nothing wrong with a little exercise, but the ocean of losing pieces written for contests is so large. The thing is that pieces like that literally have zero shelf life unless they are given the award, and even then, it's just to say, "look, I got an award"

This has been a very informative thread.
I'm screenshotting both for personal reference and to prove that Veeky Forums is capable of producing good threads.

you're welcome senpai

True. If I count the books with "New York Times Bestseller" that looked like shit, I'll be counting for days.

But I would imagine that such things would be helpful enough for real professional publishers to take you seriously enough to accept your work.

like I said, it's all about credit when we're starting out. a more sustainable way to get that is to diligently attempt to place pieces rather than trying to hit one out of the park in a contest , but the practice is just as important as anything. it's just a question of, are you comfortable spending a bunch of time writing a piece which might not lead anywhere after the contest ends

Fair enough.

I guess I'll just stick to my once a day writing.

just remember that there aren't any shortcuts, it's all about willing a piece into existence from some original shadow of an idea. contest writing is just nothing like that process

the daily practice is everything, just log the hours and know that the work is worth the bother

Will do mate.

Thanks to all the anons who helped a fella out. Good luck to y'll and your own writing. Night.

There are plenty of better contests out there put on by reputable magazines that don't have you write to a prompt. The first two that come to mind are Boulevard's Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers and Glimmer Train's Short Story Award for New Writers are two that are certainly worthwhile, and you can submit work that you actually want without adhering to a prompt. Plus the prestige that comes from winning either is pretty big, plus the cash.
Also, Boulevard comes with a subscription to the magazine for a year, which is normally $16. That's exactly what you pay for entry fee as well.

The idea that all contests with entry fees are scams ignores the current reality of literary publishing. Most journals, especially ones that aren't old giants, do not have the dosh to throw around thousands in prize dollars a year. There are plenty of good journals like this.

Also, I'd like to remind Veeky Forums that most big name lit mags don't print unsolicited submissions, even if they try to act like they do. (Granta, The Paris Review, The New Yorker, Tin House, etc.)