Would you turn down an award for something you created? Of course not! Everyone wants recognition for their efforts. If money is part of the recognition, so much the better but (especially when the effort comes from the heart) financial gain is often of secondary importance.

The proliferation of writing competitions is the result of economics. The income from contest entrants often subsidizes publications that cannot rely solely on advertising or subscriptions for their existence. Some organizations have built their business on contests.

The May/June issue of Poets & Writers devotes a lot of space to a discussion about writing contests and literary prizes – have they lost their value to authors? To readers?

With writing contests appearing around every corner and under every rock, has the increase in awards diminished how we view them and the work that earns them? The consensus of agents, editors, publishers and writers is no. So keep submitting your work! BUT, as you do with everything else that matters in your life, proceed with careful consideration.

Well-managed competitions serve everyone: authors, agents, publishers and readers. Winners have their work recognized by more audiences and boost their chances for future work being published. Those who don’t win get practice in their craft and in the skill of submitting their work for review. Literary publications that sponsor competitions remain in business, offering their books and magazines at affordable prices.

Like most things that proliferate, you get a lot of bad along with the good. Entering contests willy-nilly can suck the life out of you. Before you know it, you’ve thrown away valuable time as well as money, either because the contest has a poor reputation or because you have no chance of winning. Your work is your brainchild – why entrust your child to just anyone?

Poets & Writers offers “seven strategies for a more efficient (and hopefully more effective) process of submitting your work to contests”: Finish first; Know your sponsoring organization; Judge your judge; Follow the rules; Don’t get fancy; Keep track; Keep writing. If you are considering entering writing competitions, or improving your chances of winning them, this article provides invaluable specific advice. If you want to understand the impact of literary prizes in today’s competitive publishing world, this issue of Poets & Writers should be on your reference shelf.