Writing For Contests

I screen stories for a literary magazine, and we host multiple contests throughout the year, including short story contests, novel excerpt contests, and chapter book contests. I hate to admit it, but I don’t love the chapter book contest. I’m also learning to hate the novel excerpt contest. Why? I have to reject a lot of manuscripts because they are nowhere near where we need them to be in terms of a finished product.

When it comes to contests, especially contests with guest judges like Kelly Link, for example, readers like me sort through all the submissions and nominate three options each to forward to the guest judge as a short list. The editor-in-chief and the assistant editor comb through those and develop a short list, and send it to the editor.

Not only do we want to ensure that the editor receives the best of the best we also have to ensure that the pieces need minimal edits because the judge wants to see the story they chose printed in all of its glory in the publication rather than a significantly modified version even if it’s better. 

In order for any piece to make it to the shortlist it must be:

• Copy edited
• Developmentally edited or workshopped by a friend
• Formatted correctly
• Clean

Notes for Novel Excerpts

A novel excerpt is not just a piece that the author takes out of the novel, checks the word count, and uploads into the contest portal. A novel excerpt needs to tell a story on its own. Most good novels don’t have freestanding pieces like this in them. If this is something you want to do, choose carefully and make sure the piece works on its own. Consider edits to make it work even better as a separate piece. This might not be the way you will keep it for your long form, but these adjustments will help you win a novel excerpt contest.

Notes on Chapter Books

Follow the directions. If the publication doesn’t allow poetry, don’t try to sneak in poetry. We get it every time, and it always gets bumped. The other place authors trip up is they send a collection of short stories that don’t have a common theme. For some chapter book contests, you can submit a long short story. That has some major advantages over a collection of pieces. You don’t need pieces that go together, and you can show off a well-developed story.

Time-Saving Tip on Cover Letters

Cover letters are optional, and most of us don’t read them. Readers and editors know you’re fighting the day job. It’s okay. Use the time to spell-check and choose a serif font. That’s what we are about.

Story Tip for Everybody

Have a story that includes a clear character who wants something that takes place in a defined place and time, and establish that at the beginning as well as what the character wants. Doing this will put you ahead of most submitters.

Good luck! It’s rough out there, but the world needs your work.

Photo by Gülfer ERGİN on Unsplash