Contest Criteria
When looking for a writing contest, I have a few criteria.
Is it free, or is there a fee charged?
When I first began looking for writing contests to enter, I specifically wanted ones that were free, with no entry fee. I still look for this, because I'm not confident enough in my writing to pay big bucks for my story to be considered and I am trying to make money off my writing, so paying every time I enter a contest doesn't seem like a great financial decision.
If you are just getting started, I would recommend starting with free contests, although later you may want to consider a few that do have an entry fee.
The number one thing to look out for with writing contests that charge a fee is the possibility of a scam. Be careful who you hand your money off to. Research the place. Is it reputable? Have they run contests before?
With a free contest, I suppose they could try to pass off your entry as their own work or something, but you wouldn't be losing money. Either way, do your research carefully.
Is it safe? Do I think I can trust these people?
It is important to do your research here. Is the site secure? Does everything line up, or does something seem a little fishy? Google the place. If you are not completely sure everything is a-ok, it is probably best to steer clear. Better safe than sorry.
Is there an age requirement?
Many times I have looked a contest over, thinking it would be great, only to scroll down in the list of guidelines to discover that I was not old enough to enter. Save yourself some time and go hunting for that before you get too excited over the opportunity.
What rights would I be signing away (if any)?
This is a personal choice. Some people are okay with signing over rights to a piece for some cash. I don't particularly relish the idea of turning over full rights to a work, because then I have no control over how it is portrayed, cut up, and used. The new owner can do whatever they like with it. I would really have to trust a place to even consider this as an option.
Some places simply want the non-exclusive right to publish your piece, or perhaps the exclusive right for a certain period of time, after which all rights revert back to you. Make sure you read the rules thoroughly and understand exactly what you are agreeing to before submitting.
Am I comfortable with what they have published previously?
This will vary from person to person and will depend on their beliefs and moral values. For me, previous publications must measure up to Christian moral values. I am not against learning about other religions or reading stories that are based off other religions. However, there must be no inappropriate scenes, foul language, etc.
Searching For Contests Online
You can begin by simply searching free writing contests. If you would like to get more specific, try something like free writing contests December 2023. I would recommend tagging the year on the end because there are many outdated contest postings on the internet and you want to try to weed those out as much as possible.
There are also quite a few writing contest directories, like the one from Reedsy. They put together a large list, and although they aren't all free contests, it is easy to see, because Reedsy provides a brief description and a few details, such as the fee, if one exists. Reedsy also includes the deadlines for each contest.
Please be aware that this is not me endorsing the contests on Reedsy's list. You must judge them for yourselves.
If you do not care whether the contests have fees or not, you can simply google writing contests + year.
Wrapping It Up
We'll quickly run over the contest vetting criteria one more time:
Is it free, or is there a fee charged?
Is it safe? Do I think I can trust these people?
Is there an age requirement?
What rights would I be signing away (if any)?
Am I comfortable with what they have published previously?
Hopefully this is helpful to you. Remember to be careful and use your common sense. Don't click suspicious looking links. A favourite practice of mine instead of clicking a link I'm not sure I trust is to copy and paste the name of the contest into my web browser and work from there.
A final parting note: If you are a Young Writer, it doesn't hurt to run a contest you are interested in past your parents before submitting. They may see something you didn't. I usually do this unless I am submitting somewhere I have sent work before.
Happy contest hunting!