Yes, yes, yes you should. Writing contests offer many benefits, not the least of which is a deadline. There’s nothing like a deadline to force you to put your posterior in a chair and some words down on paper. You can also win prize money, get published, establish credibility, build your writer’s platform and grow a readership. The first step is to enter. It can be daunting, but to grow as a writer, you need to send your work out into the world. Contests offer that opportunity.
Entering a contest gets you comfortable with sharing your work. You become disciplined. You get organized about submitting. You learn to follow the directions in the submission guidelines. You learn to write to spec. Take the process seriously, enter consistently and you may just win. And even if you don’t, your writing will improve with all the invaluable practice you gain along the way.
Entering isn’t enough you say. I know. You want to win. Here are some suggestions to make your entry as strong as it can be.
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