Anyone entering any of the comps?

[Hobbiestwriter]

I've submitted for Bridport, now umming and ahhing at the Blue pencil agency one. Never submit to bath as the bombared me with emails every year about it, and the same sort of things seem to win every year there. Anyone else?

Just entered Bridport and Cheshire today. Disasters. Despite running my entry through grammar tools and reading a million times I notice a homophone error on the first page for Bridport while re reading it for Cheshire.

Corrected that, then notice an issue with the genre I selected for Cheshire.

Did look at Blue Pencil and Bath but now I think I'll leave it because I won't get anywhere!

Here's an interesting one (imho)
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/wordsofthewild/competition/
For fun only as the prizes, such as they are, aren't that motivating or inspiring tbh.

Free entry, closes midnight 12th July, word limit - 1000 words.

I write haikus wherever I go and I'm often away in my campervan out walking the dog and I have good number from my Scotland trip in 2023 I might look at using, somehow but I can always knock something else up - I was in 5 different locations over 4 weeks so I've got enough material that doesn't seems to be too far off piste.

Can anyone recommend any to enter? For a novice.

What do you write or are you completely new?

Poetry or very short stories. Have never entered a competition and have no chance of actually winning but just the idea of submitting is fun.

I entered poetry into New Writers poetry competition (100 words for a poem or story) and Bridport. Bridport also does short stories or flash fiction, but I think the deadline is 31 May. I used paragraphs from my manuscript and converted them into free verse. Not sure it works, but was fun.

I'm entering Bridport and Yeovil, and am considering First Novel. There are so many novel writing ones that have a deadline of 31 May. I'm worrying most about the cost of entry and the fact that they all seem to want different lengths of synopsis.

I've considered Bath too, but it's the most expensive (£30!!) and like you, OP, I think it favours a certain kind of novel. I know someone who was longlisted a few years ago, and they write very formulaic fiction.

For anyone who has written a novel, there is also the Goldfinch novel prize, which is only £10 to enter.

Good luck everyone! 🍀

Yes formulaic describes it perfectly! It's often lauded as a hige discovery, when all I can think is: isn't this the same sort of uninspiring book that was published last year, and the year before that etc.
Most of the others have some variety at least. Think a horror book won cheshire last year!

I’m thinking of giving up on entering competitions, I think sinking without a trace in them dents my confidence. I know of published authors that had the same experience and went on to get representation (separately) and publication so try to tell myself it’s not a damning verdict. But the more I do it without any kind of result, makes me think it’s time to stop!

I also feel a bit tired of competitions, like some other posters. I went in for a few last year and didn’t get listed. The only one I’m debating entering this year is the Cheshire prize because they give feedback. But at £29, it’s still quite expensive in my opinion. I entered last year and the feedback was helpful but I would say half of it was generic. So now I’m unsure whether to save my money or enter with my new novel idea anyway.

I've entered a few but not sure I'll do so again. Everyone wanted different format and it's amazing the amount of time I spent on them. Entered Cheshire and they do say its only a small paragraph tailored, the rest generic.

Yeah I know what you mean.
I think what gives me a bit of doubt about them is I very rarely read the details of the winner and think omg that book sounds amazing. I'm usually a bit blah about it, nd the winner is often either:

1. An examination of intergenerational trauma and feminist themes with no obvious plot
2. A title including 'girl' and some sort of triumph over adversity and/or an obvious rip off of the girl on the train
3. A rip off of a popular book in the previous 2-3 years, magical realsim/historical fiction/ feminist retelling of a greek myth etc, that is just changed enough to pass.

But maybe that's just me being salty when I read the winners as I haven't won....

But I'm never like: 'oh wow, I cannot wait until that gets published and I can buy it. So maybe the conversion rate from comp winners to actual good books in the shops is not very high. And I just want to write a good book someone can buy in a shop...

But saying that, fingers crossed this is the year they recognise my genius 😂

Hello! I'm new to all this. For those who entered comps, are you all revising your manuscripts for the upcoming deadlines?

I am! Booked tomorrow off and going to sit in a cafe and edit.
i have a full manuscript that I've edited a few times, each time I think I'm done then I go back and I'm horrified by it 😂

I think the ones I entered, the deadlines have passed. I edited heavily. Have edited the bloody manuscript about 9 times now. I want to start querying in the summer.

I edited mine for an 8,000-word limit, so that it finished on a decent scene. Then restructured it again for a competition with a 5,000-word limit. And then... and then... I realised that if I ever get a sniff of a longlist I'm screwed because I've changed the structure too much to make a longer excerpt match the submitted chapters.

I entered Bridport! I’m a poet so there are lots of magazines and anthologies to submit to, I’m just working up a portfolio…

I think usually it’s literary or at least somewhat ‘worthy’ books win most competitions. It’s very rarely just a really good read!

Mine probably doesn't stand a chance then.

I know that feeling of thinking you’re done but then end up revising yet again! For some comps, after submitting your entry, there are more deadlines requiring submission of more words or even the entire manuscript, if your work gets listed. I feel like deadlines like these may be useful to help get revisions done. Forces one not to dilly dally around, lol.

I think this is my main motivation for doing them at the moment @squaremouse. The deadline forces me to crack on and ruthlessly tighten up the first few thousand words. (Then I can play with fate and say 'I really really hope I don't get listed, because the book has changed since I entered...')

@EveInEden same here. I just want to write fun romps that will tickle people.

That's what I use them for too, my opening chapters end up in better shape every time, at least!

I also entered the goldfinch one in the end, a tenner is very reasonable.

I swore never to enter Bath again and I held strong 😆

I like the Cheshire Novel Award even though their feedback last year was not as good as previous years. They seem a lot less interactive though this year, which is a shame. I know people don't like their snippets but I quite liked them, see what other people were entering.

Planning to enter the Myselxia one in Sept, and maybe the Noverly one. Anyone heard of any others?