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?

Yes, I’ll be entering Discoveries. It’ll be one of two stories I’ve submitted more, both of which I’ve edited a lot since last time, like you @messymaple .

Has anyone entered the BPA Pitch Prize? I'm finding their build-up to the long-list announcement a little perplexing. About a week ago they started posting a few 'favourite lines', which is great. But they also said 'Congratulations to our Top 50'. Who are the Top 50? Have they all been informed? I suppose they must have been. In which case, it would be nice to know that they have been, so that the rest of us can move on. But it's not clear either way, so one stays stupidly hopeful about the long-list. Although less and less, I have to say. Has anyone had any luck with this particular competition?

I haven't. It sounds frustrating. Surely these announcements aren't difficult to get right if you're thinking of it from a 'user' perspective.

Still no feedback from Cheshire for anyone I know who entered.

No feedback from Cheshire for me either. As for the BPA Pitch Prize, the long list is now up, along with an invitation to enter their First Novel Award, but as it's probably the same group of preliminary readers I can't see how I'll fare any better, so will give that one a miss.
It's so difficult to avoid a massive confidence crash after a competition rejection. Making the Top 50 would have been enough for me, just to know someone out there likes my pitch ... Ah well.

It is tough. All we want is to make a long list! However, in a newsletter from Jericho, they said that the books one of them has published would not win any competitions, and that is entirely OK, and that competitions demand a certain type of start that may not suit all books.

Anyone heard from Cheshire? My beginning is now very different, so not sure it will be worth much. Maybe it will confirm I've done the right thing by changing things.

I've decided to enter Discoveries since it is free with my new beginning, but think I'll reduce my comps this year.

Total silence from Cheshire. I have lost interest in it now. It feels like far too long between entering and the feedback being sent out. Plus the dates kept changing (lots of discussion online about this, then the founder waded in and it turned into an argument - it’s a bit of a mess tbh.)

I also sent my opening into Discoveries. Good luck!

Nothing from Cheshire here yet. They posted another ‘yeah yeah shut up about the competition thing’ reminder on instagram that they’ve got until 31 Jan to send feedback, saying it’s not late because the competition started four months later this year and feedback takes three months, so don’t contact them until 3 February and after you’ve checked your junk folder etc… I too have lost interest and any need for the now-obsolete feedback. What a waste of money.

I read this only yesterday on The Novelry Blog. It's by Rosie Storey, and is part of a longer article detailing her experiences of rejection before publishing her debut novel 'Dandelion is Dead'.
She doesn't actually name the competition but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it was Cheshire. My own experience with them, a couple of years ago was positive and encouraging, but for me this blog was yet another reminder of how subjective this whole business can be.

Last summer, a week after I received international book deals for my debut novel, a rejection from a writing competition I’d entered earlier in the year landed in my inbox. Even though I was indisputably on Cloud Nine, my delight was punctured and I fell back to earth, landing rather uncomfortably as I read the feedback from the judges. Apparently, my female protagonist was “weak” and my male protagonist “unlikeable”, and this was only the tip of the iceberg on the three pages of feedback so caustic that, had it not been for the fact I’d just signed a book deal, I would have been tempted to give up writing altogether.

Now that makes me nervous! Thankfully I've some great positive and constructive feedback from Betas.

I see the 3rd Feb as the date to contact Cheshire, but I'm sure I read last night they delete the data on the 1st Feb!

Cheshire again. Has anyone had their feedback? I haven’t.

I was just about to come here and ask the same question, given the date. No. Nor have any of the people in my online writing group. My beginning is completely different now, but regardless, I wouldn't have entered if they hadn't sold the feedback.

The excuse is rubbish unless by "systems" they mean people.

Please do not email us unless you have not received this by Friday 13th February 2026. Our systems sometimes take time to send it and there is sometimes a queue or backlog. Please do be as patient with us as you can.

Hm, that’s an interesting update - thanks. I’ll bet there's a backlog all right.

I'm a complete newbie. Do you get feedback if you submit to competitions or do you just not win?

Hi @NeededANameChangeAnyway - usually you don’t get feedback, but some competitions state that professional feedback is part of the deal in return for the entry fee, whether or not you win. Have you seen any competitions you’re interested in entering?

I received my feedback this week. As I expected, it wasn’t very useful. I entered last year and put the two feedbacks side by side and most of it was a copy and paste job, word for word the same. There was one paragraph of feedback relevant to my project. The actionable feedback was basically the same type of stuff they said to me last time when I entered a completely different novel (pacing and being more subtle with tension etc.)

As a competition that puts an emphasis on feedback being sent to every entrant as a reason to enter, I don’t think it holds much weight.

Mine has arrived now. I’m really pleased with it; there’s some great advice in the part that is specific to my entry, and useful things to think about. @messymaplethat’s disappointing about the similarities, but it’s not the first time I’ve heard of someone having that experience.

Did yours arrive past normal working hours?

Mine did, but not dramatically so. Well - unless you count the long wait from entering the actual competition.

I had to request my feedback, but I am actually surprised. Three good-sized paragraphs relevant to my novel, characters, and plot, then extra for the synopsis.

Am I right in assuming all the stuff under General Feedback is indeed general feedback? Reads very much note-like, but things I know I need to work on.

I've entered NYCMidnight Short Story Challenge.
Prompts - Genre +subject+Character.
8 days to write it - no more than 2000 words.

Now I wait untill l April to see if I made it into the second round.

I found it tough but being pushed out of my comfort zone forced me to try new things and I learnt a lot.