Customer Reviews

Write Ways to WIN WRITING CONTESTS: How To Join the Winners' Circle for Prose and Poetry Awards, NEW EXPANDED EDITION

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is an first rate primer for anyone considering entry into the many essay and poetry contests offered by mail as well as online. It does not itemize these contests but gives basic procedural and format information. The author relates his experiences entering a number of contests as a basis for this publication. He also offers excellent cautions, such as researching the contest judges, their particular bias and works they have authored. First-time entrants might well consider this a prerequisite to entry.

Always attracted by the Tom Howard name I became interested in the writing contests - particularly as a spur to writing poetry. Always frustrated by uncertainty I thought I would look for some expert information. Worth it! It is all sensible (if a little cynical sometimes) and I should have thought of it myself but I didn't and maybe you didn't either. Give it a go: you will be pleased you did when that first winner's email pops into your mailbox.

Write Ways to Win Writing Contests, How to Join the Winners' Circle for Prose and Poetry Awards New Expanded Edition, is not a handbook geared towards how to write but rather gives the reader tips for preparing and submitting written manuscripts to enter writing competitions.

This handy handbook will help the writer to recognize the mark of contests with prestige. Aside from helping the reader on how to find suitable contests and using pen names, etc, Write Ways to win Writing contests also gives tips on sure ways to get you manuscript rejected as well as quick ways to win the judge's attention and eye and get your manuscript accepted.

Write Ways to Win Writing Contests is a must have for any writer who wants to enter and win writing contests. It is a well-written handbook and explains everything you'll need to know to win a writing contest.

Last year, I entered the Tom Howard/John Reid Prose contest and was commended. This book gave wonderful insite into what I could do as I entered this year. We'll see if his advise worked for his own contest!

Writers have been asking me for years to undertake a revision of Write Ways to Win Writing Contests: How to Join the Winners' Circle for Short Story Awards, Poetry Prizes, etc.. I kept putting it off because, although the original book was published over four years ago, 95% of the information was still current. Finally, I succumbed to pressure by not only bringing all the information right up to date, but revising every word in the book and having every line re-set. I also added an extra chapter on "Maximizing Poetry Entries"; and to the original appendix of two winning prose entries and a winning poetry entry, plus the re-print of "A Pathetic Story" by Jerome K. Jerome, I have added five classic poems and some additional poetry contest guidelines. Thanks to the more compact line-setting, the book's actual page count has only increased from 120 to 140. And best of all, despite all the revisions and additions, the publisher has reduced the price!

I would emphasize that this book provides practical guidelines for achieving success in writing contests. This is not necessarily the same thing as learning how to polish and augment your writing skills. For instance, if you intend to submit stories or poems to competitions, you need to know exactly what the words, "open theme", mean. Many contestants obviously feel such words imply that all subjects and genres are welcome. In 90% of literary contests, however, this is far from the case. Humor, for example, is often looked upon with disfavor. In poetry events, intending entrants need to appreciate the distinct differences between "popular" and "university" poetry, as well as the divide between "modern" and "traditional" verse. In prose contests, there is likewise a gulf between what some sponsors regard as "literature" and what they reject as "popular". As most contests cloak their requirements under "open theme" or "contestant's choice", it's often impossible to tell which is which by simply reading the rules. Generally, one of the sure ways to make this essential discovery is to read entries that have won prizes in past events.

John Howard Reid states that a primary step in gaining attention from publishers is to win important literary contests. He wrote his instruction book to fill a niche among writing guides.

This author guides readers on evaluating contests, thus avoiding those intended only as money-makers for the sponsors or that are scams. He includes a precise list of what not to do in entering a contest, and another list on how to impress contest judges. Exact adherence to contest rules is the main requirement. Any deviation from rules, no matter how slight, means instant rejection of a contest entry.

Reid has won or placed in many writing contests and also sponsors others through his publishing business. Any deviation from the rules means instant rejection of a contest entry.