Writers Digest: short-short contest - Writers Forum

CabinFever · 11-26-2005, 09:39 PM

Don't know much about it but thought others would be interested because Writers Digest is well respected.

-Short Stories but it has to be less than 1500 words (thus the term short-short)

https://www.writersdigest.com/contests/shortshort/

richie · 11-26-2005, 11:40 PM

That's a good opportunity, and all...but I don't think I could do it, because the deadline is december 1st. It's too soon.
Although it would be a good challenge anyway...

eggo · 11-30-2005, 10:29 PM

scam!

2. The entry fee is $12 per manuscript. You may enter as many manuscripts as you wish. You may send one check (in U.S. funds) and one entry form for all entries. If you are submitting your entry via regular mail, you may send one check (in U.S. funds) and one entry form for all entries.

You have to pay them twelve dollars to read it ( I am sure they will take more then one submission)
and

Quote:

For entrants paying with a credit card, we will accept manuscripts submitted online.

you have to give them a credit card to accept it online.

Any contest where someones looking for money from you, has already selected the winner. It's them.

amusinglackoftalent · 12-01-2005, 08:34 AM

Eggo,

I beg to differ on this one. This is a top notch contest and to place in it would mean you could look in the mirror each morning and know that you've left the 'wannabes' behind. Is your work not worth twelve bucks? I haven't read the 'particulars' in this contest, but I know that Writer's Digest has 'enviable connections' in New York with editors and agents. These connections are sometimes placed at the winner's disposal depending on which contest it is. (They hold more than one contest a year.) I'm going to scrape up the twelve if I haven't already. (Just sent five or six submissions out.) Don't consider it paying them to read your story, consider it paying them for the time it takes to place your work in the winner's pile. Give it a shot, man.

Shade53 · 12-01-2005, 09:02 AM

this is one of those rare instances where the fee is absolutely worth it. I have not done this one yet - only because I'm not yet established enough or confident enough to do so. There ARE contests with reading fees that are above board. The key is to look at the fee vs. the prize and the foundation of the company running it. If you're paying $20 for a $100 prize - generally a scam. But, like glimmertrain - pay a small fee for a big prize like writer's digest - $3000 or like glimmertrain $1500 - that's the difference when it comes to fees. Writer's Digest and glimmertrain are both well respected. A fee does not always indicate a scam.

~S

valeca · 12-01-2005, 12:35 PM

Eggo,

Writer's Digest is a well known and established magazine for writer's. As I write this, I'm even looking at a picture of the magazine in the tool bar on the right of the screen that links to it (check it out) from WF. It's the magazine that publishes the Writer's Market--the place to find market listings/publishers for your work. It doesn't get much more legit than Writer's Digest.

Many legit contest charge an entry fee. I know you often hear the "if you have to pay, it's a scam", but with that, you should also be looking for the qualifier, "although it's common practice for there to be an entry fee in contests."

SeattleGhostWriter · 12-01-2005, 12:49 PM

I would have to agree here. I love it when someone shoots off their mouth before filling it with facts and evidence (raises hand - because I am guilty of the same thing sometimes).

Writers Digest is very well respected. They have the Short Story contest, they have a Self-Published Contest (which everyone says is a bad idea, so if it is a bad idea to self publish, then why would a well respected magazine have a contest for self-published works?), etc. I think, over all, they have at least 5 different contests throughout the year.

Graff · 12-01-2005, 05:54 PM

Yep, most contests worth entering have reading fee. Nothing out of the ordinary here. If the writer is willing to pay the fee, it shows that he/she believes in his/her work, and kind of filters out the wannabees who will just enter junk.

Scam...lol, you crack me up Eggo

amusinglackoftalent · 12-01-2005, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graff

Yep, most contests worth entering have reading fee. Nothing out of the ordinary here. If the writer is willing to pay the fee, it shows that he/she believes in his/her work, and kind of filters out the wannabees who will just enter junk.

Scam...lol, you crack me up Eggo

Nice to see you again, Graff...