Writing Contests

So, I do this every so often. But this week I've had to send not one, but two, emails to Writer Beware about iffy writing contests.

So, I figured I'd post my list of contest red flags again. Some reasons why you should probably not enter a contest:

1. Disproportionate entry fees. Sometimes a smaller publisher will run a contest as a revenue generator. The one I found recently was a $20 entry fee for a $250 prize. This means they only have to get 13 entries to cover the prize. I've also seen $10 with the prize being publication...at one cent a word. Many legitimate contests do charge a reading fee. The fee is to cover the prize money and also costs like juries and paid slush pile readers, honorariums for the judges, etc. Look at the ratio of fee to prize money. Smaller publishers may be paying slush pile readers, but are generally judging the contest themselves.
2. Weird judges or critiquers. The same $250 prize people are also offering a "review" of the story by an "award-winning film producer." Many legitimate contests will not name their judges for privacy concerns, but they should give you some indication of their qualifications. Named judges are a good sign, and check previous years too: They may name the judges after the contest when it's too late for entrants to track them down and try to bribe them.
3. Rights on entry. Do not enter a contest where you sign away anything when you enter the contest. The rights grab that triggered this post was a contest which was claiming full, exclusive rights in all languages and media for life of contest on all entries. This happens. If they are providing a sample contract, read carefully and make sure you aren't agreeing to it when you enter (or that if you are, it only refers to the winner and is terms you are completely happy with). Also, bear in mind that if a publication takes rights on submission or entry and returns them on rejection you are screwed if they never actually respond. A red flag I've only seen once, but which alerted me right away: A request for all stories to never have been submitted to anyone else.

Also, as a note.

Sign away only the rights a publisher or contest actually needs and will execute. Only sign over audio rights if there's a good chance they'll use them (Some podcasts and audio zines will buy only the audio rights). Don't sign movie rights to a publisher. "All media" is not a phrase that should be in anything but a ghostwriting contract, which is a different world, and there's a reason ghostwriters tend to be paid rather well...