Bric-a-brac
March 14th, 2007 by Kathleen Bolton
Spring has sprung in the Northeast, and after six weeks of cabin fever, it’s getting mighty hard to stay chained to the keyboard. Sometimes I have to dig deep for motivation. One of those things that keeps me motivated is the prospect of winning a contest. Yeah, I used to be a contest junkie. I’m better about it now because they can be time-suckers, but winning a good contest can provide a shot of motivation when what you want to do is chuck the project you’ve been working on all winter and go for a long drive with the windows rolled down.
But old habits die hard and I’d thought I’d share a few contests that I’ve had my eye on.
Writer’s Digest annual contest is open for submissions. This is their 76th year hosting, so we know it’s legit. 
It’s also a great opportunity. Deadline is May 15, 2007.
Pagans and pagan-friendly authors have an opportunity to enter the Pagan Fiction Award, sponsored by BBI Media and Llewellyn Publications. I googled Llewellyn and they are a legit publisher of all things supernatural, so this seems like a good opportunity for those who are into New Age mysticism.
Short story writers might want to check out Whim’s Place Flash Fiction contest. Note: there’s an entry fee of $5 per submission.
More contests than you can shake a stick at are at Poets and Writers. They offers an up-to-date list of grants and awards. It’s heavy on the poetry and short story opportunities.
Luckily I never got scammed by any contests (well, there was one where I thought the administrators were acting unethically, but it wasn’t illegal or anything). Lots of writers, however, have. Moira Allen reminds writers to beware when entering contests and lists some warning signs of an impending scam. The always helpful SFWA also lists the difference between legit contests and a ripoff. I never spend more than $25 on an entry fee, and I always check to make sure it’s reputable and that you’re getting something for your efforts, like a critique by actual publishing professionals.
Good luck.
Next up, spring cleaning my messy workspace.
Good links; thanks, Kath!
Yikes, I need to do some spring cleaning too, writing cave and otherwise. Hard to believe that this past Sunday I went skiing!
A fun contest over at eHarlequin too: HERE.