August 2019: Competition Monthly
21 August 2019
To pay for a critique or not?
Is it worth paying for a critique for your short story or novel when entering a competition? Some competitions offer them, but they can vary enormously in price. Some critique writers will give you more for your money than others, and often you won’t know if it’s worth the fee until it pops onto your mat or up on your email. Cheaper critiques are often only a tick list, which in itself may not provide you with enough useful information.
Critiques can be invaluable in pinpointing areas to work on and can help you improve your writing. It’s up to you to decide whether you’re willing to take that advice. If you’re going to take offence at any suggestion that what you wrote is anything but perfect, a critique may not be for you. You might wonder why anyone would pay for one only to be praised, but it happens.
If you receive a critique but disagree with some, or all, of what it says, please don’t go onto social media and around all your friends to tell them what a rubbish person the critique writer is. This once happened to me as a judge in a short story comp, and unfortunately I knew the person in real life. Often it’s better after a first read to put the critique to one side and come back to it later with a fresh perspective. If it really does fall short of what was expected, in terms of length or detail of content (or really is offensive), then take it up with the people running the competition.
Good luck to you all in your competition endeavours, and don’t forget to let us know of any success.
Click June 2019 and July 2019 to check competitions detailed in past blog posts that are still open.
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Rolling Competitions
Writers’ Forum Short Story Competition
Theme: Open. 1,000 – 3,000 words
Prize: £300 / £150 / £100
Closing date: Rolling
Entry: Subscribers £3 / Non Subscribers £6
October Competitions
Writing Magazine Speculative Fiction Competition
Theme: 1,500 – 1,700 words
Prize:£200 + publication in the magazine / £50 + publication online
Closing date: 15 October 2019
Entry: £4 subscribers / £6 non subscribers
Writing Magazine Timely Topic Island Competition
Theme: Short story set on an island. Up to 500 words
Prize: £100 + publication on WM website
Closing date: 22 October 2019, at 15.51
Entry: £5
November Competitions
Caledonia Novel Award
Theme: Open, 50,000 word minimum, self published and unpublished without agents.
Prize: £1,500 / place on a writing course / prize for novel from Scotland
Closing date: 1 November 2019
Entry: £25
The Bath Children’s Novel Award
Theme: For children’s or young adults. First 5,000 words plus 1 page synopsis, for unpublished or independently published writers
Prize: £2,500
Closing date: 17 November 2019
Entry: £25
Betty Trask Prize
Theme: First novel from under 35s
Prize: Total prize money of £26,250
Closing date: 5pm, 30 November 2019
Entry: Free
Aeon Award
Theme: Speculative fiction, 10,000 words max
Prize: €1,000, €200, €100 plus publication for all in magazine
Closing date: 30 November 2019
Entry: €8.50
Fish Short Story Prize
Theme: Open, 5,000 words max
Prize: €3,000 + 5 day workshop / €300 + 1 week writing retreat / €300 / 7 x €200
Closing date: 30 November 2019
Entry: £20 online / £22 by post
Cinnamon Literary Award
Theme: Open: 2 short stories up to 5,000 or first 10,000 of a novel (also poetry)
Prize: Publication by Cinnamon Press
Closing date: 30 November 2019
Entry: £16
Prairie Fire Contests
Theme: Short fiction up to 10,000 or creative nonfiction up to 5,000 words (also poetry)
Prize: Can $1,250 / $500 / $250
Closing date: 30 November 2019
Entry: $32
ServiceScape Short Story Award
Theme: Open, short fiction or nonfiction, 5,000 words max
Prize: USD $1,000
Closing date: 30 November 2019
Entry: Free
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Francesca Capaldi Burgess has been placed or shortlisted in a number of competitions including Winchester Writers’ Conference, Twyford Writers, Chorley & District Writer’s Circle, Retreat West, Cordelia.net, Meridian Writing, Flash a Famous Phrase, Wells Festival, Writing Magazine and The People’s Friend serial competition. She’s had stories and a serial published in magazines worldwide. Her first book, Danger for Daisy, was published by My Weekly Pocket Novels at the end of 2018. Apart from the RNA, she’s also a member of the Society for Women Writers and Journalists. Francesca runs a writing blog along with RNA member Elaine Roberts called Write Minds.
