Brush Up On These 6 Things Before Entering a Book Writing Contest

You’ve written a great book. Should you enter a writing contest? Winning a contest can get your unpublished book noticed by agents and publishers or attract readers to your self-published book.

Most competitions, such as the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards, require multiple hard copies of your book. Competitions for unpublished novels often require a synopsis and your first 5,000 words. If your work advances to the next round, you may be asked to provide the full manuscript.

A search for “book contest” yielded 416,000 results. You can narrow your search by using a list like NewPages’ Big List of Writing Contests. So what do judges look for in book submissions?

1. Cover design

Judges look at whether your paperback cover reflects the story and whether your title and name are clear. They look at the standard back cover elements: story description, testimonials, barcode, and author bio (unless it’s on the inside). Judges also note whether the spine contains the title and author.

An author submitted his self-published e-book I love without a cover, which lowered his score.

2. Interior design and layout

Judges check the order of your front matter. They also look at the presence and formatting of running headings and the placement of page numbers. Font size and type are important because they affect readability.

Formatting, such as when a different character’s dialogue or body language starts on a new line, often plays a big role in making the text easier to follow. A poorly formatted book lowers your score.

3. Spelling, punctuation and grammar (i.e. the mechanics of the text)

Most published works have minor errors: a missed comma or a misspelling. Check your work for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Consider hiring an editor, as too many errors will lower your grade.

4. Voice and writing style

The only time you want your writing to pull the reader out of the story is when it is strong and makes the reader think (or so interesting that they want to read it again). Judges are looking for writing that keeps the eye moving, including:

• Economical, active language (without many “to be” verbs).
• Meaningful details (Gucci bag or twill backpack), including unique metaphors.
• Engaging body language that inspires emotional response from the reader.

5. Appeal and Character Development

Well-rounded characters who, again, inspire an emotional response – villains with admirable qualities (think Save the cat!) and heroes with weak qualities (i.e. what the hero does in private) will have a higher score.

Characters with interesting backgrounds or quirks also stand out and score higher. I remember one despicable character who had a great sense of humor, which earned him a higher score.

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6. The strength and appeal of the plot and story

Judges often have to read dozens of books in a short period of time. They prefer a fast pace, variable sentence lengths, and surprising twists. They also check to see if your book fits the genre’s expectations. For example, does your mystery novel contain red herrings?

Other features considered by judges:

• Believable characters.
• Solid premise.
• Presence of secondary plot(s).
• Well constructed scenes and chapters.

CONCLUSION

Writing contests can help you achieve your writing goals. Feedback, when included, can be an invaluable resource to help you know where you need to improve. Better yet, winning a contest can help you grow your platform.

Some contests offer early bird discounts. Create your own contest database, then enter before your calendar deadlines. Be sure to read and follow the entry guidelines. If you want feedback, make sure it’s included, and wish your entrants the best of luck on their first or next book writing contest.