Contests and feedback

happywritermom · Mar 22, 2012

I'm just curious. Do you expect feedback if you enter a fee-charging contest and you don't win?

A few years ago, I entered Amazon's Break Through Novel competition.
It was awesome.
At each level, I got some sort of feedback. I made it to the semi-finals, which included reviews from editors at PW and Penguin.
Amazon does not charge any fees for the contest.

I recently entered a rather prestigiuous novel competition for a $25 entry fee. I didn't expect to win (and I didn't), but I guess I expected to get something out of it.
Not one sentence.

Yes, one could argue that the fee goes to support the contest and the writing arts, but the winning novel has always been a best seller. The publisher certainly makes a profit and I'm sure it supports the contest financially in some way.

I'm feeling a bit ripped off.
Agents give more feedback and I don't pay them.

Maryn · Mar 22, 2012

No, I don't expect feedback from contests, unless they promise that's in the offing.

If you get it and it's helpful, that's all gravy.

Maryn, gravy-free

quicklime · Mar 23, 2012

i guess, I'm with Maryn--it would be nice, but I don't expect anything people don't come out and offer--if they never said there would be feedback, I wouldn't expect to see it.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 23, 2012

There's no way in hell I'd enter a contest that charges a fee.

Phaeal · Mar 23, 2012

I don't expect feedback from anyone unless they promise they're going to provide it, and then I expect it will be very, very late.

I don't believe in paying to enter a contest, either. When I want to support a magazine or journal, I subscribe to it. Which reminds me, I have a couple subscriptions to renew....

RobJ · Mar 23, 2012

happywritermom said:
I'm just curious. Do you expect feedback if you enter a fee-charging contest and you don't win?

I've entered a number of fee-paying short story contests and have never received nor expected feedback. The fee was purely an entry fee. Some competitions have offered a critique service of submitted entries for an additional fee, which I've never taken up.

If a competition provides judge's comments, although not specific to your own entry, it can be an interesting read. The first competition I entered I placed third. They had about a hundred entries. After I read the judge's comments, I suspected that the number considered for a prize was far fewer than a hundred.

happywritermom · Mar 23, 2012

Thanks, all!
No promises were ever made, so I shouldn't have expected anything and I didn't have a right to expect anything, but still ...
It's just disappointing considering the fact that it was a well-established contest, backed by a major publisher. I wonder why they even charge a fee.
Well, I learned a lesson.
I won't do that again.

Contests and feedback

happywritermom

Maryn

At Sea

quicklime

all out of fucks to give

Jamesaritchie

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

RobJ

happywritermom