Questions

I’m under 18. Gonna be studying in Melbourne, Australia. Wondering if there are youth writers festival in town where a non-permanent resident could apply for?
- twinkletoes

Small business, Argyle Gifts, is seeking to start business in a struggling economy. Attaining a loan has not been easy but owners Heather and Trevor Rutherfordstone will continue to push ahead. The most recent attempt to promote Argyle Gifts’ brand name resulted in a contest series that launched November 18, 2009.

The first contest in this series is a writing contest. This contest requests that contestants write an essay 250-1000 words in length detailing anything relating to gifts and gift giving. This can be anything from a fun historical note about wedding gifts to tips and advice for wrapping oddly shaped items. If it relates to gifts in any way the essay will be considered for the reward; and what an award it is. First prize takes home $500 cash and will be published on the home page of Argyle Gifts’ website. 5 runners up will also be published on the website in various locations. This kind of award is a great addition to any writers resume.

While turn out for this first contest is expected to be low, more contests are planned for the future. In the works is a photography contest, crafting contest, video contest and possibly even a poetry contest. All contests will be announced at a later date (likely early 2009).

So why a contest series to promote brand presence? Argyle Gifts operates on a unique model. This company seeks to help the creative people in this world by giving them opportunities to promote their art. As a writer, crafter, photographer, dancer and artist herself, Heather Rutherfordstone has always had a soft spot in her heart for the artistically inclined. This is why, once Argyle Gifts acquires inventory, they will sell, predominately, handcrafted, artisan made goods that are ecologically sound. Argyle Gifts hopes to boost the economy by placing money in the hands of the little guy.  

More information on contests and Argyle Gifts can be found at: http://www.argylegifts.com/Writing-Contest.html. Writing contest begins November 18, 2008 and ends March 1, 2009. Winners will be chosen by April 1, 2009.


- Heather Rutherfordstone

With so many poetry contests available both online and in poetry journals, you don’t have to look too hard to find one that suits your writing style and your wallet. While some poetry contests are free to enter, they may not have a great prize in return. On the other hand, some poetry contests that charge you ten or fifteen dollars to enter do not really offer you a lot in return. Spending fifteen dollars to win one hundred when you are competing with hundreds or even thousands of other writers is not a good gamble.

So when you find a contest that has both a tolerable entry fee and a reasonable payoff, you can enter. You may need to look at several contests before you decide on one that is right for you in terms of style. It is important to read the work of previous winners online if possible.

If the contest is sponsored by a university publication or a literary journal, you should pick up a copy or two of this journal to see what type of poetry appeals to the editors. Pay attention to the theme of the issue as it could affect the kind of poetry you read for that month. Try reading another theme to see if the style is similar even if the subject matter has changed. Then when you find a place that seems to publish work that is similar in style and tone to yours, check out the guidelines.

This is probably the best thing you can do, besides have natural talent, to win a poetry contest: follow the guidelines. It is not impressive to editors or contest judges if you try to be unique by straying from these rules. They are in place for a reason. Usually, this reason is to make the job of the editors and judges easier. They will be inundated with entries. If all the pages are uniform and the type is big enough to read, their lives will be much less stressful. If you are the one with the odd sized paper and blue font, you will make a bad impression rather than a memorable one.

So stick to the guidelines about page size, usually a standard eight by ten sheet of printer paper. Also use a font that is readable, at least an eleven or twelve point in something like New Courier, Arial, or Times New Roman. Also be sure that you follow guidelines about having you name and contact information on the page. Some people want a copy of your poem with no name on it so that judging is not biased by previously published work.

Remember to note whether or not you can go over one page for your poem. If they want you to stick to one page, this is not license to create two columns of stanzas on one sheet of paper, nor is it appropriate to shrink your type to a size that will fit a too-long poem on a single page. If your poem is too long, pick another one to enter or find another contest.

Finally, use the editor’s name in your cover letter and double check spelling. Be professional rather than artistic in your presentation.

You can find a list of poetry contests to enter at http://www.poetrycontests.biz/


- Jay Gilbert

I wrote a poem about the death of my young child. Everyone keeps telling me to enter it into poetry contest. I recently submitted it to a book and am awaiting a reply. This is a poem that really means a lot to me and I do not want to get scammed or anything. Can you please just give me name of websites or poetry books to submit my poem to. All information is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
- Christy M

The last online poetry contest that I entered was a scam. I want to make sure that I could submit a poem to a decent contest. Any suggestions?
- DJ

i would put my poems on poetry.com, but i always get the same response back from them. so any suggetions?
that i was chosen for the authors choice award.
- prettypinkhaze

A lot of times poets set up fake sites that say you’re entering a poetry contest when It’s really just a trick to get more ideas for their poems, or better yet, steal your poem completely. Does anyone know of any sites that you can enter your poetry in for contests that are actually real?
- Amber S.