Entering contests offers writers an opportunity to gain experience and recognition. Winning prizes is another advantage. There are many such contests available and a quick internet search provides numerous options. Many of them require no entry fees. Entering a free monthly writing contest will cost a writer nothing but time.

As there are so many contests, one has to be selective when choosing which one to apply for. The genres covered vary from mystery, science fiction and romance to non-fiction, travel writing, stories for children and memoirs. You need to find the best fit for you. If you are a newbie, it may be preferable to start small and progress on to larger contests as you acquire more confidence. Reading past winning submissions can be helpful in making a decision.

Entrants are bound by the rules and conditions of a particular contest and so it is important to read these carefully before submitting your entry. You have to know what is expected of you as an entrant. Your work must be original and some contests do not accept submissions that have ever been published elsewhere. You should also be fully aware of what rights the sponsors have over your work once submitted.

Before you submit your manuscript, you also need to follow the guidelines given. This may require you to set it out with double spacing and you may not be allowed to exceed a certain word count. If you do not follow these guidelines, there is every chance that your submission may be rejected before the judges have even read the content.

Another consideration is editing. It is essential to do a spell check and edit your work before submission. This will ensure that judges have a favorable first impression. A manuscript full of unnecessary errors can put them off before they even begin judging the content.

Other important factors that help your submission to stand out are your creativity, originality and the way you use language. However, no matter how creative and original your content may be, you have to make sure you stick to the theme. A brilliant entry that completely digresses from the theme will obviously not be in the running.

Some contests are held by magazines and they offer subscriptions as prizes for winning entries. They also publish winning entries in the magazine and this can bring recognition. Even if a small prize is offered, this still means that others have read your writing and seen its value. There are several contests that offer very good prizes, including sums of money which can be a great incentive to writers struggling to make a living.

As long as you understand what the sponsor requires of you and what they are able to do with your submission, there is no risk involved in entering such contests. Submissions can often be emailed to the sponsors together with a name, address and telephone number. The fact that no entry fee is required means you do not have anything to lose and much to gain. Even experienced writers enter such competitions for the worthwhile prizes and recognition offered.