Thursday, July 14, 2022

Dear O'Abby: Should I enter this contest?

 Dear O'Abby,

I've seen this writing contest called Write Club promoted all over Twitter the last couple of weeks.  Do you know anything about it?  And is it worth entering?

Best,

Clubber


Dear Clubber,

You've come to the right place.  I do indeed know about Write Club.  I have been a contestant myself a few times, and have also been a slush reader for the organisers in the past.

And in my opinion, it is definitely worth entering.  Not so much because of the prizes if you win (although they are nice), but more because you get a lot of feedback from readers on your work.  

Of course, if you are not someone who is ready to receive feedback, particularly negative feedback, it may not be the best contest for you.  The feedback is often somewhat blunt, even brutal, and the way the contest is structured like a boxing match means people get knocked out of the contest weekly.

But if you want honest reactions to your work, this is the place to get it.  And lots of it.  Most entries get at least 30 comments which is 30 pieces of feedback you wouldn't otherwise get.  Sure, it's only on a small section of your work, but the lessons learned can be applied elsewhere.

So my advice is, go for it!

X O'Abby



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