Probably not. Looks like a lot of fee payers are listed as not good. That leaves quite a few to enter without a fee. I have sent some items with fees attached and never heard  a single word in response. No "thanks for the loot', nothing. So I'm not entering any more fee paid contests. It's a racket. Maybe we should start up our own fee paid contests. Make some quick cash.

Nadine

I find it disheartening they seem to only recommend contests that don't charge fees. There are plenty of legitimate publications/orgs out there that charge fees for their contests in order to fund contest prizes/scholarships and help keep the organization afloat.  I don't see what's so wrong with charging fees if the $$ is handled appropriately. Plus, it's a fairly standard practice even outside the writing world. I sure as hell never got to compete in a horse show without paying a fee... and they were usually that of the measly fees I've been charged to enter my writing.

I looked to see what they think about the contests I have entered, but they're not on there. Pred-Ed is a great resource, especially for checking out snaky publishers.

brosna11 wrote:

I entered my novel at UMass press a few yrs ago, paid 25. to have them take a gander, never heard a single word from them. So I wouldn't send anything else to them. I had to send a printed 200 page hard copy. I sent Levellers online and they took it. No fee. Sent some poetry to a few listed places in January, never heard. Waste of money. I understand why they may need money but there are worthy places and not so worthy. I'm going along with Preditors as there are writing contests with no fees. Subscriptions are one thing but entry fees are another. I'm all done with those.

Well it's completely different, imo, if a PRESS you're submitting a novel to for publication requests a fee. That's seedy and I wouldn't submit to them, either. I also wouldn't submit a short story or poem (though I don't write the latter) for publication to any place that requested a fee upfront. I agree - save your money. Contests are a different beast.

Though ironically, the contest I just paid to enter responded a couple days later with a "thank you for your submission, everything looks good" note. The one I didn't pay to enter never said a word, and it's been a couple months now. Most places say they only notify you if  you win, too, so I guess if you don't hear anything it means you didn't win. I check the site periodically. Fingers crossed...

Ugh! That's upsetting. Though I enjoy the UConn example because I'm originally from CT and grew up thinking I'd go to that school. I still have a soft spot for it. UConn wouldn't do such a thing! (I know it's a hypothetical. lol.)

Most of the contests I have entered ask you to leave your name and any other identifying info off the actual entry. That's why the Faulkners people ask for a title page with your name/info on it, and then the entry itself. They can judge blind that way. Unless of course the judges aren't as scrupulous as the organizers want you to believe, and they still get their hands on the title pages. I guess we'll never know...

brosna11 wrote:

Exactly. We'll never know who does what. The fix is in as they say in gangster movies. Huge careers have been built from the ground up by unscrupulous editors, friends of editors, all those people. I had a friend who worked at Mass Review for 30 yrs. One day she came to work and found her chair outside the building. They didn't have the chutzpah to fire her directly. They just threw her out. She wasn't even trying to publish her work there. She was a dedicated secretary. They were editors. Go figure.

Hmmmmm.. Did Mitt own the company?  Only kidding! 

P

I entered two contests listed on the Poets & Writers site. Both contest charged fees, both had hundreds of entries, both were 100% legit. Monadnock Writers was one, Pikes Peak Writers was the other.

Preditors & Editors is quite useful for checking out agents and publishers for scams (on their Absolute Write Water Cooler page), but their no-fee policy in order to let contests pass their legit test is dumb.  As JEliz notes, Faulkers charges a fee, too.

Last edited by GPyrenees (06-24-2012 20:51:32)