How To Find Top Poetry Contest Sites

By Stephen Burns


While poets do it for fun, honing your skills against those of others and making something out of it is not such a bad idea. There are numerous poetry contest sites you can explore. However, some of these websites will give you a raw deal and kill your writing career. You need a platform that allows you to thrive. How do you identify such a platform amidst the many that line the internet?

Enter contests that are run professionally and by credible organizers. Some of the professionals who can handle poems include seasoned poets, departments of literature and institutions that support art. Individuals also organize competitions but they do so with the backing of interested institutions. When the organizers are credible, you are assured of fairness. Your participation will also not be in vain, whether you win or lose.

Choose a contest that has a reputation of fairness and reasonable prizes. Organizers require time to grow a reputation. With a reputation, it means that they are not newcomers in the industry. Other poets have gained confidence in their work. Referrals from past winners and participants as well as reviews will help you choose between different contests. It helps you avoid contests whose winners are predetermined.

The organizers should provide more exposure to winners and participants. This usually happens during shortlisting and once the winners have been announced. Exposure comes in the form of seminars and opportunities to display your work to the world of poetry. It means that by the end of the contest, whether you win or lose, you will have improved on your skills.

The reward for participating in the competition should meet the standards set at the entry of the contest. It takes a lot of effort to complete poetry pieces. While money is desirable, it is only available to the best poets. The deal is spiced by being entered into exhibitions and your work being showcased. Whether you won or not, you become a better skilled writer and your fame spreads in poetry circles.

Organizers must ensure that winners are publicly known and genuine. This happens by publicizing entry and winning rules. The criterion to be used in choosing a winner should also be known. It helps to have different categories of entries to accommodate the classes of participants who might be interested. The classes can be divided into beginner poets, intermediate and experienced writers. They may also be separated by themes, age, academic level and such factors. This spreads out the prize money and gives more people the chance.

The rules of entry and participation should be fair to all. This also means easy modes of submission, well publicized contests and sufficient time to make your submission. It means that everyone can participate. This increases competition and gives you a perfect feel of the market. It is easier to make submissions online since you can do it anytime and from anywhere.

Beyond the contest, proceeds coming from submitted works must trickle down to participating poets. This includes sale of books and anthologies, exhibition fees and loyalties. The rights to the works must remain with the author. This means that you will enjoy any money arising from your pieces whenever and wherever they are used.




About the Author: