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Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 1 of 2
by Karon Thackston © 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional. That means your copywriting should be, too. This is something I firmly believe in and have preached for most of my...
Golden Rules for Writing
Golden Rules for Writing By: Sonali Raval, Writer at Work, MBA Want to add punch to your words? Want to write copy that gets results? Here are some golden rules that make for powerful writing.... Oh, before you get all excited - a small note of...
Self-Editing Your Writing
Much of what I do at my "day job" involves editing what others have written. Eliminating typos, repairing damaged grammar, replacing missing or misused punctuation--I relish editing, in a roll-up-my- shirtsleeves and rub-my-hands-together sort of...
The Benefits of Journal Writing
Everyday we experience many different events. Some good, some bad, some memorable and some that can be forgotten the next day. For writers, these events of our lives are a treasure trove of material that could be very valuable to us. You just had...
The Top 7 Rules of Power Copywriting!
Here are the top techniques and tricks that today's best copywriters use. Learn them well, remember them always and use them often! 1) Research, Research, Research. The biggest difference between good copywriters and great copywriters is...
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How to Evaluate Writing Contests: Six Starter Questions
At some point in your writing career you will probably encounter the possibility of entering writing contests. As you peruse writing newsletters and magazines, at any rate, you’ll almost inevitably find listings of competitions; you may very well begin to wonder how to decide whether a given contest is “right” for you and your poetry or prose. Here are six “starter” questions you can ask yourself to initiate that process of evaluation:
1. Do you recognize the press, university, writing center, magazine, literary review, etc. that is sponsoring the contest? Do your writing friends and teachers know about it? (A number of Internet boards post warnings about “scam” contests—it can’t hurt to check those out.) Is the administering organization one you’d be happy to have publish your work?
2. Does the competition post the names of past winners (and the titles of their winning works)? Can you locate the published stories, poems, essays, or books?
3. Is an award guaranteed? Some contests stipulate that an award may not be given in a particular year; this may not be appreciated when fees have been collected; you may choose not to hand over a fee to such a contest.
4. What does the rest of the fine print say? Have you given over rights to your work simply by
submitting it? Such details are often included in that tiny type. Read it carefully.
5. Is judging “blind”—are you asked to submit a manuscript without any identifying material on it?
6. If a fee is charged, does it seem “worthwhile” considering the potential prize? For example, a $25 entry fee for a possible $100 prize might not seem as alluring as a $25 fee (or less) for a $500 (or more) prize.
Considering these questions should set you on the way to thinking more critically about the contest process, and they’ll assist you as you navigate the many listings and advertisements you’ll find the more time you spend investigating opportunities to develop your writing career.
© Copyright 2004 Erika Dreifus. All rights reserved. Article reprint permission is granted provided that the entire article, including the “About the Author” information, remains intact and unaltered. Please send a copy of the reprint to erikadrei@yahoo.com .
About the Author
About the Author: Dr. Erika Dreifus is a writer and writing instructor in Massachusetts. She edits the free monthly newsletter, "The Practicing Writer," and is the author of "The Practicing Writer's Guide to No-Cost Literary Contests and Competitions." Visit her website at http://www.practicing-writer.com .
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