subject: Win Cash With Fiction Competitions With Less Effort [print this page] Win Cash With Fiction Competitions With Less Effort
Just consider these simple-to-apply tips to win short fiction contests. Try them at your own leisure and adapt them to your present needs. They will perform admirably to win story contests - and better than anyone might ever imagine.To win story contests regularly, you have to regard your writing hobby as a business. That means looking at contests as a job you go to every day, five days a week. One contest win may not amount to much but several wins each week mount to a rewarding sum. True, it's difficult to switch a recreation in to a profession. Yet to resolve a play activity into money demands a systematic, professional mindset. Luckily, the task is very gratifying.Your first step is to set up a log book. Paper files quickly get out of date so use a spreadsheet program like Excel. But spreadsheets are hard to master. It's easier to use the Table utility in Word for this simple application.Be sure to scrutinize the 'boilerplate' text of every contest. It would be sad to have an entry rejected because of a trivial error in format or genre.Research every contest that looks promising. Do a web search. Copy the contest details and closing date into your table and arrange the closing dates chronologically so you don't miss one.Search for the most promising contests online. Often these will be competitions that show attractive prizes but fair charges. Avoid contests that offer enormous prizes yet a big charge to enter. Your stories may be superb yet your prospects of a top prize will be remote.Don't be distracted! This is no longer a hobby. It's your job. Allocate yourself a given time to tidy and submit each entry.Stay with your plan and don't be tempted to put the schedule to one side for a few weeks. It is always hard to return to a cold notepad.Set priorities for the contests you will research. Use specific key words in your search. For example, "story contests UK 2010". The long tail keywords will bring you the best results.Plan your selected events to get the best payback. Be careful of vanity events that promise no cash but merely a little fame on the web.Keep a record of the fees you spend on all the contests and the time and money you invest over a period. What payback are you getting in prizes? If it's not impressive, maybe you need to improve your stories or choose your contests more ruthlessly.Plan to retain a complete record of all you pay out on your contest business. Contest charges, postage, print cartridges, even research costs. You can often recover some of it against tax. Check your returns on investment constantly.To keep yourself motivated, plan what you'll do with your winnings. Once you've mastered the system, you'll be able to fund a lot of small luxuries. As your experience increases, you'll get big wins almost every week. It's a win-win contest engine.How will you enjoy your prize money? Plan some vacations, restaurant meals, nice extras for the house. Visualise the ways you might get pleasure from your prizes. You are then sure to stay energized - and your creativity will enjoy a boost.Step by step, undertake those practical tips and it won't be long before you'll gain more contest wins. They're easy to make happen and every idea is great fun!
