Speaker A
Did you know that petrichor is the smell after it rains? Welcome, my name is Michael, and on this channel, I teach you how to make a living as a professional artist. Today, we're going to talk about how to win a poetry contest.
Learn how to win poetry contests from a publisher's perspective, including tips on finding the right contest and what judges look for.
Key Takeaways
- Understand what winning means for your personal and professional goals.
- Choose contests carefully by researching their purpose and submission requirements.
- Quality over quantity: submit your best work that fits the contest criteria.
- Contests with submission fees often aim to limit low-quality entries and ensure seriousness.
- Winning contests can boost your visibility, credibility, and opportunities as a creative.
What the video covers
- Michael explains the importance of understanding what winning a poetry contest means to you, whether it's cash, publication, or career advancement.
- The first step to winning is finding the right contest that aligns with your goals and work.
- Michael shares insights from his experience as a publisher and contest juror on what judges look for in submissions.
- He emphasizes researching the contest, the organization behind it, and the nature of the open call before submitting.
- Submission fees and open call duration can indicate the contest's purpose and seriousness.
- Being proactive and ensuring your work fits the contest increases your chances of success.
- Contests often rotate jurors to maintain fresh perspectives and diversity in judging.
- Avoid submitting low-quality or excessive entries to prevent clogging contest systems.
- Winning contests can add valuable credentials to your CV, especially in academia or professional art careers.
- Michael encourages creatives to use contests strategically for career growth or personal fulfillment.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and overview of winning contests
- 01:23What does winning mean to you?
- 02:32Finding the right contest
- 03:56Publisher’s perspective on judging and winning
- 05:23Ensuring your work fits the contest
- 06:51Submission methods and contest goals
- 08:13Open call duration and contest research
- 10:41Judging process and avoiding low-quality submissions
- 14:25Final advice and closing remarks
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
win a poetry contest now this could actually apply to any contest this could be a photography contest this could be a book contrast a short fiction contest any kind of online or physical contest for art or creatives so you might ask
Speaker A
Now, this could actually apply to any contest. This could be a photography contest, this could be a book contest, a short fiction contest, any kind of online or physical contest for art or creatives. So you might ask yourself, why would you want to enter these and why would you want to win?
Speaker A
your name out there adding something to your CV a lot of people kind of talk down about adding stuff to your CV but really that does add up especially if you were in academia so the first thing to consider is what does it mean to win
Speaker A
A big thing is a lot of times they have prizes. A lot of times it's prestige or notoriety or even just, you know, getting your name out there, adding something to your CV. A lot of people kind of talk down about adding stuff to your CV, but really that does add up, especially if you are in academia.
Speaker A
what winning means to you as a writer or creative and so going and getting these wins will allow you to go and help your career out or even maybe it's not a career maybe you just want to do it for
Speaker A
So the first thing to consider is what does it mean to win? Is the contest going to give you a cash prize? Is it just going to publish your work out there? Does it mean that your work is going to get an opportunity that you wouldn't otherwise have? You should already know what winning means to you as a writer or creative.
Speaker A
you find the ones that are really meaningful for you maybe you find ones that really actually bring money to you and maybe you realize that money actually isn't that important and you just like to get your work out there and
Speaker A
And so going and getting these wins will allow you to go and help your career out, or even maybe it's not a career, maybe you just want to do it for fun or whatever. And it could also be that you're just starting out and you don't know, you don't have any wins, so you don't know what a real win is. So you just go and you get some wins and then you find the ones that are really meaningful for you.
Speaker A
inspiration for this video the thing is we actually have contents all the time and they differ in terms of what it is that we are offering authors and what it is that offers need to submit for our contest so you know the contest that we
Speaker A
Maybe you find ones that really actually bring money to you, and maybe you realize that money actually isn't that important and you just like to get your work out there and you want people to read your poems.
Speaker A
give you some perspective that you don't normally get because I am on the other side of the contest where I have jury and judged dozens and dozens of contests and so you know a lot of advice comes from artists and comes from
Speaker A
The first step to success and winning a contest is finding the right contest. For example, on my publishing company, we actually have a component of contests right now, which has given me the inspiration for this video.
Speaker A
look for and what is a win constitute for us the publisher the first thing to consider is how did you discover the contest did the company advertise to you or did you find it organically by looking on a site like New York
Speaker A
The thing is, we actually have contests all the time, and they differ in terms of what it is that we are offering authors and what it is that authors need to submit for our contest. So, you know, the contest that we have now, you know, you should check that out.
Speaker A
a pretty good idea that you are the target audience for that particular contest meanwhile if you're going and being proactive which you should always do as a creative you're being proactive about your career and you're saying I want to apply to this poetry contest you
Speaker A
But if you go and you want something six months on the road, it might be a different contest, but it might provide a different value for you. Hopefully, in this video, I'll be able to give you some perspective that you don't normally get because I am on the other side of the contest where I have juried and judged dozens and dozens of contests.
Speaker A
open call are they trying to get a showcase of local artists within their organization are they trying to get new material to publish are they trying to get user engagement so that way people are going to the website to buy more
Speaker A
And so, you know, a lot of advice comes from artists and comes from authors about how to win, but I'm going to tell you as someone who owns a publishing company how to win, what it is that I'm looking for, what it is that I'm instructing my jurors to look for, what it is that I'm instructing my team to look for, and what a win constitutes for us, the publisher.
Speaker A
usually a lot of times they'll actually just say it but a lot of times also you can kind of tell it based off of the way that you have to submit for example if the submission is free then they're obviously just trying to
Speaker A
The first thing to consider is how did you discover the contest? Did the company advertise to you or did you find it organically by looking on a site like New York Foundation for the Arts or Submittable or some other organization?
Speaker A
sure that everyone who does is really serious paying their jurors trying to see inside the mind of the organization what it is that they're trying to do is really important next thing to consider is how long is the open call opened for
Speaker A
If it was advertised to you via Facebook ads or via email newsletter or some other way, like if the company, the organization, is reaching out to you, the author, then it's a pretty good idea that you are the target audience for that particular contest.
Speaker A
people will go and get thousands and tens of thousands of submissions like if my organization and we have like a small to medium size organization you know if we put out an open call for six months we would get thousands and thousands and
Speaker A
Meanwhile, if you're going and being proactive, which you should always do as a creative, you're being proactive about your career and you're saying, "I want to apply to this poetry contest," you need to kind of really make sure that your work really fits that particular contest, and we're going to talk about how to do that moving forward.
Speaker A
smaller ones that won't necessarily help improve your career that's up to you to decide that's up for you to know it's really important to go and research the open-call research the organization research the contest a lot of times in
Speaker A
It's always important to consider what is the organization trying to get out of this open call. Are they trying to get a showcase of local artists within their organization? Are they trying to get new material to publish? Are they trying to get user engagement so that way people are going to the website to buy more books?
Speaker A
and keep a fresh eyes and fresh perspective so that way it's not being curated by one person and really getting that diverse opinion but a lot of times you know the I will instruct people what to look for and it's their decision to
Speaker A
Do they just, you know, there's always some kind of hook. Organizations have to do something, and there's nothing malicious about it. You know, what is it that they are trying to get out of it? And you can tell that usually a lot of times they'll actually just say it.
Speaker A
time we don't want people just going and submitting you know a hundred entries that all suck and clogging up our servers which is definitely a thing that can happen so for our current open call we charge five dollars to submit and
Speaker A
But a lot of times also you can kind of tell it based off of the way that you have to submit. For example, if the submission is free, then they're obviously just trying to get as many people as possible to come in, in which case it's really about engagement.
Speaker A
submit if you're willing to pay five dollars to get your book work in a book you know that your work is good and you believe in it and you just need to share that with us and then our jurors don't
Speaker A
But if it's like $40 to submit one poem, it's really not about engagement and it's much more about like creating a highly curated thing, making sure that everyone who does is really serious, paying their jurors.
Speaker A
your work in a book I think something that I've been thinking about a lot as someone who is kind of like a gatekeeper or whatever is what it means to deserve an opportunity and you know if you have
Speaker A
Trying to see inside the mind of the organization, what it is that they're trying to do, is really important.
Speaker A
something that I'm thinking about a lot you know moving forward because I think of the people that really want to go and do something with their career you know it's gonna mean more to them it's gonna it's gonna help build them up in a way
Speaker A
Next thing to consider is how long is the open call open for. If the open call is open for six months or over, you're probably not going to win, and I don't need to say that to discourage you.
Speaker A
were in a book on their Twitter account and on their Instagram account I really rep us out and you know make it more than just a one sided arrangement they're the people that follow up and you know share the book with their
Speaker A
But companies, you know, organizations open up these windows for a really long period of time so that way people will go and get thousands and tens of thousands of submissions.
Speaker A
theirs at all like I make very particular work I'm an artist myself I'm a writer myself and that really weighs very little on the kind of work that I go and put out I will say that researching the jurors can help you
Speaker A
Like if my organization, and we have like a small to medium size organization, you know, if we put out an open call for six months, we would get thousands and thousands and thousands of submissions.
Speaker A
submissions we get of really amazing poems really amazing work of art that just don't make sense for our work of call and we're like why did you submit to this like it doesn't make sense I'm not gonna pick it it doesn't belong here
Speaker A
And so, you know, you're much less likely to win.
Speaker A
like yeah you win that way but it's kind of like swiping right to every single person on tinder it's like yeah you'll eventually match with someone but it's really about building a much more meaningful relationship than just kind
Speaker A
Now, it could be that you've looked at your goals as a writer or an artist and decided that winning these bigger prizes is more meaningful than winning smaller ones that won't necessarily help improve your career.
Speaker A
you're going to go and you're gonna pay money or you're gonna take time to really fill us out it's important that you make sure that you do it right quite honestly you know I'm not the juror a lot of times but when someone emails me
Speaker A
That's up to you to decide. That's up for you to know.
Speaker A
anything except the poems we just keep the other stuff on record so that way we can actually contact you if you are accepted but at the same point in time you know like if I know that someone was
Speaker A
It's really important to go and research the open call, research the organization, research the contest.
Speaker A
maybe I'll recognize their name of the next time and eventually you kind of build up that rapport or you know maybe they don't get accepted the poetry contest but they want to publish a book with us and I keep on submitting to the
Speaker A
A lot of times in the past, they published poems or published work that have won in previous years.
Speaker A
with smaller organizations like if you're submitting to a much larger one like piglet like penguin Random House or whatever the odds of you getting the same person that you email every time is kind of different but it's just worth
Speaker A
See if there is some defining characteristic.
Speaker A
but the thing is I love that kind of work and it's okay to have some of that but if you use like really really strange formatting that we can't easily reproduce I would say that we're less inclined to pick it and the thing is
Speaker A
A lot of times they switch jurors around. You know, my company, we switch jurors around and really try and keep fresh eyes and fresh perspective so that way it's not being curated by one person and really getting that diverse opinion.
Speaker A
strange formatting like you know letters on the side or like words the characters that we don't have or something like that like stuff that doesn't translate well or like needs a specific type face and word a function it's not gonna work
Speaker A
But a lot of times, you know, I will instruct people what to look for and it's their decision to decide.
Speaker A
know when we're submitting the file to the printer it's gonna have trouble with characters that are like weird off to the side or whatever we're translating it to an e-book we are not able to easily share that work and while there
Speaker A
For example, with my organization, we want to try and create a balance between getting the most number of people committing and providing like the fairest plane for people to participate on and enter on.
Speaker A
formatting you know don't get super experiments with that you know really play with the content of what you're doing and not necessarily the format my next major tip is to submit early if possible so I don't know how other
Speaker A
But at the same point in time, we don't want people just going and submitting, you know, a hundred entries that all suck and clogging up our servers, which is definitely a thing that can happen.
Speaker A
that we just do it because that way it makes sense you know if you have a list of a couple hundred or thousand people it makes a lot more sense to go and kind of just go through the list down lie
Speaker A
So for our current open call, we charge five dollars to submit, and that's just really it.
Speaker A
benchmark that we compare everyone else to and so I kind of see it as like like king of the hill kind of thing we're like you know every juror especially every juror that I've ever talked to including myself you know you pick the
Speaker A
It provides enough friction for people who really aren't serious. They're not going to go and participate.
Speaker A
away but they really have to be better than the previous ones to kind of earn a spot so the early ones really start to you know stand out and I've noticed like a little bit of a trend maybe it's been
Speaker A
That way, it's a really win-win situation for everyone involved.
Speaker A
people that are submitting at 11:59 the day of the final deadline the next thing is to submit as many times as possible now I know this can get expensive especially if you have things up but I think you know if you really narrow down
Speaker A
You know, like we get higher quality submissions because the people who submit, if you're willing to pay five dollars to get your book work in a book, you know that your work is good and you believe in it and you just need to share that with us.
Speaker A
poems you got five poems that really all work with us and we accept five poems you should submit it whereas maybe if it's not like that important to you or you don't think you get it or you don't
Speaker A
And then our jurors don't have to sift through tons of mediocre work.
Speaker A
five poems to one contest that really really fits your needs and your goals and your demographic then to submit one poem to five organizations that don't really go and do it that goes back to the analogy that I was talking about
Speaker A
And at the same point in time, you know, like if you're really serious about it and you're willing to invest in your career, then it's going to give you the highest payout at getting your work in a book.
Speaker A
but you really want you know it won't take you to that next level really what takes you to that next level in your career is always relationships you know because the only thing that you can kind of build your relationship that you can
Speaker A
I think something that I've been thinking about a lot as someone who is kind of like a gatekeeper or whatever is what it means to deserve an opportunity.
Speaker A
up you know a list of publications than just sheer number and the next thing is after you've submitted after you've waited a while be sure to follow up over email you know make sure that people are really paying attention to you don't be
Speaker A
And, you know, if you have two people both considered equal, should you give that opportunity to someone who is actually trying to make an art career versus someone who is just kind of doing it on the side or whatever?
Speaker A
times you know and I would ten times over an author email me too often or email my team way too often then wait but not enough because with the amount of time that it takes for me to respond to your
Speaker A
I haven't really decided, but it's definitely something that I'm thinking about a lot, you know, moving forward because I think of the peop...
Speaker A
email right right away don't even say anything just like just acknowledge it just say like you know thank you what are the next steps if they don't say you know and you don't to have anything repaired don't take
Speaker A
that time to wait just send it that day and really like get the ball rolling and the organization will really take things from there if you're accepted you know like they'll they'll help you and they'll guide you and they'll make sure
Speaker A
everything gets done but you just need to like be available and really follow up and that's true if you don't accept it too because if you don't get accepted following up just keeps the rapport with the people especially with smaller to
Speaker A
medium sized organizations where you can actually get in contact with people that run it and the final thing is don't be upset if you are not accepted I know personally as a creator and a rightist I go and I put my work out there all the
Speaker A
time and the majority of times I actually don't get accepted and you know I actually like recently like two weeks ago had it one that really stung I was like I'm a total shoo-in for this my friends got it like my work is better
Speaker A
than theirs and I'm gonna like make it and for whatever reason like I didn't get accepted and I took it really personally which is not normal for me but I take it personally whatever like my peers get accepted to something and I
Speaker A
don't but I think it's important to not take it personally you know it could just be that it's not the right fit it could just be that they have you know too many people or you know they've done
Speaker A
you want to you know if your organization and you have a good relationship with an author you know they're probably gonna have priority over someone new because they're trying to build relationships on their end so don't take it personally it could be any
Speaker A
number of reasons the important thing is to really just keep your head up and keep trying and you know spend more time focusing on the right opportunity rather than time wasted on worrying about other people's opinion because that's really
Speaker A
like like don't treat it as a value judgment against your work because it's not it's just you know you are not the right fit or this poem is not the right fit for this book at this time so I'm
Speaker A
gonna go and link to the open calls that we have in the description down below if they change I'm sure that we have open calls happening all the time it's really the way that we get work and so I would
Speaker A
go advise you to check those out I know that there good they might not be the right fit for you if not some of the resources I have other videos talking about resources on where to find open calls where to submit
Speaker A
your work how to really go and get your work published get your work out there get into gallery exhibitions I actually have guys - all of that in previous YouTube videos and I also have guys that on the website especially I have like
Speaker A
horses set up where you know you go and you sign up and you there's just like free blog post it's none of it costs any money with that just so that you know you can get all of the information that
Speaker A
you need let me know in the comments what it was like if you've ever gotten your work published or if you're trying to what is struggles that you're happening and you know I'll respond to you like you have a problem like you
Speaker A
write to me and we'll work it out we'll figure it out I think that my job is really to empower all creatives so I make these videos to go and reach a larger audience but I also think that
Speaker A
it's really important to you know go one on one hand on hand combat with individual artists and authors and say alright where's your pain point where's your sticking point where can we help you improve like what's the best thing
Speaker A
for you at this time that's it for today it's getting dark out as you can tell I want to take you outside because it's beautiful out have a wonderful day if you liked it if you liked the video hit
Speaker A
thumbs up hit subscribed at the Bell account we have videos coming all the time sign up for our newsletter because you haven't started sending it yet but it's gonna be excellent thank you so much have a wonderful day
Topics:poetry contesthow to win contestspublishing tipscreative careerart contestssubmission advicecontest judgingopen callwriting contestsprofessional artist
