Short story competition - again!

Sorry to bring this topic up again, but I really felt I had to comment on some of the negative posts re this year’s short story competition. I’ve been a member of the W&A site for some time and have never posted before, but just can’t believe the fuss some people are making over an honest mistake. Poor admin!

For the record, I didn’t enter the short story competition (nor have I ever entered any of the W&A competitions), but I am an artist and, as such, have submitted to many art competitions over the years. Some I’ve achieved success in, others not; but whatever the outcome, in my experience, these types of competitions rarely run without a hitch. For example, closing dates often get extended, so shortlisting and results are inevitably delayed. Even the most prestigious of competitions, run by well-established organisations, can have problems: I was once sent an email telling me I hadn’t been shortlisted for a competition, then received a phone call to say that the email was a mistake and that my work had been shortlisted. It can be a frustrating experience, whether you make the shortlist or not, but venting your frustrations on a public forum is probably not advisable. For one, no matter how often you say it’s ‘not sour grapes’, it still comes across as sour grapes! That aside, it’s also unprofessional: do you really want someone in the industry you’re trying to break into reading your complaints about how, in your – let’s face it, amateur – opinion, they could have run the competition better, or that you don’t think much of the shortlisted entries? Bombarding the site and admin with gripes over the winning piece being poetry, or shortlisted entrants being registered (or not) on the site, is pointless because it is not going to change the outcome. And whatever you do, don’t criticise the judging panel – all this will do is cause offence. Judges are usually experienced professionals in the field that they are judging and are often giving their time free. Whether there’s one judge or ten, the decision will always be a subjective one – that’s the nature of the arts. In a competition where over 3000 have entered and only a handful are shortlisted, the majority of entrants will inevitably be disappointed. Instead, focus on how fortunate you are to have had your work read by someone in the industry. I don’t know if W&A charge an entry fee for their competitions but, if they do, that’s standard practice these days. It doesn’t mean the competition is a scam (think how much admin work is involved in dealing with over 3000 entries!). I don’t remember the last time I entered a competition for free – for art competitions, it’s often at least £25 per artwork submitted.

At the end of the day, of course being shortlisted is great – it adds to your C.V. and gets exposure for your work – but even if you don’t make the cut, the experience you’ve gained from entering is invaluable. Learn from it and move on. The shortlisted entrants didn’t get shortlisted because they were ‘lucky’ – they worked hard and are deserved winners. What a pity their achievement has been soured by some people questioning the validity of a competition run by a reputable and well-established publishing house.