Information on Essay Writing Contests
As with any kind of writing, submission of material for essay writing contests requires knowledge of and adherence to predetermined rules. Rules include such requirements as the manuscript's physical formatting, such as line spacing and pagination. Rules also include the submission method entrants must use--such as online with a specific type of attachment, or through the postal mail. Regardless of essay quality, failure to adhere to submission terms usually disqualifies an entry.
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Description of an Essay
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Succeeding in an essay contest first requires understanding what the term "essay" refers to. The Editfast website, which holds regular essay writing contests, describes an essay as involving four fundamental characteristics: brevity, focus on a single subject, expression of personal viewpoint and a literary, prose style. The Editfast website further clarifies the essay as a written form that involves "reflection" by the writer.
Format
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As of 2010, most essay contests accepted submission through some form of online portal, such as e-mail or directly through a website. Most contests which accept submissions through surface mail will typically specify a manuscript format, such as single-spaced or double-spaced, and whether the writer should include a name on each page or omit the name to ensure unbiased judging.
Contests may specify software formats they can accept, such as MS Word, Word Perfect, Open Office or others. -
Youth
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Some organizations offer essay writing contests for children and teens. As an example of a major writing competition for youth, the First Freedom Student Competition invites high school students from the United States and U.S. territories to write essays on religious freedom topics. The Commonwealth Essay Competition, organized by the Royal Commonwealth Society, provides another example of a major essay competition geared to youth. This annual competition accepts essays on any topic important to the essay writer and encompasses worldwide participation from young people.
Adults
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Various writing organizations offer essay writing contests for adults. As of June 2010, current or recently concluded essay competitions include Sonora Review Short Essay Contests, Wag's Revue Summer Contest, and EditFast, which runs essay contests each month.
Fees/Prizes
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Some essay writing contests have entry fees; others are free to enter. Entry fees vary with the contest, for example Sonora Review charges a $15 entry fee as described at the Freelance Writing website; and Wag's Review charges a $20 fee as described at the Wordpress website. Similarly, the awards to contest winners vary. Some simply offer bylined inclusion in the organization's publication. Others offer cash prizes. Wag's Revue provides a $1,000 cash award for first place and Sonora Review offers a combined total of $1,000 in contest awards.
Locating
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Some resources for locating essay writing contests include "The No Fee Contest Book," by Hope Clark, as described at the Once Written website; as well as such websites as PEN, Poets & Writers Magazine, Once Written, Writing Contests, and Freelance Writing. Traditional sources of writing markets, such as Writer's Market and Christian Writers' Market Guide also give listings of some writing competitions including essay contests.
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References
Resources
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