View Single Post
  #8  
Unread 02-06-2018, 12:34 AM
Ned Balbo Ned Balbo is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 515
Default

Marty, just a quick note to say I don't recommend indiscriminately entering these competitions.

Knowing the judge's work and/or past winners in previous years of the same competition might give a sense of what the judge might select or the screeners pass along; the named judge often reads only 10-20 manuscripts deemed finalists, with all others read by editorial staff or other people associated with the press or organization that sponsors the contest.

Therefore, being aware of the contest's stated or unstated aesthetic stance is pretty important. Ultimately, the goal is to gain a clear sense that the process is reasonable and reasonably transparent--one you can trust to be fair. And some quite fair, well-run contests reflect the tastes of a different corner of the poetic universe--a corner perfectly valid but not one that every poet inhabits.

Good luck!
Reply With Quote