by Melissa J Luther

Created on: May 04, 2008   Last Updated: May 07, 2008

Authors have used writing contests as a way to try to get their names in front of publishers for years. Winning these contests, especially if the prize includes publication, can certainly help to propel a writing career to the next level.

In recent years, the internet has made "publishing" as easy as a mouse click. And website writing contests have arisen, making it even easier for amateur writers to get their feet wet. Are these contests also a good launching board? Are they worth the effort in terms of payout and time spent?

Just like off-line contests, online contests are of variable quality and legitimacy. The same scam warnings still apply. "Contest mills" make money off entry fees. Questionable publishers promise publication but require additional fees when you win. Some tell the entrants that their writing needs some work and offers "help" at a "discount." These and other scams translate perfectly well to the internet. In fact, ANYONE can set up a web site and run a "contest." Always check out the company running any contest.

There are, of course, legitimate writing sites with legitimate contests. Let's take a look at a few of those.

Helium (www.helium.com): This is a relatively new site that has been making great strides at helping people get their writing in front of an audience. They run various contests throughout the year and have an ongoing weekly contest called "Channel Champions". All writing on this site is rated by the other members, and contests are won by gaining the most points for high-ranking articles. The Channel Champions top prize is $75 and fourth place gets $5.

Bookhabit (www.bookhabit.com): Bookhabit has an "unpublished" competition. In this contest, authors upload their books (previously unpublished, hence the name) to the site where they are voted on by other users. The books go through 2 rounds this way, and then the top 10 books from round 2 are rated by a panel of three judges. The prize is $5000.

The Writing Show (www.writingshow.com): This site has a "first-chapter-of-a-novel" contest with prizes ranging from $100 (fifth prize) to $1000 for first place. This contest is more like the traditional offline contests in that the work is not uploaded to the website but rather is sent by email as a file attachment. The contest is judged by "individuals with real-world publishing experience," according to the website. All winning chapters are posted on the site.

Most of the publishing world still values the opinion of other editors and publishers

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