Member-only story
What Toastmasters has taught me about book contests
If you published a book, you probably want to enter it in a book contest. If you win, you will get a nice sticker to put on your cover and ads. If you don’t, you still get something all authors need: Someone to read your writing.
I’ve been an entrant and a judge of book contests. The experience reminds me of something I did years ago, Toastmasters speech contests. Like book contests, speech contests have a number of categories, a set of rules to be followed, and guidelines to determine which works deserve to be recognized. Here are things I’ve learned from my Toastmasters contests that can help you in book contests.
Follow the rules
Toastmasters contests have a specific set of rules about time limits, content, and eligibility. Similarly, book contests have their own rules. For example, only books after a certain copyright year are eligible. Some contests take unpublished manuscripts, others don’t. There are also contests that cover specific genres and types of authors. Read the rules and make sure that you and your book are eligible. Also pay close attention to the deadline, whether they accept electronic submissions or require printed copies, and entry fees and other requirements.
