by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt
Here’s a little writer reality check for you: Contest judging is subjective, my friends.
Here are several synonyms for the word subjective:
- Personal
- Skewed
- Individual
- Biased
Two of those words – personal and individual – probably are easier to accept than the other two words – skewed and biased. But the truth remains: Judges read our contest entries with their subjective viewpoint. Their personal, individual, skewed, biased viewpoint.
Let’s talk cooking competitions for a minute.
I know you’re thinking, “Here we go again. Beth has another cooking show comparison to writing life.”
Yep. Absolutely. Read on because it works.
My husband and I were watching “Bobby’s Triple Threat” the other night, a cooking competition where one top-rated chef takes on Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay’s three chefs, a.k.a. the Titans, in three separate rounds of cooking. The first two rounds? Flay picks the two ingredients the chefs must highlight in their dishes. Third round? The visiting chef picks the two ingredients.
During the third round in this episode, the visiting chef picked two items one of the Titans was unfamiliar with: pig’s feet and an obscure Spanish spice. The visiting chef handled the items easily and made a beautiful, polished dish. The other chef struggled and made a basic dish with some good elements. There was no way the visiting chef would lose.
Except he did.
Remember my opening line?
Contest judging is subjective, my friends.
There was something about the Titan’s “no way it’s gonna win” basic dish that the judge loved, even with its flaws.
The subjectiveness of judging is the truth we must remember as we enter writing contests. Yes, we’re submitting our best efforts. But our writing is being judged by people who have personal, individual, skewed, biased viewpoints. Yes, there is usually a point system of some sort – but it is still utilized by a flesh and blood person who filters it through their perspective.
Does this mean judges get it wrong?
The judges don’t think so.
You, of course, are entitled to your opinion. But if you’re entering writing contests remember: It’s not your opinion that counts when it comes to finaling, winning, or losing a writing contest. By submitting your manuscript, you accept another individual’s opinion about your writing. Sometimes you get to see their feedback. Sometimes you don’t.
Entering a writing contest is always a choice – and some writers enter them year after, while others opt out. There’s no right or wrong choice. But if you do decide to enter a contest, remember to hold the results with open hands. You’ve done your best. Trust that the judges will do their personal best too.
Beloved romance novelist Kylie Franklin walked away from her pen-name career as bestselling and award-winning Veronica Hollins the day her husband died. Her loyal readers are eager for the final book in her sensational series. But Kylie’s given up on love, both fictional and in real life. Behind her back, Kylie’s agent contrives a way to get her writing again.
Joe Edwards has made a name for himself with his popular military suspense novels under the pen name Tate Merrick. Yet he can’t quite break onto the bestseller list. What his books need, his publisher suggests, is some romance. Joe flat refuses. However, his publisher is determined and hires Veronica Hollins to save the day—and his career.
Veronica and Tate quickly realize they’re Kylie and Joe, good friends who connected online via a popular word game and their mutual love of trivia. Surely they can wrangle their alter egos into this literary collaboration. But as the deadline looms, their differences threaten the romance developing off the page.
Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, releases June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.