Should Unpublished Writers Enter Writing Contests?

Note: This article originally published in The Bottom Line on January 21, 2026. Please click here to read the full piece. (The text below is an excerpt.)

Literary fiction writer Tara Dorabji spent over a decade researching and revising her manuscript, only to receive declines from all the agents who read it. But then, during the pandemic, Dorabji entered Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us writing contest—and won. The prize? Publication of her debut novel, Call Her Freedom.

Similarly, children’s book writer and illustrator Supriya Kelkar had been querying literary agents for years before her first novel, Ahimsa, won Lee & Low’s New Visions Award and was published by the company as a result; she now has more than a dozen books to her name.

And internationally acclaimed mystery writer Louise Penny was “turned down more often than I care to remember” before placing in Debut Dagger, a contest held by the UK’s Crime Writers’ Association. “I cannot overstate the importance that award has had on my career,” she writes on her website.

Given these success stories, it’s no wonder that writing contests are an attractive option for writers who have yet to break into the industry. But are they worth the investment, both financial and emotional? Yes—if the contest is legitimate and the prize offers value to the writer… “‘Every contest should have clear guidelines addressing the entry and judging process, eligibility, prizes, any rights granted, and more.’”