Competition Etiquette

[RcGrant]

I hope this is in the right forum.

I was wondering what the standard etiquette is for entering a single manuscript into multiple competitions. There are two competitions coming up and I would like to enter both, but they are more-or-less around the same time. Nothing in either set of guidelines states exclusivity (one even mentions the ability to withdraw your entry after long-listing, if needed), and neither prize clashes (one is monetary, the other is representation) but I wasn't sure if there were general rules for this sort of thing.

Obviously I'm not silly enough to expect to win either, but I would like to enter both for the experience of getting my work a guaranteed read by the right people, and for any potential feedback. I just don't want to step on toes in the process.

Thanks!

[I, Brian]

I suspect there may be an etiquette ... but in business terms, sometimes it's best to only worry about stepping on toes when you think you *actually* have done so.

In other words, just enter into both, and only worry about it *if* you win both.

[RcGrant]

Thanks, Brian, I appreciate it.

[Sapheron]

I can't help but think it isn't likely to ever be a problem. For your sake, though, I will hope it becomes one. After all, that would probably mean you've done really well!

If there are no rules against it (either literally or in terms of common sense, like if they both published winners or whatever) then I can't really see there being a problem in any case anyway. If they didn't want an entry someone else is also getting they should have said.

[RcGrant]

Originally Posted by Sapheron

I can't help but think it isn't likely to ever be a problem. For your sake, though, I will hope it becomes one. After all, that would probably mean you've done really well!

If there are no rules against it (either literally or in terms of common sense, like if they both published winners or whatever) then I can't really see there being a problem in any case anyway. If they didn't want an entry someone else is also getting they should have said.

I don't think it will be a problem either, but I'm one of those people who likes to know the answer to every possibility. I happened to come across a post on Absolute Write about multiple competitions and I wanted to know if there was a certain way of approaching entering (especially as after a quick google I found something advising waiting a whole year to enter the second competition so you know the results of the first. Bad advice, I felt).

Don't worry, I don't have an over-inflated sense of the worth of my writing; I will write for my entire life, regardless of publication status.

[Glitch]

If you want to be certain then you should try and contact the competition organisers and ask the question.

[MemoryTale]

I think it would only be a problem if one of the prizes is publication.

[Dozmonic]

If they don't specify exclusivity, enter as many as you wish.