Waterstones Quarterly Competition

littlewanda

I emailed Waterstones regarding the terms and conditions for their new quarterly 'perfectly formed' short story competition for the best unpublished writer, specifically this part:

Entrants cannot have had fiction professionally published previously: specifically, ‘professionally published’ meaning in book or eBook format produced by a professional publisher and available to the general public for a charge. This definition excludes self-published books or stories published in newspapers or magazines, but includes anthologies.


As I have now had a short story published in 100 stories for Haiti, and a few flash fiction pieces coming out in American anthologies later this year, I emailed them to query whether 'professionally published' meant an ISBN solely in my name or ANY book I appear in. Unfortunately, this was their reply:

Congratulations on getting the attention you have, but I’m afraid it does exclude you. Sorry about that, I hope you continue to build on what you’ve already had published.


Whilst I understand their terms and conditions, I have to say I'm very disappointed. In effect their rules mean that any magazine short story writers can enter, and some of them have had hundreds of stories printed and are my opinion more professional than I - I haven't earned any money through my writing yet. Okay, maybe I'm griping, but somehow this seems pretty unfair.

I'm off to sulk in my day job now!

Carol

I actually agree with you littlewanda.

heather

It is a shame, LW, and seems a bit inconsistent but there are lots of other comps you could enter which won't exclude you.

Have a look at Sally Quilford's comp calendar at http://www.writingcalendar.com/index.htm
or try one of my favourites, the Glass Woman Prize at http://www.sigriddaughter.com/GlassWomanPrize.htm

ttofee

LW it does seem unfair - as you say, there are many people out there who regularly have short stories printed in magazines and earn a living from it too yet they can enter - hardly seems fair!

littlewanda

Thanks everyone, and Heather for the competition information. Everyone I've spoken to today also think it's a bit unfair.

littlewanda

I replied to Waterstone's email this morning and told them that whilst I understood the rules, I felt it was a little unfair. This not something I would usually do, but I was feeling a bit annoyed. I've just checked my email and this was their reply:

"I understand your annoyance – in some ways it’s a purely practical retailing rule. The Haiti book is available from Waterstone’s, therefore your fiction work is available in book form from Waterstone’s; magazines and newspaper are temporary and not, for the most part, available in most Waterstone’s.

If it helps, I’m already thinking of a new competition for next year that wouldn’t exclude writers like you."


I have to say that I hadn't thought about it from that point of view. Other entrants might be unhappy if an author already available on their shelves (albeit in an anthology) was to win. And there is hope at the end of the email with the possibility of competition that I would be able to enter.

Dwight

That's bad luck, LW. But in the meantime write another/more stories ready for other competitions for which you're eligible. Try and rise phoenix-like from this set-back :) .

Carol

Well done for pointing that out littlewanda, and let's hope they do something you can enter next time. :)

ceka

I agree it's unfair, Littlewanda - nothing new there, the world seems to go that way. I see someone's put Sally Quilford's site up, do have a look at it, there are lots of competitions going. And you've certainly nudged Waterstone's into that other comp that won't exclude you next time, so thank you for that.