Have you ever had trouble starting an essay for school? It’s happened to most of us – we procrastinate until the night before, and then jot everything done in a flurry. Writing doesn’t come easily to everyone, and when you’re swamped with other responsibilities, it can be even harder.
So why would you want to participate in an essay contest? After all, it’s extra work you’re not obliged to take on. Still, you might be surprised to find that winning an essay contest comes with a ton of benefits, including scholarships and cash prizes.
If you want to take part in an essay writing competition but have a lot of school work, don’t worry! EssayHub write essays whether you’re a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student. They’ll help lighten your load so you have extra time on your hands to explore your hobbies, hang out with friends, or even join a writing competition.
Types of Essay Contests
Not all writing competitions are the same. They’re categorized based on who is eligible to apply, what the topic is about, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, and so on. Even their entry rules and offered prizes are different. The majority of competitions don’t have any entry fees, but there are a few that do. They also offer varying amounts of cash – up to thousands.
Here are the most popular types of writing contests. Going through them will give you an idea of where you can apply:
- short story;
- poetry;
- flash fiction;
- science fiction;
- climate change.
Even though most competitions are in the fiction category, it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost for writers who are less creative. Once you hire a custom coursework writing service and free some time, you can apply to competitions in the nonfiction market. These are hosted by businesses, international organizations, and universities.
Why Participate in a Writing Competition?
By now, you know that joining a writing competition comes with financial perks. The cash prizes range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Scholarships are also offered by some sponsors. However, there are other perks we haven’t talked about.
Exposure to a Variety of Topics
Essay contests cover prevalent issues, contemporary trends, forgotten practices, and politics, to name a few. A good essay clearly brings out your voice and opinion, so there is no right or wrong answer. Some prompts you may encounter are opinion-based, like:
- Have technological advancements reduced our appreciation of human interaction?
- Can peer pressure be good for self-development?
- What could be done to improve the educational system?
Exposure to some of the topics in essay competitions will make you a socially conscious person.
Improves Your Self-Expression
Writing competitions are open to people of all age groups, races, and nationalities. You can show your ability to express yourself on the topic and carry in-depth research, and this is what will set you apart. It will challenge you to express yourself more eloquently.
Improve Your Research Skills
Some essays will require you to carry out light research. Ultimately, this will improve your reading comprehension, writing, and analytical skills. It will come in handy in university and beyond.
Improves Your CV
Some essay contests award a participation certificate which will enhance your employability. Employers are impressed with the applicants who had participated in a thought-provoking contest and set out to solve an issue. It shows that you are proactive and analytical. Additionally, some competitions publish their winners. If you win, you can add ‘published author’ to your resume.
How to Identify Legitimate Contests
With most of these contests being held online, it’s easy to encounter fraudsters. To prevent yourself from being scammed out of your hard-earned money, be on the lookout for these signs:
- Most contests do not require entry fees, so if you come across one that does, proceed with caution.
- You won’t get any personal messages from a person pretending to be in the judgment panel or among the decision-makers. If you get an email like this asking you for money, ignore it.
- Information on previous contest winners is publicly available if you run a search on the contest. Be wary of competitions that have no past winners.
- Sponsors of the contests are available in the public domain.
- Avoid contests that ask for sensitive information like your bank details.
- An institution facilitator (school counselor) can verify the details of academic contests.
3 Essay Competitions to Apply to in 2021
Now that you have a good idea of what an essay contest is, how it can benefit you, and how to spot legitimate ones, it’s time to apply. We’ve compiled a list of contests open to international candidates. They run either monthly or quarterly.
Creative Writing NZ Flash Fiction
This one is hosted by a New Zealand company but open to candidates from around the world. The minimum qualifying age is 18. Entries should be in English. The theme is open to anything you want to write about, but the story must be kept below 1000 words. The last day to submit is the end of every month. The prize money is $30.
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Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future
This one takes place every three months and is suitable for upcoming sci-fi writers who want their work reviewed by published authors in that genre. The prize money ranges between $500-$1000 depending on the place the participant took.
Justice Centre
The writing prompt provided by the Justice Centre is, “Should citizens who refuse to get vaccinated have the same rights and freedoms as those who do get vaccinated?” It’s a timely topic and doesn’t require research. The first prize is $2000.
Conclusion
Whether it’s academic or competitive, essay writing shouldn’t be a headache. There’s a team of professionals ready to help you at the click of a button. Choosing to participate in writing competitions also comes with a host of personal and financial benefits.
