So you want to enter a writing/journalism contest?

In a previous article, we looked into what it’s like judging journalism and nonfiction pieces. 

We spoke to Gavin Adamson, Adrian Ma, and Eternity Martis in what their top advice is for those who end up being judges for an award like the CBC Nonfiction Prize, or the Atlantic Journalism Awards.

We also asked them what their advice for entrants would be. 

Here is what each of them had to say. 

Ma’s advice is to look at all the submissions after you score the entries and then reassess to see if your judgement has changed afterwards.

Ma: “As a judge, in my experience, many of us like to score entries as we review them. I think it's helpful to go back to your earlier scores once you've reviewed all the submissions, as you may feel compelled to adjust your initial assessments based on seeing the whole field. I find that my perception sometimes changes after seeing different ideas and approaches at play,”

Martis’ advice focuses on being open minded in what you read. You might be reading content that you’re not interested in, but she says you have to focus on the craft of the story itself.

Martis: “As judges, as people, we don't know everything about everything on the planet. But can we be inspired and interested in the story? Can we open up our minds to allow ourselves to learn something and to be open to stories about things that we don't know much about? And I think that's what makes a great judge, it's being able to be open to learning and to understand that you know what, this is not something I would read, but it's a great story, and I really enjoy the story,  and the writer did a good job,” 

Adamson says he encourages people to take the opportunity to be a judge to see the best in class journalism out there, and to see the characteristics of really strong work that’s making an impact against the status quo. 

Adamson: “I think that it's important to have a variety of different perspectives for judges. So, you know, go in there and expect to be firm about your approach. As a judge you almost have to find your “voice" as a judge. And once you find it, once you decide what you're looking for in the best of stories, then hold firm and argue your case strongly to the ends of the judges and be confident about it,”

Ma’s advice for applicants is to pay attention to the criteria of the judges and what the expectations will be. 

Ma: “For entrants, I would really encourage you to consult the submission guidelines and judging criteria closely to make sure your entry aligns with the category description. These parameters are what the judges are working off of,” 

Martis says in order to become a better writer, you should read other writing  in the style you want to write, and the impact you want to have. But she also says that if you’re entering a competition, see it as complementary.

Martis: “These are the kinds of pieces that you will be alongside, they're not your competition, they're not against you. And so, continue to write, continue to hone your craft, getting feedback from people that you trust, workshopping your stories, especially those who perhaps are students and they're submitting to the, contest,” 

Adamson’s advice is all about seeking how your story can make an impact, since that’s what he’s looked for in previous competitions he’s judged. 

Adamson: “If you feel like as a journalist, you've made an impact in the community, no matter how small, that's important, and that is something that judges will look for. And even if you don't think you had a national front page story, it may be a small community in a neighbourhood where you made a difference as a journalist. You just never know, from that perspective, how the judges are going to consider your work,”