Hi everyone

I've been lurking around these parts for a long time, and finally thought I'd sign up for a trial week. I hope you won't mind if my first post is an attempt to pick your brains!

I had a letter today telling me I've been shortlisted in a competition run by the Academy of Children's Writers. Enclosed with the letter was loads of info on their correspondence courses, so I'm a little suspicious and I just wondered if anyone had any experience with their competitions. Should I be pleased or is being shortlisted by them about as prestigious as being published by poetry.com?!

If it's a genuine prize, ie "You've won a FREE correspondence course - no catch!" then great, but more than likely its just targeted advertising, a bit like when you plan a wedding and suddenly find you win a free photo session with no obligation to buy. What exactly is the prize? And more importantly, what do you have to sign up for in order to qualify or claim?

You'd be better off investing a few quid on a couple of top quality books and a subscribtion to this site.

Colin M

Thanks, Colin.

I haven't actually "won" anything - well, just a load of bumpf about their £175 writing course! I've no intention of signing up, but was just wondering whether being shortlisted actually means anything or if everyone who enters gets the same letter!

It would be interesting to know if they are linked to any other competitions as a way of getting info (ie addresses) of writers for ad-mail targeting.

Oooh oooh I got shortlisted too - complete scam. I'm pushing my journo friend to do a piece on it.

I entered this a few years ago, and was told that my story was in the top 200 (or whatever it was) and that I had come so close they were offering me the course at a discounted price (I think that was the deal - the details are hazy. At any rate, they thought I would benefit from the course, but I'd have to pay for it).

I only got suspicious when I discovered that a friend who had entered got the exact same letter, word for word except the title of the story.

I think it's probably a reasonable course, and if they advertise a prize (e.g it was £2000 when I entered) then someone has to win. But I suspect that it's a way of finding people who might be interested in their courses and targeting their advertising.

On both occasions when I've entered, I was shortlisted in the top 10 per cent or whatever it was. And in hindsight the stories were crap. I entered when I was 18 and again a few years ago.

I don't even write children's stuff!

Good marketing ploy though.