I have a question that requires some feedback from writers -- and I've
noticed that there are a few actual writers in this group.

A few months ago, the staff at Maudlin Street Press decided to sponsor a
poetry contest with small cash awards, the top prize being $150. I put the
info out on the internet, added a page to our site giving the guidelines
and so on. People are aware of the contest, in other words. But we've not
had a single submission.

My question therefore is: Aren't writers interested in these types of
contests anymore? Do you folks think that it's maybe a scam because of the
$4 entry fee? I can assure anyone concerned about that that the money
allocated for awards is already in our bank account and we're not crooks.
I'm just wondering why this lack of interest.

The reason, of course, that we decided to sponsor the contest in the first
place was to generate a little interest in our website. Not being a
programmer or even well-versed in HTML, putting it together wasn't easy.
And I'd like to think that it wasn't all for naught.

So, before I cancel the thing, please give me some feedback regarding how
you all feel about these sorts of writing contests. It would be of great
benefit to me to know whether I am or am not wasting my time.

Thanks.
-- 
Michael Stephens
Editor, Maudlin Street Press
http://members.tripod.com/~maudlinstreet
mikeheidi@lycosemail.com

-- 
Michael & Heidi Stephens
Editors, Maudlin Street Press
http://members.tripod.com/~maudlinstreet
mikeheidi@lycosemail.com