I love writing competitions. Love daydreaming about winning, or getting honorable mention, or even making it past the first cut. That love is diminished somewhat when the deadline for announcing an award passes and the much hoped for email or phone call doesn't happen. That's when I know my entry wasn't exactly what the judges were looking for.

Yet no matter the results, I, like so many other writers, keep coming back. Why? Competitions reel us in for any and all of the reasons below:

1. They serve writers at all stages of their careers.

Whether it's a "Writing Challenge of the Month" contest offering kudos rather than prize money, a competition sponsored by a "little" magazine with a reputation for publishing Pushcart Prize-winning fiction, or a $40,000 Guggenheim Fellowship, competitions offer opportunities to almost all writers from the absolute beginner to the seasoned pro.

The trick is finding the right contest for you at your level of experience. While it's possible for a total beginner to win the Bakeless Prize-in fact, the competition is not open to anyone who has previously published a book-length manuscript-a writer just starting out may have better luck with competitions focusing on shorter works, and gradually progressing to this much sought after award.

2. Competitions provide an alternate outlet for work that may otherwise not find a home.

Some material, no matter how well written, has limited salability due to its lack of commercial appeal, off-beat subject matter, experimental style, or a downbeat tone or ending. Competitions, especially those that involve an award without publication, give judges more leeway to recognize and praise deserving work regardless of its market potential.

Tangential to this, writers can use competitions to "try out" work in categories that are new or unfamiliar to them. Win a poetry prize, and it's easier for the nonfiction writer to claim on a query letter that they are a poet, as well.

3. Some competitions offer feedback to their entrants.

While the vast majority of competitions offer only one type of feedback, winning or not winning, some include opportunities for entry material to be critiqued. This option is more often a feature of smaller, local contests, such as the Southwest Writers Competitions in New Mexico, or many of the state chapter contests associated with the Romance Writers of America.

If you are looking for a contest with this option, make certain that it is a legitimate competition, run by a recognized organization. Do not fall for a phony contest, the sole goal of which is to suck you into paying for editing, critiquing, or script coverage services you don't need.

Personally, I'd never pay to have my work critiqued-why pay for something you can get free from a number of sources? If you are determined to pay for feedback on your competition entry, however, think twice before you fork over more than a nominal fee.

4. Competitions are a terrific way to connect with others.

It sounds contrary to their nature, with the entries for the average competition being submitted to the judges anonymously, but you never know when your writing will attract the attention of an editor, publisher, or producer. You may not win the competition for one reason or another, but that professional can learn your name once the judging is complete, contacting you afterward if interested. Or a judge might remember your name in the future, when you submit your work to them through normal channels.

I've also met a number of other writers by having entered a competition and commiserating when neither of us won, congratulating a competitor for winning, or even sharing the "spotlight" with a fellow awardee.

5. Writing competitions motivate a writer to do his or her best work.

This isn't to say a writer isn't always striving to put forth his or her best effort, but there's something about a contest that brings out the competitive nature in all of us.

6. Doing well in a competition increases a writer's self-esteem and prestige, and can give validation to his or her work.

I think this one's a given. Win something and you feel good about yourself. Your personal stock rises.

The reverse, however, should never be considered true. Just because you don't win, or even come close to winning a competition, doesn't mean your work is substandard or without merit. For instance, I recently judged the essay category for a writer's group's annual competition. The contest is structured so that the same work can be entered in more than one category. When all the results were in, I noticed that an essay that hadn't even made my first cut, placed well in another category. It goes to show that judging, like publishing, is a subjective process. What doesn't work for one judge or judging committee, may work for another.

7. Winning, receiving an honorable mention, or even making it to the finals of a competition looks great on a CV or in a cover letter.

Apply for a writing grant or admission to an MFA program, and it helps to have an award or two on your resume. Similarly, if you're an unpublished writer looking for credits to include in a query, positive results from competitions can give your proposal more weight.

8. Crass as it sounds, being awarded money or other prizes is nice.

I doubt there's anyone who can make a long-term, full-time living from entering writing contests. Yet who's going to turn away cash when offered? Better still, how about the other prizes competitions may offer, a trip to a writer's conference, face time with editors and agents, or a publishing deal?

9. Winning the right competition can launch or boost your career.

Some of the most exciting competitions, such as the Bakeless, have book contracts attached. Top screenwriting competitions can offer fellowships and internships with major studios worth $30K-$50K. If a romance editor with a New York house decides to judge a competition, chances are she's on the look-out for a talent she can add to her line. Winning a major competition may be enough to secure a good agent, and get your work in front of editors. Even seasoned writers can benefit from an award by parlaying it into greater visibility for their work.