Post
by David Campbell » Tue Nov 01, 2016 2:10 pm
Thought it worth referring back to this as I've just received a Highly Commended certificate in the mail and the postage was $7.60! Now that's plain crazy. Multiply that by the number of other certificates sent out, add in the cost of layout, printing and lamination (it's a very good quality certificate) and it means that the organisers are up for a substantial amount. Emailing certificates makes much more economic sense. Better to increase the prize money and try to attract more entries.
After all, bush poetry is up against it when it comes to prize money. Entries for the Ron Pretty Poetry Prize close on November 22, costing $25 for the first entry and $10 thereafter, with a first prize of $5000, second $1500 and third $750 (maximum 30 lines). Then entries for the Peter Porter Poetry Prize are due on December 1st...cost per entry is $20, with a 75-line limit and a first prize of $5000. Naturally, the vast majority of entries will be non-rhyming verse, and the money available is surely one reason why that form of poetry is so popular. A possible $5000 for a 30-line poem is pretty good bait! Meanwhile, we've got one of our most prestigious competitions, the Blackened Billy, due on November 30th with a $5 entry fee and a $500 first prize. I know money isn't everything, but it seems reasonable to assume that a bush poetry competition with a first prize of $5000 would attract a fair bit of interest! I was told by someone a while ago that plans were afoot for a competition like this, but that idea seems to have fizzled out.
Cheers
David