Participating in Contests

If you're an artist on Instagram, I'm sure you've seen (and maybe participated in) contests and challenges. For artists looking for exposure or to get their foot in the door, contests are a great option. I've participated in a number myself with mixed success.

But when we're thinking about contests put on by businesses (vs. art groups or non-profits) some seem a bit more exploitative than others. For example, "paying" in exposure. One notable example from a few years ago is a company that wanted to pay for a full mural in beer gift cards, while the winning artist had to pay for their own travel and accommodations to actually paint the mural.
​
So how do you pick which contests to participate in and which ones to pass on? I have my own personal rules for this that I thought I'd share in case anyone finds them helpful!

• The prize should be comparable to or more than what I would make working directly with an art director. Because contests are essentially a lottery for the artist, the prize should be worth it.  An example of this would be a book illustration contest where the prize is an opportunity to illustrate a book at the usual rate; the contest gives you the opportunity to be seen by an art director, but the prize is what you would make if independently commissioned.

​

• I keep ownership of the rights to my work. For some contests, or contest-based websites, you have to wait until long after winners are announced to be able to sell your work elsewhere (months, in one case I know of). Meaning that if you create designs for a Christmas-themed contest and don't win, you still can't sell that work elsewhere until well after Christmas is past. I prefer contests where I can keep control over my work, especially if I'm not a winner.

• Everybody wins something. Spoonflower is a great example of this. Even if you don't win a contest (or even make top 50) you get new eyes on your work because voting is open to everyone. Sometimes that translates to follows, likes, or even purchases. Another example would be companies that post all the entries on their Instagram pages. 

• Transparent voting. Sometimes the voting or decision process is so opaque, it's no different than if you just sent your portfolio directly to a company. I think the best contest are the ones where the public gets to vote (or at least where it's very clear who's making the decisions, and how).

• I can use everything elsewhere.  I prefer contests that don't require very specific themes or elements,  extra mockups or file formats that I can't use elsewhere. (For example, contests for logos for specific companies). I think that if companies want to commission custom work, contests aren't the right way to do that; they should reach out directly to designers who fit the style and budget they're looking for. Logos are highly collaborative and the best way to achieve good results is multiple conversations and design iterations. 

How do you choose which contests to participate in?

Have you had any luck with contests?