# Gauging the credibility of free, paying markets?



## daringderek (Jul 7, 2018)

I’ve never entered a short story contest before (or published any of my work) however I’ve been considering entering my most recent piece into a free but credible short story contest or even submitting it to publications for compensation. Unfortunately, I don’t know the first thing about judging said outlets’ credibility.


Apparently, [website name removed by admin] is a good resource for what I’m after, but again...I’m concerned about handing out the content of my work to just anyone to pinch up for their own profit and leave me out to dry. 


I don’t know what the legalities are when it comes to protecting your work, but I’d like to know how those of you who’ve entered competitions and/or submitted your works to publications go about the process. And what are the most credible free contests?


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## daringderek (Jul 12, 2018)

Does anyone have any credible resources?


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## wagtail (Feb 16, 2019)

I sometimes submit stories to online journals/magazines. I always check their terms and conditions carefully. I always look at prior issues to see if it's something I would be proud to to be a part of. And I never pay a reading fee, whether the market is a payer or not.

With competitions I tend to enter only those run by local libraries or writing groups I'm a part of, because I know they are legitimate.

I suppose you have to come up with your own comfort level parameters. Don't forget google can be your friend. Use it not just to find, but also to check up on a market/comp you might be considering.


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