New rule - I will never again pay to submit to a competition where, after I’ve submitted, they say only those shortlisted will hear ANYTHING, (and then publish that shortlist only in a paywalled publication). If a fee is paid, the least you can do is send an email.
@fionaemckayryan Yeah, that's kind of a d- move.
@fionaemckayryan This is garbage. If you can't respond to hopefuls with individual emails, at least let them see a list that will give them some answers. This is especially important if the submitted pieces are under consideration by other publications.
@fionaemckayryan I'm sorry you've had that experience, Fiona. It's one of the reasons I don't submit — on principle — to competitions that charge to enter.
@fionaemckayryan I have a shorter version of that rule since several decades ago: I will never pay to submit to any competition.