Most of us enter sweepstakes and skip over the contests for whatever reason. You actually have a great chance of winning contests, because so few people send in entries to them. "My recipe won't win a grand prize." Sound familiar? Maybe it won't win the grand prize, but recipe contests typically have nice cash prizes for the first and second prizes. That would pay for postage for a while... :-)

For recipe contests, be creative. The I Can't Believe It's Not Butter contest is looking for a romantic recipe. You don't have to come up with a whole meal idea. Think about a romantic appetizer, such as smoked salmon shaped like hearts on a bagel chip, or a layered roll-up shaped like a heart and cut into little heart-shaped slices. Has this sparked any ideas for you yet?

Many of the contests in this issue require photos. If you plan on entering some contests in the future, always have a camera easily accessible with plenty of film on hand. Sometimes those quick-ending contests don't allow enough time to finish a roll of film before processing, so most people don't bother to enter. You may need to take a few unplanned pictures in order to finish the roll, but it will be worth it! You might want to have a special camera set aside that you use for your contests. Load it with rolls of 12 exposures each so you don't have to use a large 24- or 36-exposure roll in order to get one or two photos for a contest. You could also use a disposable camera, too.

Make sure the subject matter is appropriate. For example, the sponsors of the Charmin Honor Roll contest aren't looking for your child doing something explicit in the bathroom. But there are plenty of cute things your child does that you can take a picture of: washing his/her hands while standing on a stool or reading a book while fully clothed sitting on the toilet seat. For really young children, having them sit on the floor with an unravelled roll of toilet paper all around them (and on top of them) is sure to get some attention. The sponsors love it when you use their product in the photos!

For essay contests, write from your heart. Sponsors aren't trying to find a great literary novel or poetic masterpiece. They are hoping that the prize goes to someone who sincerely wants it. Be yourself. Be sincere. Tell them why winning would be important to you.

Some contests require an official entry form. Many popular magazines have entry forms in them. Also, you can call your local retailers for official entry forms. Be proactive about it, too. I called our local liquor store to see if they had any forms for the Korbel Millennium Toast contest. They didn't. I asked if they could get some before the end of the month, and they said that wouldn't be a problem. Follow up. If you let them know you're always looking for entry forms, they'll start saving them for you -- not only for the contests, but for the sweepstakes, too. You might even want to make a small purchase to let them know you are thankful. For liquor stores, if you don't drink, buy a few lotto tickets. They'll appreciate it!

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