Creative Works Competition - FAQs

What is an Order Reference number?
Your Order Reference number will be automatically emailed to you from the 'Aesthetica Magazine Shop' once you have completed your online payment. This reference will start with "RC" and please ensure you include this when sending your submissions. To see an example of the confirmation email click here.

I haven't received my Order Reference number, what should I do?
Your Order Reference number will be automatically sent to you in your confirmation email after your payment has been authorised by your bank / Paypal account. This process is usually authorised instantly, however on some occasions, there can be delays. Please initially try searching your email account for an email from orders@aestheticamagazine.com. If your confirmation email hasn't arrived within 48 hours, please email Bryony at:
bryony@aestheticamagazine.com who will investigate further.

Is the £10 entry fee for each entry or for two entries?
The £10 entry fee allows you to submit up to two poems, two short stories, or two images. If you would like to enter 4 images, for example, you would have to pay two £10 fees.

Can I pay with Paypal, a debit card or a credit card?
Yes. We Accept Paypal, debit cards and credit cards transactions. To select your payment type, click the 'Add to Basket' button and follow the on-screen instructions. (Please note: the only credit cards we cannot accept are American Express and the Bank of Japan).

Can I pay with a cheque?
The entry fee can be paid by cheque, however it is important to remember to add 'Value Added Tax' of 17.5% onto the entry fee. Please make cheques payable to 'Aesthetica Magazine Ltd' and post to:

Creative Works Competition
Aesthetica Magazine
PO Box 371
York
YO23 1WL
UK
Please write "Creative Works Competition" on the back of your cheque and enclose your name and your contact telephone number or email address. We will then confirm receipt of your cheque and give you an Order Reference number for you to then send your submissions through.

Can I pay with a bank transfer?
Yes, please contact our finance department who can arrange an international bank transfer, at finance@aestheticamagazine.com.

How do I send my submissions to you?
Please email your submissions as attachments
to submissions@aestheticamagazine.com

My artwork is too big to email, what should I do?
You can email up to 10MB to us. If your two images are more than 10MB, you can send your images in separate emails. If you are sending individual images greater than 10MB, then please save your entries onto a CD and send it to us by post.

How big is a 300dpi image?
300dpi stands for '300 dots per inch' and is the standard high-resolution size when printing images. This makes sure that no details are lost when printing your work. Please also bear in mind that the paper size of the Creative Works Annual is approximately 20cm wide x 28cm high (8 x 11 inches), so please send your images to fit in this space. Please do not worry if you are having difficulty with image sizes. If this is the case, please send your largest image and one of Aesthetica's designers will resize your image for you and will be in contact if they require additional specifications.

Can I send submissions in the post?
If you would prefer to send your submissions in the post (e.g. if your artwork is too large a file to email, or if you do not have access to email) then please save your entries onto a CD or DVD and send to:

Creative Works Competition
Aesthetica Magazine
PO Box 371
York
YO23 1WL
UK

If you are entering the 'Artwork & Photography' category, please include a printout of your work.

Can I enter sculpture?
You are very welcome to enter pieces of sculpture, but please bear in mind that the final result of the competition is the Creative Works Annual, so try to ensure that the photographs of your sculptures convey your work as well as possible.

Can I enter several images of the same piece? Would these count as one entry each?
You are welcome to enter several images of the same piece (i.e. of a piece of sculpture from different angles), but each image still counts towards the two image maximum for a single entry. In the event that your entry is successful, the judges will choose the most appropriate image for the Creative Works Annual.

Can I enter more than two images?
The £10 entry fee is for every two images. You are welcome to enter more than two images and pay the entry fees accordingly.

Can I enter more than one category?
You can enter as many categories as you would like, but as each category is judged separately, an entry fee must be paid for each category.

Do I need to write my name on my poetry or fiction submission?
Due to the number of submissions, we would recommend that you write your name on your entry. This will help us to quickly find your work.

I have a short story that is longer than 2000 words, can I still enter it into the competition?
The word limit for short stories is strictly 2000 words and cannot accept short stories over the word count.

I have images to accompany my writing, can I enter them together?
Each category is completely separate, but you are welcome to enter more than one category. We cannot, however, treat images and writing as the same entry to be considered together because of layout restrictions in the Creative Works Annual.

Are there any age restrictions to the competition?
There are no age restrictions to the competition so everyone is welcome to enter. Work can therefore be entered on behalf of someone who is under 18 and it is your judgment call as to whether you think the work is suitable.

Is the competition open to international entrants?
The competition is not restricted to the UK as we welcome submissions from all over the world and look forward to seeing a huge variety of entries.

Can I submit work that has been previously published elsewhere?
Entries can be sent that have been previously published elsewhere, but please include information on previous publications with your submissions. This will not affect the judging process. In the event that you are successful, it is good-practice for competitions and magazines to credit previously published works.

What are the copyright regulations for the competition?
You retain the copyright for all your work.

If my entries are unsuccessful, will you pass them on to any other competitions?
We cannot pass on any unsuccessful entries to other competitions, but as you maintain the copyright to your work, you can still enter submissions to other interested competitions.

After the judging process is complete, can I get any feedback?
Due to the number of entries received, the judges unfortunately cannot offer any feedback on unsuccessful entries.