"The fees off-set the administrative, printing, and distribution fees. (The cost of printing a high-quality book is substantial.) Plus, artists that are selected get a level of professional exposure that they otherwise would not have direct access to." maxxxmodelz beat me to it. I agree fully. I always wanted to produce my own 3D animation films, the expense would comeout of my own pocket, not someone elses. To put it in a nutshell: Why should those that enter have to front the cost of the publication & the printing? Isn't that what subscribers are for? Isn't that what reader's are for? I'm not ragging on the contest or the way anyone manages their business but this is onething I never understood about charging for reading fees and or contest fees.