Prize crosswords: what are your chances of winning?

[BilSuth]

It will depend on the circulation and degree of difficulty. I'd like to know how many entries they get on average for: 1 Radio Times, 2 Mail on Sunday (�1500), and 3 Scottish Daily Record (�500, Tuesdays and Sats). The Listener was reckoned to be the hardest, and in the 1950s its circulation was about 150,000. The average number of entries was variously reported as 200 and 440. In 1991 The Listener closed and the crossword transferred to The Times (Books section, Sats). The average weekly entry is 600, which is about 1/1000 of the circulation. By that reckoning and based on circulations, the average number of entries for the 3 examples I quoted would be Radio Times 1000, Mail on Sunday 2300, and Daily Record 620. But does anyone KNOW any of these figures?

[Tichfield]

I would think the best people to ask would be the crossword editors of the papers concerned.

But they may not know.

They may just draw the winners and throw away the rest uncounted and unopened.

On the other hand, they may harvest the names and addresses and sell that information to junk mail providers.

[bushcombe]

don't know the figures, but i was lucky enough to win the times saturday crosword few weeks ago i've been doing it for about two years.

[carpedeum]

I have been doing the Sunday Times Crossword since my early twenties since I enjoy the challenge (but sadly never won). The prize is a Cross Pen which I have probably paid for many times over in postage stamps. Indeed, I started giving blood as a student at 18, and have just passed the 50 pints mark which entitled me to very same Cross pen with a nice enscription. Nuff said? Indeed on passing that landmark I sent in a question to ST along the vary same lines you did (no reply).

However, I have read that doing crosswords can ward off Alzheimers (as can playing chess apparently). In addition, I now get paid for compiling cryptic crosswords. Not great money but 100 pound a pop for 3-4 hours work. Sadly so far only one a month so cannot give up the day job but a great way to fill dead time! As is doing the blasted ST crossword!