Can you submit an essay to different contests?

As far as I know, that essay is your intellectual property and no one else’s, and you can submit it to as many contests as you like.

Sure you can. If you won, you could use it again too, but I wouldn’t because it was already seen and I’d want new critiques on a new essay.

What country is this in? What kind of contest was it? What did the terms of use in the first contest say? What did you receive in exchange for your essay? What kind of essay was it?

@holden, you’re right, but you can give away the rights to your intellectual property, too. There aren’t an awful lot of details to go on here, but the possibility exists.

…But when you submit an entry on paper to a contest that says “All entries become the property of Contest Enterprises and will not be returned,” that does not mean that the contest operators have intellectual rights to your composition. It just means that they own the paper you submitted. This gives them the right to throw it away.

In all likelihood you have not given away any of your rights as author unless (as Dominic says) you signed or agreed to something that surrenders your rights. You should be able to submit the same work to any number of contests. Note, though, that the status of your entry may change if it is a winner. especially if the prize includes publication.

It depends on the rules and terms of the contest. Be sure you understand the terms before you submit your original work.