May Poetry Contests

MAY Poetry Contests

Arranged by deadline, then alphabetically; deadlines in red denote "received by" rather than "postmarked by." Not responsible for out-of-date or incorrect information; write, call, e-mail or check websites for current guidelines.

May 1 Deadlines

5/1/10	Anhinga Prize	Prizes: $2,000, publication, and reading tour	Fee: $25 to Anhinga Press
Anhinga Prize for Poetry P.O. Box 10595 Tallahassee, FL 32302		(850) 442-1408 info@anhinga.org	Judge: TBA
			Notify: 11/1 on site
Book manuscript: Open to poets trying to publish a first or second book of poetry. Previous publication of self-published books and chapbooks do not make a poet ineligible. Entries must be original poetry in English; however, a few translations in a manuscript are acceptable. Poems previously published in journals and anthologies should be accompanied by an acknowledgments page. Authors may submit multiple manuscripts if each one is accompanied by a separate reading fee. Previously submitted manuscripts and manuscripts under consideration by other publishers are also eligible. Should your manuscript be accepted by another press, please notify us as soon as possible. Once we have received a manuscript, we cannot accept alterations or additions to it. Please check your manuscript carefully before you mail it. Each submission must be accompanied by a $25 reading fee, checks payable to Anhinga Press. Do not put your name on your manuscript. Instead, make two title pages—one with the manuscript title, your name, address and phone number, and a second title page with only the manuscript's title. Manuscripts must be 48-80 pages, excluding front matter. They may be single- or double-spaced, and all pages must be numbered. Please do not staple or bind your manuscript. Include a #10 SASE for notification of contest results. Manuscripts received prior to February 15 or postmarked after May 1 will be recycled and the entry fee returned. Manuscripts will not be returned.
http://www.anhinga.org/books/contest.cfm

5/1/10	Crucible Writers' Competition	Prizes: $150, $100, and publication	Fee: none
Terrence L. Grimes Editor, Crucible Barton College Wilson, NC 27893		tgrimes@barton.edu	Judge:
			Notify: July
Poems: Open to all writers. All entries must be completely original, must never have been published, must be in manuscript form, and must not be involved in other competitions. Three copies of all manuscript entries must be submitted; the author’s name should not appear on the manuscript copies. Writers should send with their entries a short biographical sketch. Permission to publish the material is implied by submission. Entries submitted without the above information will not be considered. Crucible will receive first publication rights to winning entries, after which rights will revert to the author. Winning entries will be published in the fall issue of Crucible. Fiction must be limited to 8,000 words or less. Poetry must be limited to five poems. No prizes will be given in other categories. All unaccepted manuscripts accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelopes will be returned as soon as possible after judging. The first prizes for poetry and fiction are $150, and the second prizes are $100. The Sam Ragan Poetry Prize is open to all poets. The rules stated above apply also to competition for this prize. One prize of $150 is awarded. All work submitted for publication is automatically considered for the prizes, and the same guidelines apply.
http://www.barton.edu/academics/english/crucible.htm

5/1/10	Fugue's Prose & Poetry Contest	Prizes: $1,000 and publication	Fee: $20 to Fugue
online only			Judge: Ilya Kaminsky
			Notify: August 4
Poems: Poetry submissions should not exceed 3 poems or 5 pages. See website to enter.
http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/fugue/contest.html

5/1/10	Sow's Ear Press Chapbook Competition	Prizes: $1,000, 25 copies, and publication	Fee: $27 to Sow's Ear Poetry Review
Robert G. Lesman, Managing Editor P.O. Box 127 Millwood, VA 22646			Judge:
			Notify:
Chapbook manuscript: Open to adults. Send 22-26 pages of poetry plus a title page and a table of contents, all without your name. On a separate sheet list chapbook title, your name, address, phone number, e-mail address if available, and publication credits for submitted poems, if any. No length limit on poems, but no more than one poem on a page. Send in March or April, by May 1. Simultaneous submission is allowed, but if your chapbook is accepted elsewhere, you must withdraw promptly from our competition. Poems previously published are acceptable if you hold publication rights. Send SASE or e-mail address for notification. Entries will not be returned. Entry fee includes subscription.
http://sows-ear.kitenet.net/competition.html#chapbook

5/1/10	Spoon River Poetry Review Editors' Prize	Prizes: $1,000, (2x)$100, and publication	Fee: $16 to Spoon River Poetry Review
The Spoon River Poetry Review Editors' Prize 4241 Dept. of English Pub. Unit Illinois State University Normal, IL 61790-4241		Lucia Getsi, Editor	Judge: TBA
			Notify:
3 poems: One winning poem will be awarded $1000 and two runners-up will be awarded $100 each. Winning poem and selected finalists will be published in the fall issue. Submit two copies of three unpublished poems, maximum of ten pages total. Name, address, and phone number of poet should appear on each page of one copy only. Entries must be unpublished and will not be returned. Entry Fee: Each $16 entry fee entitles entrant to a one-year subscription, or a gift subscription. Please indicate your choice and include current address for each subscription. Include SASE for results. Entries cannot be received by fax or e-mail.
www.litline.org/spoon/contest.html

5/1/10	Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize	Prizes: $2,000 and publication	Fee: $20 to the Wick Poetry Center
Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize 301 Satterfield Hall Kent State University P. O. Box 5190 Kent, OH 44242-0001		(330) 672-2067	Judge: Maggie Anderson
			Notify: summer
Book manuscript: The competition is open to poets writing in English who have not yet published a full-length collection of poems (a volume of 50 or more pages published in an edition of 500 or more copies). $20 reading fee. Checks should be made payable to the Wick Poetry Program. Submit 50 to 70 pages of poetry, typed on one side only, with no more than one poem included on a page. Only clean, legible copies are acceptable. The poet's name is not to appear on the manuscript. Two title pages should be included. The first must include the poet's name, address, telephone number, and the title of the manuscript; the second should list the title of the manuscript only. The manuscript as a whole should not have been published previously, but it may contain poems that have been published individually; these should be listed, with publisher, on a separate acknowledgments page. If the manuscript is accepted, the poet must obtain permissions from previous publishers. The manuscript may be submitted simultaneously to other publishers, but the poet must notify the Wick Poetry Program immediately if the manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere. All manuscripts will be recycled after judging. For notice that the manuscript has been received, enclose a SASP. For notice of winning selection, enclose an SASE. Manuscripts must be postmarked between February 1 and May 1. No late entries will be read.
http://dept.kent.edu/wick/Competitions/FirstBook.html

5/1/10	Zone 3 Press First Book Award for Poetry	Prizes: $1,000 and publication	Fee: $20 to Zone 3
Blas Falconer, Acquisitions Editor Zone 3 Press First Book Award for Poetry Austin Peay State University P.O. Box 4565 Clarksville, Tennessee 37044		Blas Falconer at falconerb@apsu.edu or Susan Wallace at wallacess@apsu	Judge: TBA
			Notify:
Book manuscript: Biennial. Poetry manuscripts of 48-80 pages. Two title pages: one with name, address, phone number and one with title only. Acknowledgments page may be included. $20 reading fee made payable to Zone 3 Press. Reading fee includes a one-year subscription to Zone 3 Magazine. Anyone who has not published a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more) is eligible; those with chapbooks may participate. In order to ensure the integrity of this award, current and former students and faculty of APSU are not eligible to enter. In addition, Zone 3 Press will not accept manuscripts from contestants who have previously studied with, or have a personal relationship with the announced judge. Zone 3 Press is committed to providing an ethically responsible competition; as such, the editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that display any form of ethical impropriety. Winner will be notified by e-mail or telephone. Please include SASP for confirmation of receipt. Please use a standard postcard—small index cards will not be accepted by the post office. For contest results, please include a SASE. All manuscripts other than the winning one will be recycled.
http://www.apsu.edu/zone3/

May 7 Deadlines

5/7/10	Atlanta Review International Poetry Competition	Prizes: $2,009, 20 Publication Prizes, and 30 Merit Awards	Fee: $10+ to Atlanta Review
online entry		contest@atlantareview.com	Judge: Dan Veach, Editor
			Notify: August
Poems: Entry fee: $10 for the first two poems; may enter up to ten poems. Poems must not have been published in a nationally-distributed print publication. See site for directions.
www.atlantareview.com/

May 14 Deadlines

5/14/10	Writer's Digest Writing Competitions	Prizes: $3,000 and trip, more ($30,000 total)	Fee: $15 to Writer's Digest
online entry		Terri Boes (513) 531-2690 ext. 1328 competitions@fwpubs.com	Judge:
			Notify: October 20
Poems, etc. see website.
http://www.writersdigest.com/annual

May 15 Deadlines

5/15/10	Blue Lynx Prize	Prizes: $2,000 and publication	Fee: $25 to Lynx House Press
Lynx House Press The Blue Lynx Prize in Poetry P.O.Box 940 Spokane, Washington 99210		Christopher Howell, Editor 509-624-4894 christopher.howell@mail.ewu.edu	Judge: TBA
			Notify: July
Book manuscript: Send book-length manuscript (at least48 pages) of poems, SASE for notification, and $25 reading fee. All U.S. authors, regardless of publication history, are eligible. Manuscripts must contain page numbers and table contents. There is no maximum page-count and poems may have been previously published in journals, anthologies, or limited edition volumes. Judging is anonymous.No manuscripts or fees will be returned. Please do not send cash. Poems included may not have appeared in full-length, single-author collections.
http://ewupress.ewu.edu/poetryprize.htm

5/15/10	Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize	Prizes: $25,000	Fee: $25 to The Academy of American Poets
The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize The Academy of American Poets 584 Broadway, Suite 604 New York, NY 10012		Awards Coordinator awards@poets.org TEL (212) 274-0343	Judges: Marianne Boruch, David Kirby, John Yau
			Notify: fall
Published book: Books must be submitted in the year after their publication, which means that books published in 2008 may be submitted for consideration. Open to any book of original poetry, in English, published in the United States during the previous year in a standard edition by a living American citizen. A standard edition is 40 pages or more in length and 500 or more copies. Self-published books are not eligible. Publishers may submit as many titles as they wish. The publisher should send four copies of each book to the Academy, postmarked between March 15 and May 15. A $25 entry fee and entry form are required for each title submitted. Finalists will be notified and announced to the press in fall. The winner will be announced in November. The Academy of American Poets will award the winning poet $25,000. Books will not be returned.
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/108

5/15/10	*New Ohio* Review Prize	Prizes: $1,500, $500, and publication	Fee: $20 to New Ohio Review
New Ohio Review Prize English Dept. 360 Ellis Hall Ohio University Athens, OH 45701			Judge: Stephen Dunn
			Notify:
4 poems: First and second place prizes of $1,500 and $500 in each genre. $20 per entry (includes one-year subscription). All entries will be judged blind, therefore please submit a cover page with your name and contact information. Your name should not appear on the manuscript. Prose entries must be no longer than 25 pages double-spaced. Poetry entries are limited to four individual poems. Contest results will be announced online. If you wish to receive the results through the mail, please enclose an SASE.
http://www.ohio.edu/nor/submis.htm

5/15/10	Slapering Hol Press Chapbook Competition	Prizes: $1,000, publication, ten books, and a reading	Fee: $15 to The Hudson Valley Writers' Center
Slapering Hol Press Chapbook Competition The Hudson Valley Writers' Center 300 Riverside Drive Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591			Judge:
			Notify: September
Chapbook manuscript: This competition is open to poets who have not published a book or chapbook, though individual poems may have already appeared in magazines or anthologies. Entrants should submit a collection of poems, or one long poem, limited to 16-20 pages. Manuscripts should include a title page (title only), and a separate cover sheet with the title of the work, the author's name, address, phone number, a bio, and acknowledgements. Manuscripts will not be returned. Enclose SASE for results only. Enclose an 8x10 envelope with $1.90 in postage for a previous winning chapbook.
http://www.writerscenter.org/

May 17 Deadlines

5/17/10	Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards	Prizes: $3,000, (9x) $1,000, etc.	Fee: $125 (no, it's not a typo)
enter online			Judges:
			Notify: October 12
Self-published book: ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be awarded $3,000 cash and promotion in Writer's Digest and Publisher's Weekly, and marketing advice, distribution, etc. 9 FIRST-PLACE WINNERS will receive $1,000 cash and promotion, etc. HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS will receive promotion in Writer's Digest and $50 worth of Writer's Digest Books. All other entrants will receive certificates of participation. And, all entrants will receive a judge's critique and a listing with a link on the Writer's Digest Web site, provided an accurate URL is written on the Entry Form. THE CATEGORIES: include Poetry. THE RULES: The competition is open to all English-language self-published books for which the authors have paid the full cost of publication. Entrants must send a printed and bound book. Entries will be judged primarily by content and writing quality. No photocopied or handwritten books are accepted. Production quality will determine the winner in the event of a tie. All books published or revised and reprinted in the previous 3 years are eligible. (Writer's Digest may demand proof of eligibility of semifinalists.) All books must be accompanied by an Official Entry Form (see site). You may enter more than one book and/or more than one category; however, you must include a separate book, entry form and the additional fee for each entry. Check, money order or credit card payment for the required judging fee. Entries will be judged by experts in the subject or genre. Judges reserve the right to withhold prizes in any category. Judges reserve the right to recategorize entries. Books which have previously won awards from Writers Digest are not eligible. Employees of F+W Publications, Inc. and Book Marketing Works, LLC and their immediate families are not eligible. Writer's Digest is not responsible for the loss, damage or return of any books submitted to the competition. ENTRY FEES: First entry: $125; Additional entries: $75 each.
http://www.writersdigest.com/selfpublished

May 18 Deadlines

5/18/10	New Letters Poetry Prize	Prizes: $1,500 and publication	Fee: $15 to New Letters
New Letters Literary Awards UMKC, University House 5101 Rockhill Rd. Kansas City, MO 64110-2499			Judge:
			Notify: mid-August
6 poems: Submit by regular post or electronically. Simultaneous submissions of unpublished entries are accepted with proper notification upon acceptance elsewhere. Enclose with each entry: $15 for first entry; $10 for every entry after. Entry fee includes a one-year subscription, renewal, or gift subscription to New Letters. Make checks payable to New Letters. Two cover sheets: the first with complete name, address, e-mail address, phone number, category, and title(s); and the second with category and title only. Your personal information should not appear anywhere else on the entry. Include SASP for notification of receipt and entry number. A SASE for a list of winners is optional. Please send only one envelope if submitting more than one entry. All entries will be considered for publication. Entries are not to exceed 8,000 words. Poetry entries may contain up to six poems. They need not be related. Multiple entries are accepted with appropriate fees. Manuscripts will not be returned. No substitutions after submissions. No refunds will be offered for withdrawn material.
http://www.newletters.org/awards.asp

May 31 Deadlines

5/31/10	Black River Chapbook Competition	Prizes: $500 and 25 copies	Fee: $15 to Dzanc Books,
online only		editors@blacklawrencepress.com	Judge: Black Lawrence Press editors
			Notify: July 31
Chapbook manuscript: for an unpublished chapbook of poems or short stories. In order to reduce the costs of printing and postage and in the spirit of being a bit greener, Black Lawrence Press now accepts electronic submissions rather than hard copies for our contests. Please include the following in your electronic submission: -A cover letter with brief bio and contact information including your e-mail address(es) -A .rtf, .doc, or .pdf attachment including a title page, an acknowledgments page, a table of contents, and your manuscript with numbered pages. E-mail your submission to editors@blacklawrencepress.com. Please submit your $15 entry fee via PayPal.
http://www.blacklawrence.com/chapbook.html

5/31/10	The Conneticut Poetry Award	Prizes: $400, $200, $100, and publication	Fee: $15 to Connecticut Poetry Society
The Connecticut Poetry Award CPS PO Box 270554 West Hartford, CT 06127			Judge: Dana Sonnenschein
			Notify:
Poems: Send up to 3 unpublished poems, any form, 80 line limit. Include two copies of each poem: one with complete contact information and one with NO contact information. Both copies must be marked: Wallace Winchell. Include SASE for results only (no poems will be returned). Winning poems must be submitted by disc or email following notification. Fee $15 for up to 3 poems. Please make out check to Connecticut Poetry Society. Prize poems will be published in Connecticut River Review.
http://ct-poetry-society.org/contests.htm

5/31/10	The Field Poetry Prize	Prizes: $1,000 and publication	Fee: $25 to Oberlin College Press
FIELD Poetry Prize Oberlin College Press 50 N. Professor Street Oberlin, OH 44074			Judge: David Young and David Walker, editors of FIELD
			Notify: August
Book Manuscript: The winning manuscript, a book-length collection of poems, is published by Oberlin College Press in the FIELD Poetry Series. The winning author also receives an award of $1000. The contest is open to all poets—those who have published in book form as well as those who have not. Previously unpublished manuscripts of poetry in English between 50 and 80 pages in length will be considered. Entries must be postmarked during May only. The reading fee is $25, which includes a year's subscription to FIELD. Checks should be payable to Oberlin College Press. Manuscripts will not be returned. Include an SASP if you wish to be notified that your manuscript arrived at our office. Include an SASE if you wish to receive notice of the results.
http://www.oberlin.edu/ocpress/prize.htm

5/31/10	Main Street Rag Chapbook Contest	Prizes: $500 and 50 copies of chapbook	Fee: $17 to Main Street Rag
Main Street Rag PO Box 690100 Charlotte, NC 28227		editor@mainstreetrag.com	Judge:
			Notify: Summer
Chapbook manuscript: Winner receives $500 and 50 copies of chapbook. All entries receive a copy of the winning manuscript and are considered for publication. Runners-up will also be offered publication and every manuscript entered will be considered for publication. Send between 24 and 32 pages of poetry, any style/form Elaborate instructions on site. Online submission is $19 BUT only until May 17.
www.mainstreetrag.com/ChapCont.html

5/31/10	New England Poetry Club Contests	Prizes: $1,000 and less	Fee: $10 to New England Poetry Club
NEPC Contest Coordinator, P.O. Box 190076, Boston, MA 02119		contests@nepoetryclub.org	Judge:
			Notify:
Poems: Non-members may enter by paying $10 for up to 3 entries and $3 per additional entry. Only one poem per contest. Lots of contests; see site. Judges are well-known poets and sometimes are winners of previous NEPC contests. Mark the name or names of the contest(s) entered on the envelope before mailing; check addres for specific contests.
www.nepoetryclub.org/contests.htm

5/31/10	River Styx Poetry Contest	Prizes: $1,500 and publication	Fee: $20 to River Styx
River Styx Poetry Contest 3527 Olive Street, Suite 107 St. Louis, MO 63103			Judge: Maxine Kumin
			Notify: Fall
3 poems: Send up to three poems, not more than 14 pages. All entrants will be notified by SASE. $20 reading fee incudes a one-year subscription (3 issues) Include name and address on cover letter only. Winner published in Fall issue. All poems considered for publication.
http://www.riverstyx.org/contests/index.htm

5/31/10	Wag's Revue Contest	Prizes: $1,000, $500, $100, and publication	Fee: $20
enter online			Judge:
			Notify: June 21
Poems: All submissions are considered for publication. There is no limit to the number of entries an author may submit, but each entry must be accompanied with its own submission fee of $20. Submissions of poetry may include multiple poems but should not exceed 10 pages. Fiction and essay submissions should not exceed 10,000 words. All submissions should be previously unpublished. Wag’s Revue asks for first serial rights to all published work; all other rights revert to the author upon publication. Please make sure to remove your name and any contact info from the document you upload so that we may judge every entry anonymously.
http://www.wagsrevue.com/submit.php

5/31/10	War Poetry Contest	Prizes: $2,000, $1,200, $600, (12) $100, and publication	Fee: $15 to Winning Writers
Winning Writers 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222 Northampton, MA 01060-3961		Jendi Reiter and Adam Cohen, Editors adam@winningwriters.com	Judge: Jendi Reiter
			Notify: November 15
3 poems: On the theme of war, up to 500 lines in total. We recommend online submission with payment by credit card. To enter by mail, please attach a cover sheet to your entry. It should include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address (if you have one) and the titles of your poems. Please omit your name from the poems themselves. Entries should be typed or printed by computer. We prefer white, letter-size paper and plain fonts like Times New Roman or Courier. The 12-point font size is ideal. If you want your entry returned to you after the contest, please note that on your cover sheet and include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) with your submission. Please clip everything together (no staples).
http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/war/wa_guidelines.php

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