June 1 Deadlines
6/1/14 Boulevard Emerging Poets Contest Prizes: $1,000 and publication Fee: $15 to Boulevard
Boulevard Emerging Poets Contest
PMB 325
6614 Clayton Road
Richmond Heights, MO 63117
(314) 862-2643 Judge: Editors
Notify:
3 poems: $1,000 and publication in Boulevard awarded for the winning group of three poems by a poet who has not yet published a book of poetry with a nationally distributed press. The poems may be a sequence or unrelated. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but previously accepted or published work is ineligible. No one editorially or financially affiliated with Boulevard can enter the contest. Send typed manuscript(s) and SASP for acknowledgment of receipt. No manuscripts will be returned. Entry fee is $15 per group of three poems, and $15 for each additional group of three poems. Entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Boulevard (one per author). Author's name, address, and telephone number, in addition to the titles of the three poems, should appear on page one of your first poem. All entries will be considered for publication and for payment at our regular rates. Enter online or by mail.
http://www.boulevardmagazine.org/poetry-contest.html

6/1/14 Fineline Competition Prizes: $1,000, pen, and publication Fee: $10 to Mid-American Review
Mid-American Review
attn: Fineline Competition
Department of English, Box W
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403
  Judge: Lindsay Hunter
Notify: mid-September
3 Prose poems/short-shorts: Contest is for previously unpublished work only. There is a 500-word limit for each poem or short. A $10 entry fee (check or money order, made out to Mid-American Review) is required for each set of three prose poems/short short stories. Entry fees are non-refundable. All participants will receive issue where the winners will be published. Submissions will not be returned; send SASE for early results. Manuscripts need not be left anonymous. Contest is open to all writers, except those associated with the judge or Mid-American Review, past or present. Our judge's decision is final. Note: All pieces submitted in verse form—i.e., poetry with line breaks—will be automatically disqualified, as will previously published work or pieces over 500 words.
http://www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/midamericanreview/fineline.html

6/1/14 Midwest Chapbook Contest Prizes: $250, publication, and reading

Fee: $10 to GreenTower Press

Midwest Chapbook Contest
GreenTower Press
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468
TLR@nwmissouri.edu Judge: TBA
Notify: August
Chapbook manuscript: All submissions must be received between March 1 and June 1 . Chapbook-length collection of poems : 25–35 pages . Please include a cover letter with name, address, email address, manuscript title, and a short note establishing your connection to the Midwest. Manuscripts will be read blind. Please do not include your name on the manuscript. In addition to the publication of the chapbook, the contest winner will be invited to give a reading at Northwest Missouri State University as part of the University’s Visiting Writers Series. Travel expenses, lodging and an honorarium of $250 will be provided. Reading fee also entitles you a one-year subscription to The Laurel Review. Submit online.
https://thelaurelreview.submittable.com/submit/10904

June 2 Deadlines
6/2/13 Boston Review Poetry Contest Prizes: $1,500 and publication Fee: $20 to Boston Review
Poetry Contest
Boston Review
PO Box 425786
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 258-0805
review@mit.edu
Please note: e-mailed submissions will not be accepted.
Judge: Major Jackson
Notify: November 1
5 poems: The winning poet will receive $1,500 and have his or her work published in the Boston Review. Submit up to five unpublished poems, no more than 10 pages total. Any poet writing in English is eligible, unless he or she is a current student, former student, or close personal friend of the judge. Mailed manuscripts must be submitted in duplicate, with a cover note listing the author's name, address, and phone number; names should not be on the poems themselves. Simultaneous submissions are allowed if we are notified of acceptance elsewhere. Submissions will not be returned. A $20 entry fee ($30 for international submissions), payable to Boston Review, must accompany all submissions. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription. The winner will be announced on the Boston Review site. All poems submitted to the contest will be considered for publication. Submit by mail or submit online using our contest entry manager and payment using a credit card or Paypal.
http://bostonreview.net/about/contest/index.php

June 3 Deadlines
6/3/14 The MacGuffin National Poet Hunt Contest Prizes: $500 and publication Fee: $15 to Schoolcraft College
The MacGuffin/Poet Hunt Contest
Schoolcraft College
18600 Haggerty Road
Livonia, MI 48152
  Judge: Carl Dennis
Notify: September
3 poems: Each entrant will receive one FREE issue of The MacGuffin. Staff members and their families are not eligible. An entry consists of three poems. Poems must be typed on sheets of 8½ × 11 paper. Clean photocopies are acceptable. DO NOT place name and address on submissions. Each entrant must include a 3 × 5 index card with poem titles and the contestant’s name, address, and daytime telephone number. Please send $15 check or money order payable to Schoolcraft College. Please do not send cash. Poems must not be previously published and must be the original work of the contestant. Poems may be under consideration elsewhere. The MacGuffin reserves the right to disqualify a work that is accepted elsewhere. No entries will be returned. Entrants wishing to receive a list of winners should send SASE.
http://www.schoolcraft.edu/a-z-index/the-macguffin/contest-rules#.U1iCdcdKVpo

June 10 Deadlines
6/10/13 The Rannu Fund for Writers of Speculative Literature Prizes: C$500 (x2), $50 (x2) Fee: $10/$15
online only rannufund@gmail.com Judges: Ursula K. Le Guin and others
Notify: September 1
Poems and Fiction: The Fund offers two awards per year of $500 CDN each, one for fiction, one for poetry, granted to two writers of speculative literature (i.e., science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, surrealism, etc.), of any nationality/place of residence, at any stage of their career. Two Honourable Mentions in each category will win $50. Submit entries to: rannufund(at) gmail (dot) com, .doc or .rtf only, no personal info in attachment. **Please make sure that your poetry or fiction submission falls into the category of speculative literature.** All entries must be in English. If writing in a language other than English, please provide a translation. Submission period: March 1–May 31. $10.00 CDN or U.S. fee per entry. $15.00 CDN or U.S. to enter both fiction and poetry categories. Payment: Via PayPal to rannufund (at) gmail (dot) com.

Poetry Award: $500 prize
• submit up to 5 poems (unpublished work), not to exceed 10 pages
• single-spaced
• plain text format
• _underlines_ to mark bold or italics
• include name, address, telephone number and e-mail address
• include a one-paragraph bio

Fiction Award: $500 prize
• submit one short story or a novel excerpt (unpublished work) of no more than 7,000 words
• double-spaced
• if submitting a novel excerpt, include a brief synopsis
• plain text format
• _underlines_ to mark bold or italics
• include name, address, telephone number and e-mail address
• include a one-paragraph bio
http://rannu.webs.com/entryrules.htm

June 15 Deadlines
6/15/14 Akron Poetry Prize Prizes: $1,500 and publication Fee: $25 to The University of Akron Press
The Akron Poetry Prize
The University of Akron Press
120 E. Mill Street, Suite 415
Akron, OH 44308
  Judge: Maxine Chernoff
Notify: September 30
Book manuscript: Manuscripts must be typed and consecutively numbered, for a total length of at least 48 pages. Clear photocopies are acceptable. Please, do not send manuscripts bound or enclosed in covers. Must include a cover page (with author's name, address, phone number, and manuscript title), a title page (with no biographical information), and an acknowledgements page listing poems previously published in periodicals (if applicable). Please do not submit manuscripts that have the author's name on each page. Manuscripts go to the final judge blind. Postmarked between May 1 and June 15 of each year. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but The University of Akron Press must be notified immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere. An entry fee of $25 is required for each manuscript submission. Make check or money order payable to The University of Akron Press. The canceled check will serve as notification of receipt. Contest results will be posted on our website by September 30. No manuscripts can be returned. Books accepted for the Akron Series in Poetry must exhibit three essential qualities: mastery of language, maturity of feeling, and complexity of thought. The University of Akron Press is committed to publishing poetry that, as Robert Frost said, “begins in delight and ends in wisdom.” Intimate friends, relatives, current and former students of the final judge (students in an academic, degree-conferring program or its equivalent) are not eligible to enter the Akron Poetry Prize competition.
http://www.uakron.edu/uapress/akron-poetry-prize/

6/15/14 Guy Owen Prize Prizes: $1,000 plus publication    Fee: $20 to Southern Poetry Review
Southern Poetry Review
Guy Owen Prize
Dept. of Languages, Literature & Philosophy
Armstrong Atlantic State University
11935 Abercorn St.
Savannah, GA 31419-1997
912-927-5289 Judge:
Notify:
3–5 poems: Publication in Southern Poetry Review and $1,000 will be awarded to the poem selected by a nationally-ranking poet. Send a SASE along with 3-5 previously unpublished poems (10 pp. max). Include an SASE for reply only, and a check for $20 payable to Southern Poetry Review. We consider poems published online or posted there to be "previously published" work. Please indicate simultaneous submissions. All entries will be considered for publication. We cannot accept electronic submissions. Manuscripts will not be returned. The entry fee includes a one-year subscription to the journal. 
http://www.southernpoetryreview.org/

6/15/12 William Stafford Award for Poetry Prizes: $1,000 and publication Fee: $10 to Rosebud/Stafford Prize
R. Virgil Ellis
c/o Stafford Poetry Award
P.O. Box 614
Cambridge, WI 53523

 

Judge: R. Virgil Ellis
Notify:
Poems: Biennial contest. The winning poem will be awarded $1,000, publication of the poem in Rosebud, and three copies of the contest issue. Poems judged to be "runners-up" will be awarded publication and three copies of the issue. To enter, send 3-5 original unpublished poems, any style or theme, (one copy of each poem, each no longer than one page, may not be handwritten) and the required entry fee of $10 (check payable to Rosebud/Stafford Prize; cash also accepted). The poet's name and address should be on the upper right-hand corner of each page. Each entry should have a cover letter with a brief bio included. Enclose SASE.
http://rsbd.net/

6/15/14 Vermont Studio Center Fellowship Competition Prize: residencies/fellowships Fee: $25 to Vermont Studio Center
Vermont Studio Center
80 Pearl Street
Box 613
Johnson, VT, 05656
802-635-2727 Judge:
Notify: within 8 weeks
10 pages: Applications must be received, not postmarked, by the application deadline. Full Fellowships, awarded on the basis of merit, enable artists and writers to come to VSC for four weeks at no fee. VSC offers over 50 Full Fellowships a year, which are open to all artists and writers. To apply for a VSC Fellowship, based on merit, for 4 weeks at no fee, submit your application for the jury reviews VSC holds 3 times a year. The 3 Full Fellowship application deadlines are February 15, June 15, and October 1. The Admissions office suggests that applications be submitted six months prior to the desired Residency start date. To Apply: Fill out the application form and include the following: Portfolio or manuscript, Resume, $25 application fee*, Copy of tax form (for need-based award and aid), References: names, addresses and telephone numbers of three people who know your work. Writers: 2 copies of a manuscript without your name on any of the pages; clip a cover sheet with your name, address and the title of the piece (if applicable) to the manuscript. Manuscript length: Poets: up to 10 pages, all others: 10-15 pages. *For some Restricted Fellowship Awards, the application fee may be waived. The full fee for a 4 week residency is $3,500. Artists and writers who come as Contributing Residents and can pay the full fee to help support VSC and greatly increase the Studio Center's ability to provide Residencies for artists and writers with limited finances. Full Fellowships, awarded on the basis of merit, enable artists and writers to come to VSC for four weeks at no fee. VSC offers Partial Fellowships in grants and work exchange aid that reduces Residency fees
http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/apply/

June 16 Deadlines
6/16/14 Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition Prize: £2,000 +retreat, £400, £200, (17x) £25 and publication Fee: £7 to Mslexia Publications Ltd.
online entry
poetry@mslexia.co.uk Judge: Wendy Cope
Notify:
3 poems: Poems may be in any style, of any length, on any subject.
http://mslexia.co.uk/whatson/msbusiness/pcomp_active.php

June 17 Deadlines
6/17/14 New Millennium Writing Awards Prizes: $1,000 and publication Fee: $20 to New Millennium Writings
enter online     Judge:
Notify:
3 poems: No restrictions as to style, content or number of submissions. Enter as often as you like. Send between now and midnight of June 17 (postmark OK). Simultaneous & multiple submissions welcome. Previously published material welcome if under 5,000-circulation or if previously published online only. Each fiction or nonfiction piece is counted as a separate entry, and should total no more than 6,000 words except Short-Short Fiction (no more than 1,000 words). Each poetry entry may include up to three poems, not to exceed five pages total per entry. All poetry Honorable Mentions will be published. Save cover sheet or letter with the submission you'll be uploading and send as one file. Should you forget to include such covers, however, it's OK, as contact information is automatically forwarded to us when you pay online. Payment is $20 per submission in order to cover our many expenses and reserve your book. To apply online: Each entry must be in a separate file (up to 3 poems in a file for poetry). Many file formats are accepted. Payment will be by credit card or echeck through PayPal. Include cover letter in the same file with each entry.
www.NewMillenniumWritings.com/awards.html

June 30 Deadlines
6/30/14 Anabiosis Press Chapbook Contest Prizes: $100, 100 copies, and publication Fee: $13 to The Anabiosis Press
Anabiosis Press Chapbook Contest
2 South New Street
Bradford, MA 01835
  Judge:
Notify: September 30
Chapbook manuscript: Submit manuscript of 16-20 pages of poetry, any subject. Include only one poem per page. If a poem continues to a second page, indicate whether or not there is a stanza break. Thirty-five lines equals one page. Divider pages or section titles should be included in the total page count. When determining total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanzas (example: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks (often indicated by a * symbol) should also be included as lines when calculating total line length. Count an epigraph as three extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines of your total line count. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line and remember that the final chapbook will be printed in 10 point Times New Roman font on pages that are 5 1/2 inches wide. Include the following as separate pages: a biography (this can be included in the cover letter), a cover page with contact information, table of contents, dedication, acknowledgments for any previous publications, and an inside title page (with no name). These pages should not be included in the manuscript's total page count. The cover page should include the manuscript title and all contact information (mailing address, email address, home phone, and cell phone if available). Name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript.Submit manuscript in a 9 X 12 (or 10 X 13) inch non-padded envelope or USPS priority mail envelope. Please do not use paper clips, binder clips, staples, or report folders. Please enclose a 9 X 12 (or 10 X 13) inch SASE with correct postage if you want your whole manuscript returned. For notification of results only, include a #10 inch business SASE. If there is no SASE, notification will be sent via e-mail. If there is no SASE and no e-mail address, there will be no notification. Please notify us of any change of address, as a copy of the winning chapbook will be mailed six to nine months after the announcement. All who enter will receive a copy of the winning chapbook.
http://www.anabiosispress.org/chapguides.html

6/30/14 Auburn Witness Poetry Prize Prizes: $1,000, (2)$100, and publication Fee: $15 to Southern Humanities Review
Southern Humanities Review
ATTN: Auburn Witness Poetry Prize
Department of English
9088 Haley Center
Auburn University, AL 36849-5202
shrsub@auburn.edu Judge:
Notify: August
Poems: Each entrant can submit up to three poems of witness, along with a $15 reading fee. In exchange, they will receive a one-year subscription to Southern Humanities Review. All entries will be blind-screened and judged by the editors of SHR. Submit two copies of your submission. Your name, address, e-mail, and phone number should appear on each page of one copy only; the other copy must be free of all identifying information. One winning poem will be awarded $1,000 and publication in SHR. The winner will be invited to read at the Auburn Writer’s Conference in the fall of 2014. Two runners-up will be awarded $100 each. Three to five honorable mentions will also be named. All runners-up and honorable mentions will be considered for publication in SHR. We accept simultaneous submissions. To withdraw your submission, notify us by email at shrsub@auburn.edu. Entries must be unpublished. Your submission will not be returned. Entry fee by check; poems may be e-mailed.
http://www.southernhumanitiesreview.com/auburn-witness-poetry-prize.html

6/30/14 Autumn House Poetry Prize Prizes: $2,500 and publication Fee: $30 to Autumn House Press
Autumn House Press
P.O. Box 60100
Pittsburgh PA 15211
  Judge: Alicia Ostriker
Notify:
Book manuscript: The winners will receive book publication, $1,000 advance against royalties, and a $1,500 travel grant. All finalists will be considered for publication. All full-length collections of poetry 50-80 pages in length are eligible. To be informed of the results of the competition, please include SASE. Autumn House Press assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged manuscripts. All entries must be clearly marked “Poetry Prize” on the outside envelope. $30 fee (check or money order) must be enclosed. MANUSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE RETURNED. Enter online at site.
http://www.autumnhouse.org/

6/15/14 Blue Light Chapbook Contest Prizes: $50 copies (@ $12) Fee: $10 to Blue Light Press
Blue Light Press Poetry Prize
1563 45th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94122
Bluelightpress@aol.com Judge:
Notify: November
Chapbook manuscript: Send 10–24 pages. $10 reading fee. Make check payable to Blue Light Press. No manuscript will be returned without a SASE. The book will be published in the spring. If you win the contest, you will need to give us your manuscript on disk. Acceptable formats: Word, or RTF. Do not submit by e-mail. Please do not send manuscripts by registered or certified mail, as this requires a trip to the post office. Include SASP for confirmation of receipt. If your manuscript comes a few days late, we will read it. Vision Statement: We like poems that are imagistic, emotionally honest, and contain a vision where the writer pushes through the imagery to a deeper level of insight. Our books are artistically designed.
http://www.bluelightpress.com/

6/30/13 Dream Horse Press Chapbook Prize Prizes: $500, 25 copies, and publication Fee: $17 to Dream Horse Press
Dream Horse Press
P. O. Box 2080
Aptos, California 95001-2080

dreamhorsepress@yahoo.com 

Judge: C.J. Sage
Notify:
Chapbook manuscript: Submit 20-28 paginated pages of poetry, in a readable font, table of contents, acknowledgments, bio, e-mail for results (No SASE), and a $15.00 non-refundable fee for each manuscript entered. All manuscripts will be recycled. The winner will receive $500 and 25 copies of a handsomely printed chapbook. Multiple submissions are acceptable. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but if your manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere you must notify Dream Horse Press immediately. Entry fees are non-refundable. Judging will be anonymous; writers' names should not appear anywhere on the manuscript. Please include your name and biographical information in a separate cover letter. Please be sure to include your e-mail address. Close friends, students (former or present), and relatives of the judge or the press owner are NOT eligible for the contest; the judge reads all entries and will immediately alert DHP if a close friend, student, or relative has entered. DHP will then disqualify that entry and return the entry fee.
http://home.comcast.net/~jpdancingbear/dhpcontests.html

6/30/14 Flash 500 Humour Verse Competition Prizes: £150 and publication, £100, £50 Fee: £3/£2.50
online entry
  Judge:
Notify: mid-August
Poems:  Any form of humour will be accepted, in any style, but the content must be original and it has to make us smile. Anything from a limerick to a poem of 30 lines in length is accepted. The competition will be run quarterly. The results will be announced within six weeks of each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on this website. Entry fee: £3 for the first poem, then £2.50 for each poem thereafter
http://www.flash500.com/index_files/humourverse.html

6/30/13 Lightship Flash Fiction Competition Prizes: $800 and publication Fee: £10
online entry
  Judge: Etgar Keret
Notify: September 8
Flash fiction: Stories should not exceed 600 words. The competition is open to writers of any nationality writing in English. There is no restriction on theme or style. Entrants must be 16 years of age or over. No entry form is required. You can enter as many times as you like. One unpublished story per entry. Please do not put your name on your stories. All judging is done anonymously. Stories with names on them will be disqualified. Stories cannot be altered after entry. If you enter another competition and you win, please notify us and withdraw your submission. Where work is withdrawn, entry fees will not be refunded. Copyright returns to the author one year after publication. No correspondence will be entered into once you have submitted your work. The judges' verdict is final. We reserve the right to not award the first prize, and to cancel the publication of the anthology, where circumstances are beyond our control, or if the judges’ overall verdict is that the level of entries is not up to the required standard for publication. In the unlikely event of the competition being cancelled, entry fees will be refunded. Online entry £10. A Critique (optional) £15. Enter on website. Please do not send as email attachments. Conversion to your local currency will be done automatically by your credit card company, according to the exchange rate at that time.
http://www.lightshippublishing.co.uk/competitions

6/30/13 Lightship Poetry Competition Prizes: $1,600 and publication Fee: £8
online entry
  Judge: David Wheatley
Notify: September 9
Poems: Poems should not exceed 200 words. The poetry competition is open to writers of any nationality writing in English. There is no restriction on theme or style. Entrants must be 16 years of age or over. No entry form is required. You can enter as many times as you like. One unpublished poem per entry. Please do not put your name on your poems. All judging is done anonymously. Poems with names on them will be disqualified. Poems cannot be altered after entry. If you enter your poem into another competition and you win, please notify us and withdraw your submission. Where work is withdrawn, entry fees will not be refunded. Copyright returns to the author one year after publication. No correspondence will be entered into once you have submitted your work. The judges' verdict is final. We reserve the right to not award the first prize, and to cancel the publication of the anthology, where circumstances are beyond our control, or if the judges’ overall verdict is that the level of entries is not up to the required standard for publication. In the unlikely event of the competition being cancelled, entry fees will be refunded. Online entry £8. A Critique (optional) £15. Enter on website. Please do not send your poems as email attachments. Conversion to your local currency will be done automatically by your credit card company, according to the exchange rate at that time.
http://www.lightshippublishing.co.uk/competitions

6/30/14 Literal Latté Short Shorts Awards Prizes: $500 and publication Fee: $10 to Literal Latté
Literal Latté Short Shorts Awards
200 East 10th Street, Suite 240
New York, NY 10003
(212) 260-5532
LitLatte@aol.com
Judges:
Notify:
Short-short stories: Send unpublished stories 2,000 word max. All styles and subjects welcome. Name, address, telephone number on cover page only. Please put poem titles/first lines on cover page as well. Include SASE or e-mail Address for reply. Include $10 reading fee per 3 stories OR $15 for 6 stories. All Entries Considered For Publication. Include Check or Money Orders made out to Literal Latte or include Visa/MC/American Express Number & Expiration Date.
http://www.literal-latte.com/contests/short-short-contest/

6/30/14 Omnidawn First/Second Book Contest Prizes: $3,000 and publication Fee: $27 to Omnidawn Publishing
Omnidawn First/Second Book Contest
Omnidawn Publishing
311 Monterey St
Vallejo, CA 94590
submissions@omnidawn.com Judge: Timothy Donelly
Notify: January
Book manuscript: First/Second Book poetry contest open to writers who have either never published a full-length book of poetry, or who have published only one full-length book of poetry, so that the winning book would become a poet's first or second published book of poetry. Writers who have published two or more full length books of poetry are NOT eligible. (Chapbooks do not count.) The manuscript page limit is 120 pages for this poetry book contest. (Most manuscripts we receive are 40-70 pages long.) Friends, colleagues and students of the judge are not eligible. Postal and online poetry contests submissions accepted. Online entries must be received and postal entries must be postmarked between May 1 and June 30 at midnight PDT. Reading fee is $27. For $3 extra to cover shipping cost, entrants who provide a U.S. mailing address may choose to receive this contest's winning book or any Omnidawn book (including 4 PEN USA winning books).
http://www.omnidawn.com/contest/poetry-contests.htm

6/30/13 Pearl Poetry Prize Prizes: $1,000, 25 copies, and publication Fee: $25 to Pearl Editions
Pearl Poetry Prize
3030 E. Second Street
Long Beach, CA 90803
252-441-6584 Judge: Fred Voss
Notify: after January 1
Book manuscript: Biennial. Include a title page with the author's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address; an acknowledgments page listing previously published poems; 48–64 pages of original poetry; and an SASE for reply or return of manuscript. Manuscripts should be unbound, typed, pages numbered, and name should appear on title page only. Clear photocopies and computer print-outs are acceptable. We will consider simultaneous submissions, but ask that you notify us if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. In addition to publication and the $1,000 cash prize, the winner also receives 25 copies and a foreword by the finalist judge. Open to all poets, with or without previous book publication. Students and friends of the judge are not eligible for this year's competition.
www.pearlmag.com/contests.html