Poetry Contests
Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize
The Stan and Wick Poetry Prize is an annual poetry prize for a full-length book of poetry. The prize is awarded by the Kent State University Press.
Deadline: May 1, 2018
Prizes: $2,500 and publication
Entry Fee:
The Pleiades Press Editors Prize for Poetry
The Pleiades Press Editors Prize for Poetry is open to all writers for a poetry collection of at least 48 pages. The winning collection will be published by Pleidas Press.
Deadline: May 1, 2018
Prizes: $3000 and publication
Entry Fee:
Emerging Writer's Contest
The Emerging Writer's Contest is open to unpublished writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The winner in each category will be awarded $2,000.
Deadline: May 15, 2018
Prizes: $2,000 cash prize
Entry Fee:
Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize
The Wheelbarrow Book Poetry Prize is open to manuscripts by authors that have published at least one full-length collection of poetry in English. It is run by the RCAH Center for Poetry at Michigan State University, in cooperation with the MSU Press.
Deadline: October 1, 2018
Prizes: $1000 and publication
Entry Fee:
New Ohio Review Contest
The contest is open to fiction, nonfiction and poetry with a $1,000 prize in each genre. This year's judges are Claire Vaye Watkins (fiction), Kiese Laymon (nonfiction) and Tyehimba Jess (poetry).
Deadline: April 15, 2019
Prizes: $1000 prize in each genre
Entry Fee:
The Nimrod Literary Awards are looking for previously unpublished poetry and ficiton. Fiction can be up to 7,500 words. Poem entries can be one long poem or several short poems (3 to 10 pages).
Deadline: April 30, 2019
Prizes: $2000 first prize
Entry Fee:
Loraine Williams Poetry Prize
The Georgia Review is accepting entries for the 2019 Loraine Williams Poetry Prize. Stephen Dunn will serve as the final judge for this year's prize.
Deadline: May 15, 2019
Prizes: $1500 plus publication in The Georgie Review
Entry Fee:
Nowhere Spring 2019 Travel Writing Contest
The contest seeks stories that possess a powerful sense of place. They can be fiction, nonfiction, poetry or essay. The length limit is from 800 to 5,000 words.
Deadline: July 1, 2019
Prizes: $1,000 prize.
Entry Fee: $20 entry fee.
Literal Latte Poetry Awards
Litteral Latte runs a contest for unpulished poems up to 2,000 words. The contest has a $1,00 first prize, $300 second prize and $200 third prize.
Deadline: July 15, 2019
Prizes: $1,000 first prize
Entry Fee:
Juniper Literary Prizes
The annual literary prize offers awards in creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry. The winners are chosed by faculty judges from the University of Massachussetts MFA program.
Deadline: September 30, 2019
Prizes: $1,000 and a publication contract with the University of Massachusetts Press
Entry Fee: $30 entry fee
Robert and Adele Schiff Awards in Poetry and Prose
The Cincinnati Review is home to the annual Robert and Adele Schiff Awards in Poetry and Prose. A poem (up to 8 pages) and prose (up to 40 pages) winner are chosen for publication.
Deadline: July 15, 2020
Prizes: $1,000 prize
Entry Fee: $20 entry free (includes one-year subscription)
Sow's Ear Poetry Contest
Sow's Ear Poetry Review runs a poetry contest every fall with a distinguished guest judge.
Deadline: November 1, 2020
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry Fee: $30 fee
The Iowa Poetry Prize
The prize is open to new and established poets for a book-length collection of poems. Manuscripts should be 50 to 150 pages in length.
Deadline: April 30, 2021
Prizes: Publication by University of Iowa Press under a standard royalty agreement
Entry Fee: $20 reading fee
Earl Weaver Baseball Prize
This contest named after Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver seeks fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction with baseball as a central theme or key component. The contest is run by the Cobalt Review. There are also monthly themed prizes.
Deadline: September 20, 2021
Prizes: $200 prize
Entry Fee: $7 entry fee
Boston Review Annual Poetry Contest
The Boston Review Annual Poetry Contest features a different theme and different judge each year.
Deadline: May 31, 2022
Prizes: $1,000 and publication
Entry Fee: $20 entry fee
Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Card Contest
Blue Mountain Arts is running its 35th Biannual Poetry Card Contest. You can enter as many times as you like through the submission form or via snail mail. There are three prizes including a $350 first prize.
Deadline: December 31, 2022
Prizes: $350 first prize
Entry Fee: No entry fee
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
This poetry contest from Winning Writers offers $2,250 in prize including a $1,000 first prize. The judge is Jendi Reiter, assisted by Lauren Singer.
Deadline: April 1, 2023
Prizes: $2,000 cash first prize
Entry Fee: No entry fee
Omnidawn Single Poem Broadside Poetry Contest
The 2023 poetry contest is open to a wide range of styles. Poems should be between 8 and 24 lines in length.
Deadline: April 17, 2023
Prizes: $1,000 cash prize plus publication
Entry Fee: $10 for the first poem and $5 for each additional poem
Fish Poetry Prize
The Fish Poetry Prize was established in 2006. Winning poems are published in the annual Fish Anthology.
Deadline: March 31, 2024
Prizes: 1,000 Euro 1st prize.
Entry Fee: 14 Euros
Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition
Writer's Digest is running its 92nd annual writing competition. WD says nearly 500 winners will be chosen.
Deadline: May 6, 2024
Prizes: $5,000 Grand Prize
Entry Fee: $30 for first manuscript entry, $20 for first poetry entry
Black Warrior Review Contest
The 2024 Black Warrior Review writing contest is open to nonfiction, fiction and poetry. There is also a Flash category.
Deadline: September 1, 2024
Prizes: $1,000 plus publication in each category. $500 in the Flash category.
Entry Fee: $20 entry fee
Writer's Digest Poetry Awards
This is the 15th annual Writer's Digest Poetry Awards. Enter any poem 32 lines or less. There are cash prizes for first, second and third place.
Deadline: October 1, 2024
Prizes: $1,000 first prize plus publication
Entry Fee: $20 entry fee
