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A prize of $1,000, publication by Brick Road Poetry Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Matthew Layne will judge. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 100 pages with a $30 entry fee by February 1. Finalists are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Two prizes of $3,000 each and publication by University of Nebraska Press are given annually for a poetry collection and a story collection. Submit a poetry manuscript of at least 50 pages or a fiction manuscript of at least 150 pages with a $25 entry fee by March 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Schaffner Press is given annually for a poetry collection, a novel, a story collection, an essay collection, or a memoir that “deals in some way with the subject of music (of any genre and period) and its influence.” Submit a poetry collection of at least 60 pages or a prose manuscript of 75,000 to 100,000 words with a $25 entry fee by January 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $500 and publication by Broadside Lotus Press is given annually for a poetry collection by an African American poet. Submit two copies of a manuscript of approximately 60 to 90 pages by March 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Regal House Publishing is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 100 pages with a $25 entry fee by January 31. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
Nine fellowships of $1,500 each and participation in a virtual five-month mentorship program, which includes one-on-one mentorship with an established writer; introductions to editors, agents, and publishers; a professional headshot; and a one-year PEN America membership, are given annually to emerging poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers “from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing world.” Fellows also participate in workshops on editing, marketing, and building a professional platform. Writers who have not yet published a book and who do not hold an advanced degree in creative writing are eligible. Using only the online submission system, submit a writing sample of up to 10 pages of poetry or 15 pages of prose, a series of personal statements, a curriculum vitae, and contact information for at least one reference with a $25 entry fee by January 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,500 and publication by Finishing Line Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook. Leah Huete de Maines will judge. Submit a manuscript of 16 to 34 pages, a brief bio, and a cover letter with a $20 entry fee by February 15. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Five fellowships of $27,000 each are given annually to U.S. poets between the ages of 21 and 31. Using only the online submission system, submit 10 pages of poetry and an application between January 15 and March 2. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required application form, which can be accessed via Poetry Foundation’s online portal (applicants must register for portal access by February 23), and complete guidelines.
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Obsidian, the literary journal of Illinois State University, is given annually for a group of poems in conversation with the Furious Flower Poetry Center’s mission to ensure the visibility, inclusion, and critical consideration of Black poets in American letters. The winner also receives a $500 honorarium to give a reading at James Madison University. Poets who have published no more than one book are eligible. Major Jackson will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems totaling no more than six pages with a $20 entry fee by February 15. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
