Waxing Poetic…Competitions for Your Poetry

Would you like to try poetic parody?

Before getting down to business, here is a bit of fun. Phil Kloer, the book blogger on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website, posted Monday about a recent feature from "This American Life" on National Public Radio. The feature was on apologies that weren't really apologies and on the poem "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams. Kloer wrote "…the show then jumped to the proliferation of parodies of this poem" and listed some of them. He ended by inviting readers to leave their parodies of the poem in the comments section. Check out the blog and try your hand at poetic parody here.

Can you make any money in poetry competitions?


There are thousands of poetry competitions waiting for your latest creation. The prize money varies from contest to contest, but most usually include publication of the winning poem or poems. The prizes in the competitions below range from a low of $35 for first prize for a single poem to $3000 and publication for first prize for a collection of poems.

Where do you start?

Contests sponsors can be newspapers, magazines, some civic groups, poetry societies, writer's groups and even book publishers. WritersMarket.com lists over 200 poetry contests. Poets & Writers' online database had over 300 grants and awards. The National Federation of State Poetry Societies has 50 contests lined up for 2008 on its website and ByLine Magazine sponsors at least one, more often two, poetry contests each month.

Below is a short list of some competitions, including their entry fees, deadlines and prizes. Click the contest names to go to their websites. Good luck!


Blue Lynx Poetry Prize - Entry Fee: $25; Prize: $1500 + publication; Deadline: May 15.
ByLine Magazine Contests: all entry fees: $3/poem, $5/ 3 poems; Prizes: $35-1st, $20-2nd, $10-3rd.
New Talent Form Poem - Deadline: May 3.
Heavenly Poem - Deadline: May 17.
Water Poem - Deadline: June 7.
Time to Rhyme! - Deadline: June 21.
Deane Wagner Poetry Contest - Entry fee: $10/first poem; $5/ever additional; Prizes: $200-1st, $150-2nd, $100-3rd; Deadline: June 14.
Fineline Competition for prose poems, short shorts and anything in between: Entry Fee: $10; Prize: $1000 + publication + engraved contest pen; Deadline: June 1.
Gival Press Poetry Prize - Entry Fee: $20; Prize: $1000 + publication; Deadline: December 15.
Literal Latte Poetry Awards - Entry fees: $10 for up to 6 poems, $15 for up to 12 poems; Prizes: $1000-1st, $300-2nd, $200-3rd; Deadline: July 15
Morton Marr Poetry Prize - Entry fee: $5; Prizes: $1000-1st, $500-2nd; Deadline: September 30.
Red Hen Press Contests: all entry fees: $20.
Benjamine Saltman Poetry Award - Prize: $3000; Deadline: October 31.
Ruskin Art Club Poetry Award - Prize: $1000, Deadline: September 30.
Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize - Entry Fee: $20; Prize: $2000 + publication; Deadline: May 1.
White Pine Press Poetry Prize - Entry fee: $20; Prize: $1000 + publication; Deadline: July 1.

(above - detail of the engraving "The Distressed Poet" by William Hogarth)