How to Enter a Poetry Contest

You have edited at all hours of the night, reworked the ending, played around with the title, switched a few stanzas, asked a friend to read it, and now you are finally finished. Feeling ready to enter your poetry into a competitive contest is a major achievement. Although they don't rhyme, these tips will help get your prized poems a place in the race.

Instructions

1. Determine your personal guidelines. Before you begin the process of entering contests, you must create a few criteria for yourself. First, decide if you want to spend money. There are hundreds of free contests, but many charge fees. You may choose to enter only free contests, or enter if the fee is under ten dollars. Second, consider whether you want to enter one contest at a time or submit to multiple competitions. Finally, decide on the type of contest you are willing to enter. You may want to submit only to literary journals or anthologies.

2. Start at a bookstore. There are thousands of legitimate poetry contests open to the public every year. A bookstore with a comprehensive magazine section is the best place to start. Most writer magazines have a section at the very back where poetry contests are announced. For example, the magazine "The Writer" publishes a section called "Literary Markets" where dozens of contests are listed.

3. Go online. Combine your bookstore search with an Internet search for poetry contests. Many competitions are offered only online. Additionally, most literary magazines have online versions of their publications.

4. Read the contest guidelines slowly and carefully. As the poet, you first must make sure you can meet all the requirements. Check for contingencies that you are not willing to agree to. Scrutinize the fine print. Look for items like age restrictions and residency requirements.

5. Prepare your entry package exactly as directed. Contest judges will eliminate your work if you have not followed the directions properly. For example, some contests ask you to enter several copies or to type the poem titles on a separate sheet. Do whatever the guidelines ask. If the contest asks you to use a stapler and you don't have one, go buy one or borrow from a friend. Your hard work will be tossed without so much as a glance if you ignore the guidelines.

Tips & Warnings

• Many poetry contests will not return the poems you send in. Keep your originals and send in copies. Some organizations will return your poems if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your entry.

• Poetry contests usually have a slow turnaround. It can take months to get the results of a contest. Often you will not hear back at all. Understand that this is part of the process, and don't be discouraged.

• Be very cautious when entering contests online. There are many poetry contest scams that will take your money and waste your time. Check to make sure the contest is legitimate by calling a provided telephone number, verifying a competition sponsor or searching the Internet for more info on the competition.