How to Publish Poetry for Money

There are hundreds of poetry prize announcements on the Internet, and sorting through them is a time-consuming task. Additionally, some of these announcements are scams that require payment of an entrance fee and never award a dime to anyone. Despite these obstacles, a good Google search can yield less-publicized poetry contests that you have better odds of winning.

However, if you don't want to comb through hundreds of search results and brave scam offers, "Poets and Writers" magazine offers a comprehensive list of genuine poetry and prose competitions. The steps below assume you are browsing the "Poets and Writers" catalog, but the information will help you enter any contest. As you follow the steps, remember that every competition has its own rules and guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Internet connection Unpublished poems

Instructions

1. Browse "Poets and Writers" magazine poetry contest list (see "Resources"). Each contest is outlined in a paragraph in the index, which also provides a hyperlink to the contest homepage.

2. Find competitions with length requirements that match your poems on hand. Try entering a book contest if you have around 50 or more pages of poetry, or a chapbook contest if you have around 25 to 30 pages. There are also contests available for single poems or small groups of poems.

3. Decide if you want to enter a contest that charges an entry fee. Contests are highly competitive and entry fees are nonrefundable if you don't win.

4. Research the poet's work who is judging the competition. Poets with similar styles, methods and interests to yours will be more familiar with your work and thus better able to judge it.

5. Arrange your manuscript as the contest requests. Some competitions ask that you mail up to three copies of your manuscript with cover sheets. Many contests require that your name only appear on the cover sheet and nowhere else.

6. Review each contest's website individually to ensure you meet every guideline set forth. One missed guideline could disqualify you from the competition.

7. Include a brief biography, around 75 to 125 words, only if the contest asks for it. Bios should give background on your life, education and previous publications.

8. Submit entries by the contest deadline. The "Poets and Writers" contest page lists all deadlines.

Tips & Warnings

• The "Poets and Writers" magazine catalog only lists contests that have a prize of $500 or more. All of their listings for prizes under $1,000 have no entry fee. Email your entry if the contest allows it. It saves on postage and makes sorting easier on the judges. Just make sure your manuscript document follows the email guidelines. Email contest committees before you submit your poems with any questions about guidelines. Most mailed entries require a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Investigate a contest's website to find past winner's poems. Hesitate to submit to contests that regularly choose work drastically different from yours. Search for contest criteria that match the poems you want to submit. Each contest has different requirements.

• Plagiarizing other poet's work leads to immediate rejection by poetry contest committees.

Resources

• Poets and Writers Magazine poetry contest directory
• Poets and Writers Magazine poetry contest directory listed by deadline
• Information on Poetry Scams