May Deadlines: 11 Contests and Magazines With Deadlines This Month
The cruelest month is done—time to set those poems free. We’ve put together a solid list of potential homes for your words, big & small. Every month is an opportunity to start a new acceptance streak, so don’t let up the pressure.
Guernica
Guernica is one of those rare magazines that does a dozen different things right. We have seen so many great emerging authors sharpen their teeth on this site. Only one submission at a time. Spend some time reading through the recent poems they’ve featured, and send in a poem you’ve got that fits their aesthetic. Submit here.
Entry Fee: N/A
Deadline: Rolling
Prairie Schooner
Prairie Schooner has been publishing some of the best poets for a while now, and their doors close this month. Get a chance to rub literary shoulders with Pulitzer Prize winners, Nobel Laureates, Guggenheim Fellows, etc. Submit 5-7 poems by the end of the day to be considered for publication. Submit here.
Entry Fee: N/A
Deadline: May 1
The 2nd Annual Brittany Noakes Poetry Award
This is a unique contest—the entry fee proceeds are donated as a $1000 check to a female head of household who “has experienced hardships, is undergoing financial difficulty, and wants to pursue her trade school or undergraduate education.” The winner of the contest will receive over twenty broadsides of their poem, as well as publication in Adroit. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $8
Deadline: May 1
Poetry London 2017 Competition
Liz Berry judges this year’s contest. They are looking for a poem less than 80 lines, and will award the top 3 poets with cash prizes: £1000, £500, and £200. The winning poems will also be published in the Autumn issue of Poetry London. They’ll announce the winners on July 16th. Submit here.
Entry Fee: £7
Deadline: May 2
Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest
With 3-5 pages of poetry, you’ve got a chance to grab this coveted title of Ploughshares Emerging Writer, & a nice $2000 cushion on your bills. This is for poets with no full-length collections yet published however. Natalie Diaz will be judging, so make sure you send your very best. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $24
Deadline: May 15
The Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize for Younger Poets
Stanley Kunitz was a prolific mentor of poets and The American Poetry Review has created this prize to honor him. Are you a poet under 40? Could you use $1000 and a featured spot in the fall issue of The American Poetry Review? Submit three pages of poetry to TAPR. Ocean Vuong, one of our favorite emerging writers, is one of the previous winners of this coveted prize. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $15
Deadline: May 15
Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry 2017
The Blue Lynx Prize has been going for some years now, and it offers some serious winners: Jim Daniels, Arianne Zwartjes, more, and most recently, Ralph Burns. Submit your full length collection of poems for a chance to win publication and $2000 prize. At least 48 pages in length. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $28
Deadline: May 15
BOAAT Chapbook Prize
This coveted prize is awarded to a single poet annually. Whether you have five books out, or no publications at all, BOAAT is willing to publish your chapbook. The winner, judged by Natalie Diaz, will win $1000 and publication. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $17
Deadline: May 31
Black Lawrence Press – The Spring Black River Chapbook Competition
It’s spring, so that means it’s time for the first of two biannual prizes for chapbooks by Black Lawrence Press. They accept both poetry and prose—make sure you do not include any identifying info on your submission though. They read blind. $500 prize. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $15
Deadline: May 31
5th Annual Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, 2017
This year marks the 5th Clifton prize—they are looking for a poem that nods to Lucille Clifton’s work, with tones and themes of “humanness, struggle, adversity, resilience.” Make sure to read through the past winners to get a good sense of what they want. The winner will receive $500, judged by Vievee Frances. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $15
Deadline: May 31
The Backwaters Prize
Bob Hicok judges this year’s contest. Looking for full length collections to publish, Backwaters offers the winner $2500 cash prize & publication. Submit 60-85 pages of poetry—& read the guidelines carefully. Submit here.
Entry Fee: $15
Deadline: May 31
