FIRST place
One talented first place winner will receive a $600 cash prize, one year of book scented candles delivered directly to their mailbox, and a Commit to Lit t-shirt.
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RUNNER UP
One talented runner up will receive a $400 cash prize, a book scented candle delivered directly to their mailbox, and a Commit to Lit t-shirt!
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Poetry contest information
This is a free contest. No entry fee is required. The contest is held once a year. Contest begins on January 1 each year and ends on October 27 each year (Sylvia Plath's Birthday).
At the conclusion of each contest, our staff convenes and begins the monumental task of choosing winning poems. Please understand, the judging of this contest is just as important to us as it is to you. We read every single submitted poem, sometimes even two or three times. It takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks to produce the final results.
All winners will receive a letter and their prize via regular mail. Winners will be contacted by phone and/or email to verify shipping address before their prize is mailed. before their prize is mailed.
As soon as the complete list of winners is drawn up, it will be posted on the home page.
poetry contest rules
1. Poet information must pass address verification.
2. Poetry can be written in any poetic style and on any subject.
3. A poem in its entirety must be an original work by the person entering the contest. Plagiarism is a serious offense with serious consequences.
4. Only one poem per person, per household is allowed.
5. Poet must be at least twelve years of age.
6. All poems must be written in English.
7. Contest entries must be at least 3 but cannot exceed 26 lines (including stanza breaks) and cannot exceed 55 characters per line (including spaces between words). Any submission that exceeds these limits will be automatically disqualified. The poem title does not count as a line.
prizes
One first place prize is awarded. One runner up prize is awarded. Ten finalist prizes are awarded.
eligibility
The contest is open to anyone age twelve and up who writes poetry.
judging process
Contest entries are judged based on poetic technique, effectiveness, style, and creativity.
publication
By submitting a poem to our contest, you accept that your poem will appear online and may appear in a print anthology. Regardless of how your poem may be published, you will be credited as the author. We reserve the right to not publish a poem for any reason.