Poetry Awards

Prizes

• $1,000 in cash
• An interview with the author in Writer’s Digest
• The winning single poem will be published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s July/August 2025 issue and to a worldwide readership on WritersDigest.com. The winning chapbook will be distributed digitally to the WD community
• A 20-minute consultation with Senior Editor, Robert Brewer
• A one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest magazine
• 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
• A special graphic recognizing their winning status

• $250 in cash
• Their name and poem’s/chabook's title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s July/August 2025 issue
• Promotion on WritersDigest.com
• A one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest magazine
• 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
• A special graphic recognizing their winning status

• $100 in cash
• Their name and poem’s/chabook's title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s July/August 2025 issue
• Promotion on WritersDigest.com
• A one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest magazine
• 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
• A special graphic recognizing their winning status

• $100 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
• Their name and poem’s/chabook's title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s July/August 2025 issue
• Promotion on WritersDigest.com
• A one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest magazine
• 20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
• A special graphic recognizing their winning status

• $50 off a purchase from the Writer’s Digest Shop
• Promotion on WritersDigest.com
• A special graphic recognizing their winning status

Categories

• Single Poem
• Chapbook

How to Enter

Preparing Your Entry

Important & Helpful Information Prior to Entering

• Have your necessary information available when you are ready to submit your entry.
• All entries must be submitted online through Submittable. If you already have a Submittable account, simply log in!
• Please be sure that the email address that you provide will be valid throughout the competition span. Competition related updates and winner notifications are sent via: email. Please type carefully, and list only one valid email address. Check your spelling carefully including all login information, email addresses etc. Incorrect email addresses may result in the transmission of important information being delayed and/or unsuccessful. Be sure that our email addresses (both Writer’s Digest and Submittable) are not blocked, or you may not receive critical information, receipts, confirmations etc. Check your SPAM folder for any expected but unaccounted for email communications.
• Once an entry has been submitted, no edits, replacements or exchanges will be accepted. If you wish to submit an edited or revised version of a previously submitted entry, you may enter it as a new submission (you may wish to edit the title slightly as well so that you can differentiate them).
• The submitter is who we will refer to as the author, and who we will contact with any questions, updates etc. If the submitter and the author are not the same, please indicate accordingly in parenthesis, on the submitter name line. If you write under a pen name, please indicate.
• Check your spelling carefully including all login information, email addresses etc. Incorrect email addresses may result in transmission of important information being delayed and/or unsuccessful.
• Be sure that neither Writer’s Digest or Submittable email addresses are blocked. Blocking either address, including marking either as Spam or Junk, will prohibit you from receiving competition related updates, critical information, receipts, confirmations, etc.
• If you write under a pen name, or if there are multiple authors, please indicate names on PEN NAME line of the submission form.
• Writer’s Digest assumes all entries are original and are the works and property of the entrant, with all rights granted therein.
• Writer’s Digest is not liable for any copyright infringement on the part of the entrant and will not become involved in copyright disputes.
• Writer's Digest reserves the right to reject work deemed unsuitable for publication or that does not meet all named criteria.
• Winner Notification dates refer to the date that all winners will be notified by.
• Non-Winner Notification: Entrants not selected as winners will not be notified individually; non-winners will be emailed a competition status update in the weeks following the winner notification date. If you enter multiple times, please excuse duplicate emails, as you may receive an email for each separate entry.
• All entries must be submitted online.
• Entry fees may be paid online by credit/debit card (MC, V, AMEX & DISC) or PayPal.
• All deadlines are at 11:59 PM EST, on the specified date. This is the date that all related materials (when applicable) must be shipped by as well. Mailed in entries/materials must deliver within 5 days of the current posted entry deadline, as listed on the website at the time of your submission

Word Count / Line Count Requirements

• Single Poem: 32 line maximum. Count refers to lines containing text. Do not count blank lines between stanzas & do not count the title or contact information.
• Chapbook: 25 page maximum. No more than one poem per page (even if the poems are very short like haiku). The entry may contain up to 25 shorter poems, present one epic 25-page poem, and/or a combination of shorter and longer poems.

Entry Method Options/Preparing Your Entry

• All entries must be submitted online through Submittable. If you already have a Submittable account, simply log in! There is no cap as to the number of submissions that can be entered into the competition overall, however each submission (including edited versions being re-submitted) must be checked out separately. Entries must be accompanied by the required judging fee We accept PayPal or credit card payment for the required judging fee. Fees are non-refundable.
• All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications will be considered. Self-published work in blogs, on social media, etc. will be considered.
• Entries must be typed and formatted to 8-1/2 x 11 or A4 pages. Poems may be single or double-spaced. Your name, address, email and phone number should not appear on the entry file since that information is collected on the entry form.
• BE SURE OF YOUR LINE/PAGE COUNT! Entries exceeding the line/page limits will be disqualified.
• Due to U.S. Government restrictions we are unable to accept entries from Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Crimea.

RULES

• All entries must be in English. Only original works that have not been published (at the time of submission) in print, digital or online publications will be considered. Self-published work in blogs, on social media, etc. will be considered. Any AI-generated or AI-assisted work will NOT be considered.
• Writer’s Digest reserves one-time nonexclusive publication rights to the winning poem and chapbook to be published in a Writer’s Digest publication. Authors retain all ownership of their work.
• Entries exceeding the line/page count requirements will be disqualified.
• Entry fees are due at the time of submission.
• Refunds are not provided for disqualified, withdrawn or non-winning entries.
• Winners must provide an appropriate tax form (W9 or W8BEN) in order to receive their cash awards. If the forms are not received within 60 days of the request date, cash awards may be forfeited.
• The following are not permitted to enter the contest, neither under their legal names nor pen names: employees of Active Interest Media and their immediate family members; Writer’s Digest Books authors; Writer's Digest contributing editors and columnists; and Writer’s Digest instructors for online courses and live webinars. Grand Prize-winning authors from this and other WD competitions, within the three years of being awarded, are not eligible. Previous top winning entries from this and other WD competitions are ineligible except in the case of substantial rewrites. Ineligible entries will be disqualified.
• Due to to U.S. Government restrictions we are unable to accept entries from Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Crimea.

Pricing and Deadlines

• Single Poem entry—$20 for the first entry; $15 for each additional poetry entry.
• Chapbook entry—$35 for the first entry; $30 for each additional manuscript entry.

• Single Poem entry—$25 for the first entry; $20 for each additional poetry entry.
• Chapbookt entry—$40 for the first entry; $35 for each additional manuscript entry.

Judging and Notification

• Every qualified entry will be read by the judges. Judges’ decisions are final.
• Entries must be submitted online (11:59 pm EST) by December 1, 2025.
• Winners must provide an appropriate tax form (W9 or W8BEN) in order to receive their cash awards. If the forms are not received within 60 days of the request date, cash awards may be forfeited.
• The following are not permitted to enter the contest, neither under their legal names nor pen names: employees of Active Interest Media and their immediate family members; Writer’s Digest Books authors; Writer's Digest contributing editors and columnists; and Writer’s Digest instructors for online courses and live webinars. Grand Prize Winners from the previous three years are not eligible. Ineligible entries will be disqualified.
• Top Award Winners will be notified on or before January 30, 2026. Top winners will be listed in the July/August 2026 issue of Writer’s Digest and at www.writersdigest.com after the July/August 2026 issue is published.

Still have questions? 

• FAQ
• Writer’s Digest Competitions