Additional info
Indie lit is full of award-winning poems while awards for poets are reserved mostly for their books. We want to publish poets who make a home in our hearts with their voices and never leave. That’s why this poetry award is not for the single best poem but rather for the poet whose body of work we feel is or will be full of one award-winning poem after another. The entry fee we have set is $15 which will include a comped 2-month Substack subscription (worth $14). Our hope is that every single poet who submits to the ONLY POEMS Prize receives more than just a contest entry. If you already have a paid subscription, we’ll add on two complimentary months to that). So, technically you’re paying $1 for the contest Our Poet of the Year will receive $3000 and a lifetime comped subscription to the ONLY POEMS Substack. 2 Runner-ups will receive $300 each and 3 year comped subscription. All honorable mentions will receive a one year comped subscription. As we do with our Poet of the Week series, we will publish 3-10 poems of all 3 winners alongside an extensive interview in July.
We want to provide poets the opportunity to get comprehensive feedback on their work. We understand how hard it can be to receive affordable, quality feedback. If you’d like, you’re welcome to use one of these options when making your submission. $50: Entry + Two detailed paragraphs of strengths and weaknesses of your submission $150: Entry + Two detailed paragraphs of strengths and weaknesses + Extensive line edits (25 slots available for each category — first come first serve)