Grand Prize - $300
Two Runners-Up - $150 each
Entry Fee: $10 for up to three poems.
Eligibility: Open to anyone 18 years of age and older writing in English, from anywhere in the world. Contributors to any previous issue of RockPaperPoem are also eligible.
Guidelines:
1. Send 1-3 of your best, previously unpublished poems. Poems published on a blog or social media are not eligible. No theme; any subject; maximum two pages per poem.
2. Entries are only considered if sent through Submittable.
3. Multiple submissions are fine.
4. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please notify us immediately through Submittable if a poem has been accepted elsewhere.
5. Contest is open Tuesday, April 1 through midnight (CT) Saturday, May 31, 2025. Winners will be announced in July.
6. All submissions will be considered for publication and will receive a response, even if the poems do not win a prize.
7. No identifying personal or contact information should appear on any poem or files containing poems.
8. Once submitted, poems cannot be revised, unless requested by RockPaperPoem editors.
9. By submitting, you agree to receive any cash prize electronically via PayPal or Zelle, if you are a winner.
10. Initial review of submissions will be done by RockPaperPoem editors. Approximately 15-20 finalists will be sent as blind submissions to the Contest Judge, who will select Grand Prize and two Runner-Up Prize poems. Prize poems will appear in the next issue of RockPaperPoem.
11. Relatives, friends, current and former students, and others with a close relationship with the contest judge are not eligible to enter.
12. Entry fees are not refundable.