Dzanc Poetry Prize

The Dzanc Books Poetry Prize recognizes daring, original, and innovative poetry collections (generally over 60 pages, but there is no hard minimum). A $1,500 advance and publication by Dzanc Books will be awarded to the winner.

The contest is open to new, upcoming, and established writers alike. Agented submissions are also eligible, and we ask that you include all agency contact information with the application. All submitted works must be previously unpublished book-length poetry collections and should include a brief synopsis, author bio, and contact information. The full work should be formatted as a PDF, Word .doc or .docx file.

We will accept submissions from June 1 through midnight on October 31. There is a $25 submission fee. (Note: we will not accept physical entries.) Simultaneous submissions allowed. The winning submission and a short list of finalists will be announced on the Dzanc web page in December.

Dzanc Books is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contest fees will go toward funding the prize as well as supporting Dzanc’s commitment to producing quality literary works, providing creative writing instruction in public schools through the Dzanc Writers-in-Residence program, and offering low-cost workshops for aspiring authors. Active and former Dzanc authors and employees are not eligible for the prize.