2nd Annual Zero Bone Poetry Prize #seanocarolan.com #Writing #poetry #contest #competition

THE ZERO BONE POETRY PRIZE

Port Yonder Press is pleased to announce its Second Annual Zero Bone Poetry Prize Contest. UPDATED GUIDELINES BELOW.

Named in honor of the distinguished American poet Emily Dickinson, the competition welcomes submissions of unpublished, original poems. This competition is open to all poets – those with or without previous publishing credits and from anywhere in the world. (Winners outside the U.S. will need a Paypal account to receive their award.) Winning manuscripts will reflect the thoughtful humanity and careful craftsmanship of Emily Dickinson's poetry, though not necessarily her style. Nature themes are especially welcome as are all styles of poems such as villanelle, sonnet, confessional poetry, haiku, prose, ode, elegy, sestina, Fibonnaci, abstract, etc. All genres except erotica.

In keeping with our mission to provide strong emotive literature to a broad audience, please focus on artistry sans graphic depictions of gore, sexuality, and foul language. Any such must be judiciously and expertly used.

$200 First Prize
$100 Second Prize
$50 Third Prize

Next reading Period: December 1, 2014- February 28, 2015 (submissions received by post after deadline will be returned without being opened - NO EMAIL SUBMISSIONS)

Reading Fee: $2 per poem. Submit up to 5 poems.

Submission Guidelines

Number of submissions - Please submit up to 5 poems of up to 40 lines each. Each must be submitted on a separate sheet of paper, no author's name or other identifying marks on pages. Include a cover page with your personal information: name, address, email address, phone number, short bio, list of poems.

Simultaneous Submissions - Poems may be under consideration elsewhere, but please inform ZBP if a poem is accepted for publication; there of course can be no refunds for poems accepted elsewhere.

If you would like your poems returned, send an SASE with appropriate postage. Due to the large number of poems received last year, we cannot return envelopes with insufficient postage; they will be shredded.

Eligibility - The poems must be unpublished. Authors, former authors, and staff of Port Yonder Press and their families are not eligible for this award.

Submission Period - Entries must be received by postal mail during the months of December, January and February to be considered. (no email submissions)

Include reading fee with your poems ($2 for 1 poem, $4 for 2, $6 for 3, $8 for 4, or $10 for 5). Accepted forms of payment: personal check, money order/cashier's check. Please do not send cash in the mail. If payment is not included or is insufficient, your poems will be disqualified and check/money order returned to you. If paying by check and your bank account has insufficient funds, your poems will be disqualified and your submission will be shredded.

Submission Address - Poems should be one to a page with no identifying author name or address on each. Include a cover page with author name, address, email, phone number, and list of poem titles. A short bio is also welcome. Send all these elements, including submission fee, to:

Zero Bone Poetry Prize
c/o Port Yonder Press
6332 - 33rd Avenue Drive
Shellsburg, IA 52332

2015 judge: Professor Marianne Taylor, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Competition Results - Results will be posted online by mid-April, 2015, and the three winning poems (and the top five honorable mentions) may be included in the 2015 issue of the Eastern Iowa Review print journal. In submitting a poem, you agree to this inclusion.

Notifications - We inform the finalists and the winner by email, phone, or mail.