Weekend Writing Opportunity

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend (ha! does anyone have free time at this time of year?), these two poetry contests should keep you busy–they both have deadlines next week, but if you have a pretty collection ready to go, they could definitely be worthwhile.

#1: Gival Press Poetry Award

Deadline is December 15th, 2008

fee: $20

prize $1000

Theme: Completely open.

Eligible Poets: Open to all, national and international poets.

Language: English.

Forms or Style of Poetry
: Original work, not a translation of someone else’s poetry. Open to any form or style; simply good poetry.

Length of Manuscript: At least 45 typed pages of poetry, on one side only.

Status of the Winning Manuscript: The manuscript as a whole shall not have been published before. However, include an acknowledgment sheet to indicate any previously published poems in the collection (poem/journal/date). It is the responsibility of the poet to secure the right to publish previously published poems.

Format for Submission: Include a separate cover sheet with name, title of manuscript, address (street, city, state, electronic mail), and phone number. The poet’s name should not appear on the pages of the ms. The numbered pages should be clipped together.

If the manuscript wins, the poet must make the manuscript available to Gival Press on an IBM-compatible disk or CD in Rich Text Format (RTF)—this refers to how one saves the document on one’s computer disk. A short bio should be included.

Always keep a copy of your manuscript; materials will not be returned and will be recycled after the judging.
#2: Crazy Horse Lynda Hull Memorial Prize

Deadline is December 16th, 2008

fee: $16

size: 3-5 poems

prize: $2000

Crazyhorse publishes the entire spectrum of today’s fiction, essays, and poetry—from the mainstream to the avant-garde, from the established to the undiscovered writer. Each year Crazyhorse offers the Crazyhorse Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize for a single poem. The competition is open, the prize awards are currently $2000 and the winning piece of poetry is published in Crazyhorse.

More than one manuscript may be entered. For each poetry manuscript entered, please include the following reading fee, which includes a one-year/two-issue subscription to Crazyhorse: $16 per manuscript for new entrants, $14 per manuscript if you have entered the Crazyhorse prizes before. For each additional poem entered and entry fee paid, your subscription to Crazyhorse will extend by one year/two issues.

Please mail manuscripts and entry fee payment by Dec. 16, 2008. Each entry should have a cover page placed on the top of the manuscript with the entrant’s name, address, e-mail, and telephone number; please do not include identifying information on the manuscript itself, as all manuscript entries are made anonymous for review.

Include reading fee payment with each entry: a check written out to “Crazyhorse.”

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for notification of winners; entry manuscripts can not be returned; receipt of entry can only be confirmed by including a self-addressed stamped postcard with your entry or by USPS delivery confirmation.

(I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that these opportunities were brought to my attention via Wordhustler, one of the best resources for writers on the web.)