Poetry First Book Contest: Crab Orchard Series in Poetry

Below are the guidelines for the 2015 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award (online submissions only):

A first book of poems will be selected for publication from an open competition of manuscripts, in English, by a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or person who has DACA/TPS status who has neither published, nor committed to publish, a volume of poetry 48 pages or more in length in an edition of over 500 copies* (individual poems may have been previously published; for the purposes of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry, a manuscript which was in whole or in part submitted as a thesis or dissertation as a requirement for the completion of a degree is considered unpublished and is eligible). Current or former students, colleagues, and close friends of the final judge, and current and former students and employees of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and authors who have published a book with Southern Illinois University Press or have a book under contract with Southern Illinois University Press are not eligible. For questions about judging, please visit our website.

The winner will receive a publication contract with Southern Illinois University Press, and will be awarded a $2500 prize. The winner will also receive $1500 as an honorarium for a reading at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
SUBMISSION PERIOD / DEADLINE: All entries must submitted online between May 15, 2015 and the end of July 8, 2015 (online entries will be accepted until 11:59:59 PM (PDT) on July 8, 2015). Please do not make revisions once your work is submitted; the winner will be given an opportunity to work with the series editor before the manuscript is delivered to SIU Press.

ENTRY FEE: $20.00 per entry (online submissions only through Submittable). Entry fees will not be refunded for manuscripts withdrawn by the author. All entrants will receive a single copy of the 2016 Winter/Spring CRAB ORCHARD REVIEW.

PAGE LENGTH: Manuscripts are recommended to be a minimum of 50 pages to a recommended maximum of 75 pages of original poetry.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSIONS: All entries should be made online through Submittable. The entry fee for each entry is $20.00. Payment for submissions must be made online.

Please submit your file in .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .pdf, .odt, or .wpf. 12-point font, Times New Roman or Times preferred. Manuscripts should be single-spaced. Include a Table of Contents. No more than one poem should appear on a page.

Submit a single title page with only the manuscript title in your file.

The author's name should appear nowhere in your file or in the file name. Your Submittable profile will include your name, address, phone, and e-mail so it should not appear in either your file name or your manuscript.

In the place of the cover letter or biographical note in the submission process, an acknowledgments page listing poems previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies can be submitted as your cover letter in Submittable. THIS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE MANUSCRIPT FILE.

Please name your file the manuscript title. If your manuscript title is long, name your file the first four words.

All entrants will be notified of the results via e-mail by October 1, 2015. 

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSION: Manuscripts may be under consideration elsewhere, but the series editor must be informed immediately if a collection is accepted for publication. Entry fees will not be refunded for manuscripts withdrawn by the author.

Entrants are not to contact the final judge under any circumstances; all questions should be directed to Jon Tribble, Series Editor of the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry. 

E-MAIL: 

jtribbleATsiuDOTedu (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)