Writing Competition: 2019 Wilder Series Poetry Book Prize for Women Over Age 50

2019 Wilder Series Poetry Book Prize:
A Poetry Contest for Women Over Age 50

Deadline: December 31, 2019 

Judges: The editors of Two Sylvias Press--
Kelli Russell Agodon and Annette Spaulding-Convy

Prize: $1000 and publication by Two Sylvias Press (print book and a vintage art nouveau pendant). 

The Wilder Series Book Prize is open to women over 50 years of age (established or emerging poets) and includes a $1000 prize, publication by Two Sylvias Press, 20 copies of the winning book, and a vintage, art nouveau pendant. Women submitting manuscripts may be poets with one or more previously published chapbooks/books or poets without any prior chapbook/book publications. (We use an inclusive definition of “woman” and “female” and we welcome trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who are significantly female-identified.)

All manuscripts will be considered for publication.  

Please read the complete guidelines below before submitting your manuscript.

Submission Requirements:

• Please submit an original, unpublished full-length manuscript of poetry (no translations or previously self-published books). Individual poems may have been previously published in journals, magazines, anthologies, and chapbooks, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. 

• Open to: Women over the age of 50 (born on or before December 31, 1969) 

• Length: 48-80 pages of poems

• (One poem per page. Note: poems can be longer than one page, we just want to make sure each poem begins on its own page and that two poems are never included on the same page.)

• Manuscript should include a table of contents and an acknowledgments page for previously published poems.

• Poet’s name should not appear in the manuscript.

A poet may submit more than one manuscript for consideration. Submit additional manuscript(s) in a separate email(s) and include submission fee(s).

Simultaneous submissions allowed. Please notify Two Sylvias Press immediately if manuscript is accepted elsewhere.

NOTE: Our mission at Two Sylvias Press is to support poets. Your manuscript will NOT be disqualified if it was submitted incorrectly. We will not penalize you for trying and making a mistake. If we have a question or concern about your manuscript format, we will contact you and allow you to resubmit. Please know that we are on your side. Thank you for trusting us with your work.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Electronic submissions only, emailed to:

twosylviaswilderseriesATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

Note: If you do not receive an email confirmation of your submission within 24 hours, resubmit your manuscript. The confirmation email may be in your spam folder. Please do not email Two Sylvias Press to receive an individual confirmation of receipt of your manuscript or to confirm your payment.

In the body of email, please include a short bio, manuscript title, page length, poet’s name, and all contact info (email, mailing address, and phone number).

Email subject line should include: last name, manuscript title, and the year (2018).

Attach your manuscript as an MS Word Doc and email to:

twosylviaswilderseriesATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

Submission/Reading Fee is $20 per manuscript OR $35, which includes copy of the winning book.

Address any questions to:

twosylviaspressATgmailDOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to . )

Full guidelines can be found here.