Description: Sponsored by our publishing partner, Shadow Dog Press, the 2025 Rising Poet Chapbook Prize seeks to elevate and reward exceptional emerging literary talent.
Submission Window: March 10th, 2025 at 12:01 am EST through August 10th, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
Prize:
Publication by Shadow Dog Press with a transparent and competitive royalties contract, including:
-A $500 advance (payable upon signing)
-25 author copies
-Chapbook marketing & promotions
-A multi-page feature in SDL Review
-A 5-year digital subscription to SDL Review
-2 print copies of the issue(s) in which you are featured.
Up to three prize packages will be awarded. All submissions will be considered for offers of publication.
Eligibility: The 2025 Rising Poet Chapbook Prize is open to previously unpublished chapbook-length poetry manuscripts from all US-based poets who have not yet published a full-length collection. Here, for the purposes of The 2025 Rising Poet Chapbook Prize eligibility, we consider “published” to mean any full-length collection that has been traditionally or self-published in any print and/or digital format. Individual pieces that have been previously published may be included, provided you hold the rights and proper acknowledgments are made. We ask that no more than 1/3 of your manuscript be made up of previously published work. Employees and board members of Shadow Dog Press Literary Group entities and their immediate family members are ineligible. We do not accept any submissions created, in whole or in part, with or assisted by generative AI. We require a personal statement certifying that generative AI was not used at any stage in the creation process of your manuscript. This does not include simple spellcheck applications. Learn more about our AI policy.
Reading fee: $18
Every submitter receives personalized manuscript feedback.
A limited amount of sponsored free submission slots will open to submitters August 1st, 2025 at Noon EST and remain open until exhausted or the submission window closes.
Submission Guidelines: When building your submission packet, please be sure to adhere to the following guidelines. Submissions that do not follow the guidelines below will be rejected.
Assembling your submission packet: We require you to submit the following separate documents.
Document #1- Your Manuscript
—An eligible chapbook manuscript saved as a .docx file of no less than 15, but no more than 30 pages.
—Start each piece on a new page.
—Please be sure to strip identifying information from your manuscript document.
—Include your manuscript title in the header of each page.
—Number your pages.
—Page size 8.5×11, with all margins set to 1 inch.
—Use 12pt Times New Roman.
—Images- Please do not include art or images in your submission. You’ll have ample opportunity to discuss art and imagery with your publishing team should your manuscript be accepted.
Document #2- Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter should be a single-page document consisting of a few paragraphs that introduce both you as the author of the work and the work itself. Beneath that information, please provide a brief 3rd-person bio. Next, list your website and any social media handles you have. After that, include a brief statement certifying no generative AI was used at any point during the creation of your manuscript.
Finally, include your contact information as follows:
—Pen Name under which you wish to publish, if applicable
—Pronouns
—Legal Name (for internal uses such as accounting and contracts)
—Email address
—Mailing address
—Phone number
Document #3- Acknowledgements Page
Please provide a list of the individual previously published works included in this manuscript, including their original publishers and respective issue, volume, or online domain as applicable.
Please note that the inclusion of this document is only required if any of the individual pieces that make up your chapbook manuscript have been previously published elsewhere as defined in the eligibility section above.
Rules, Restrictions, Terms, and Conditions
The 2025 Rising Poet Chapbook Prize adheres to the Shadow Dog Literary Inc. Mission Statement and the CLMP Contest Code of Ethics and operates on a yearly cycle. The contest is organized and administered in a three-phase format.
Phase I— Submissions period. The 2025 submissions period runs from 12:01 am EST March 10th, 2025 through 11:59 pm EST August 10th, 2025.
Phase II— The Selection Process. Blind reading of manuscripts may commence no earlier than August 12th, 2025, however, in adherence with the Shadow Dog Literary Inc.’s nonprofit mission statement of commitment to Publishing Excellence and maintaining high editorial standards, a minimum threshold of submissions must be met to commence the selection process. In the event that the threshold is not met by the end of the submission window, the window will be extended in 30-day increments until the threshold is met. At least one submission will be selected. The number of additional selections is based on the overall quality of the submissions received and the total volume of submissions received within the current prize cycle submission window.
Phase III- Notification Period— Decision notifications are to be sent out no later than the 21st of November 2025 provided the submission window runs as scheduled. Should the submission window need to be extended in accordance with the rules above, this date will also be adjusted. All submissions will be answered. Decisions are delivered via email. If you would also like to receive a physical decision letter, please send a S.A.S.E. to
Shadow Dog Press
P.O. Box 39
North Adams, MA 01247
before the 1st of August 2025. Selections will be announced on Shadow Dog Group’s social media channels. The Shadow’s Call newsletter, and in The SDL review. Selected manuscripts will be slated for release dates throughout 2026.
The Reading Fee—All fees collected go to paying and elevating writers, as well as transaction, platform, and administration fees associated with doing so. Shadow Dog Literary Inc. is a small nonprofit in its infancy, started with seed money scraped together by working-class writers. We’re run by volunteers still seeking sponsors at this time, but we hope to lower or eliminate submission fees as we grow and our funding increases.
The Prize Packages— Each selected manuscript’s author will be awarded a transparent and competitive publishing contract with our partner publisher, Shadow Dog Press Independent Publishing House that includes a $500 cash advance, (payable upon signing,) royalties, and 25 author copies; chapbook marketing & promotions, a multi-page feature in The SDL Review, a 5-year (25 issues) digital subscription to The SDL Review and 2 print copies of the issue in which you are featured. Up to three prize packages will be awarded. Should a selected manuscript’s author decline our offer to publish, the prize package will default to the runner-up.
If you have any questions not answered here, please send an email to ChapbookPrize@ShadowDogPress.com
NOTICE: Abuse, threats, harassment, and mistreatment directed toward any member of our staff or our contributors on or off our platforms will result in being permanently banned by Shadow Dog Literary Group, all its holdings, and partner programs, including but not limited to its current and future holdings, publications, platforms, events, social media pages, outreach and support programs, grants, scholarships, contracts, prizes, awards, etc. and reported to the authorities as necessary.
Publication by Shadow Dog Press with a transparent and competitive royalties contract, including:
-A $500 advance (payable upon signing)
-25 author copies
-Chapbook marketing & promotions
-A multi-page feature in SDL Review
-A 5-year digital subscription to SDL Review
-2 print copies of the issue(s) in which you are featured.
Up to three prize packages will be awarded. All submissions will be considered for offers of publication.
Eligibility: The 2025 Rising Poet Chapbook Prize is open to previously unpublished chapbook-length poetry manuscripts from all US-based poets who have not yet published a full-length collection. Here, for the purposes of The 2025 Rising Poet Chapbook Prize eligibility, we consider “published” to mean any full-length collection that has been traditionally or self-published in any print and/or digital format. Individual pieces that have been previously published may be included, provided you hold the rights and proper acknowledgments are made. We ask that no more than 1/3 of your manuscript be made up of previously published work. Employees and board members of Shadow Dog Press Literary Group entities and their immediate family members are ineligible. We do not accept any submissions created, in whole or in part, with or assisted by generative AI. We require a personal statement certifying that generative AI was not used at any stage in the creation process of your manuscript. This does not include simple spellcheck applications. Learn more about our AI policy.
Reading fee: $18
Every submitter receives personalized manuscript feedback.
A limited amount of sponsored free submission slots will open to submitters August 1st, 2025 at Noon EST and remain open until exhausted or the submission window closes.
Submission Guidelines: When building your submission packet, please be sure to adhere to the following guidelines. Submissions that do not follow the guidelines below will be rejected.
Assembling your submission packet: We require you to submit the following separate documents.
Document #1- Your Manuscript
—An eligible chapbook manuscript saved as a .docx file of no less than 15, but no more than 30 pages.
—Start each piece on a new page.
—Please be sure to strip identifying information from your manuscript document.
—Include your manuscript title in the header of each page.
—Number your pages.
—Page size 8.5×11, with all margins set to 1 inch.
—Use 12pt Times New Roman.
—Images- Please do not include art or images in your submission. You’ll have ample opportunity to discuss art and imagery with your publishing team should your manuscript be accepted.
Document #2- Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter should be a single-page document consisting of a few paragraphs that introduce both you as the author of the work and the work itself. Beneath that information, please provide a brief 3rd-person bio. Next, list your website and any social media handles you have. After that, include a brief statement certifying no generative AI was used at any point during the creation of your manuscript.
Finally, include your contact information as follows:
—Pen Name under which you wish to publish, if applicable
—Pronouns
—Legal Name (for internal uses such as accounting and contracts)
—Email address
—Mailing address
—Phone number
Document #3- Acknowledgements Page
Please provide a list of the individual previously published works included in this manuscript, including their original publishers and respective issue, volume, or online domain as applicable.
Please note that the inclusion of this document is only required if any of the individual pieces that make up your chapbook manuscript have been previously published elsewhere as defined in the eligibility section above.
Rules, Restrictions, Terms, and Conditions
The 2025 Rising Poet Chapbook Prize adheres to the Shadow Dog Literary Inc. Mission Statement and the CLMP Contest Code of Ethics and operates on a yearly cycle. The contest is organized and administered in a three-phase format.
Phase I— Submissions period. The 2025 submissions period runs from 12:01 am EST March 10th, 2025 through 11:59 pm EST August 10th, 2025.
Phase II— The Selection Process. Blind reading of manuscripts may commence no earlier than August 12th, 2025, however, in adherence with the Shadow Dog Literary Inc.’s nonprofit mission statement of commitment to Publishing Excellence and maintaining high editorial standards, a minimum threshold of submissions must be met to commence the selection process. In the event that the threshold is not met by the end of the submission window, the window will be extended in 30-day increments until the threshold is met. At least one submission will be selected. The number of additional selections is based on the overall quality of the submissions received and the total volume of submissions received within the current prize cycle submission window.
Phase III- Notification Period— Decision notifications are to be sent out no later than the 21st of November 2025 provided the submission window runs as scheduled. Should the submission window need to be extended in accordance with the rules above, this date will also be adjusted. All submissions will be answered. Decisions are delivered via email. If you would also like to receive a physical decision letter, please send a S.A.S.E. to
Shadow Dog Press
P.O. Box 39
North Adams, MA 01247
before the 1st of August 2025. Selections will be announced on Shadow Dog Group’s social media channels. The Shadow’s Call newsletter, and in The SDL review. Selected manuscripts will be slated for release dates throughout 2026.
The Reading Fee—All fees collected go to paying and elevating writers, as well as transaction, platform, and administration fees associated with doing so. Shadow Dog Literary Inc. is a small nonprofit in its infancy, started with seed money scraped together by working-class writers. We’re run by volunteers still seeking sponsors at this time, but we hope to lower or eliminate submission fees as we grow and our funding increases.
The Prize Packages— Each selected manuscript’s author will be awarded a transparent and competitive publishing contract with our partner publisher, Shadow Dog Press Independent Publishing House that includes a $500 cash advance, (payable upon signing,) royalties, and 25 author copies; chapbook marketing & promotions, a multi-page feature in The SDL Review, a 5-year (25 issues) digital subscription to The SDL Review and 2 print copies of the issue in which you are featured. Up to three prize packages will be awarded. Should a selected manuscript’s author decline our offer to publish, the prize package will default to the runner-up.
If you have any questions not answered here, please send an email to ChapbookPrize@ShadowDogPress.com
NOTICE: Abuse, threats, harassment, and mistreatment directed toward any member of our staff or our contributors on or off our platforms will result in being permanently banned by Shadow Dog Literary Group, all its holdings, and partner programs, including but not limited to its current and future holdings, publications, platforms, events, social media pages, outreach and support programs, grants, scholarships, contracts, prizes, awards, etc. and reported to the authorities as necessary.
