2021 Ex Ophidia Poetry Book Contest

Former Washington State poet laureate Kathleen Flennikin (Famous, Plume, Post Romantic) will judge the 2021 Ex Ophidia Press Poetry Book Prize. Entries will be accepted from May 1 to August 31, 2021. The winning author receives $1,000 in cash, publication of the winning manuscript as a paperback book, and ten copies. The judge will choose the winner and nine finalists, who will all receive a certificate of merit and a copy of the winning book. The prize-winning book will be published in summer 2022, and the author receives royalties on all books sold.

The contest is open to all authors writing in English, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Manuscripts may be submitted by agents or other third parties with the author’s permission. Translations, collaborative works, prose poetry, and erotica are not eligible for this contest. By entering the contest, the author affirms that the work is their own. In previous years this contest has attracted from 150 to 300 contestants.

The manuscript must consist of from 75 to 100 numbered pages, including the title page and table of contents. Please do not include acknowledgements or illustrations. The manuscript and all other communications with Ex Ophidia Press must be typed single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font in a recent version of Microsoft Word. The manuscript must not contain the author’s name. Please remember that a 9 x 6-inch book publication restricts the format of the poems, so lines regularly longer than four inches, concrete poems, or experimental formats may regrettably disqualify a manuscript for purely technical reasons.

Manuscripts must be entered electronically via Submittable. Hard copies will not be considered. Contestants must include a submission form with their name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. An optional cover letter may include acknowledgements, a description of the contents of the manuscript, and a brief autobiography.

Link to the submission page:

https://exophidiapress.submittable.com/submit