Submission period: 

July 15–August 31, 2024
(Email/Electronic entries only; must be received by midnight CDT on 8/31.)

Poetry Contest Entry Fee:

$12 for members, $15 for non-members
Pay Entry fee below (when contest opens)

Poetry Contest Categories & Rules:

Click to view/download a complete list of categories and rules (PDF) ➞

Contest Rules, Submission Guidelines & details listed below ↓

Chicagoland Annual Poetry Contest

Prizes:

$50, $30, $20, plus three Honorable Mentions in each category.

Entry fees:

$12 for members, $15 for non-members. This covers one poem per category. This basic fee will be the same whether you enter in just one category or all of them. However, if you wish to enter more than one poem in any category, you will need to pay an additional $1 per poem if you are a Poets & Patrons member, or $2 per poem if you are not a member.

Limit of 3 poems per category.
Note: Poets cannot be awarded or recognized more than once in any category.

To join Poets & Patrons visit our membership page ➞

Contest Rules, Submission Guidelines, Categories, and details below ↓

Poetry Contest Entry Fee

All poets must pay the entry fee of $12 (members) or $15 (non-members), but you may enter any amount of additional poems for $1 each (members), or $2 each (non-members). After selecting an entry fee you have the option to enter additional poems.

Please read and complete the entry form carefully.

Contest Rules:

Poems must not have been published elsewhere, be under consideration for publication elsewhere, posted anywhere online, or created using artificial intelligence. In addition, poems must not have won previous cash awards from Poets & Patrons.

Poems need to be in English. Please, no unusual fonts or graphics/photos. For the Ekphrastic category, please do not submit a photo or image of the artwork that the poem was inspired by. You may include the title of the piece of art and the artist’s name.

You may not enter the same poem in more than one category. Limit of 3 poems per category.

Line limit: 60 lines (counting epigraph, section numbers, and blank lines between stanzas, if any). Miniature poem: 12 lines (including spaces between lines). Poems that exceed the line limits will not be considered.

Submission Guidelines:

Email only; no paper entries accepted. Submit 7/15 – 8/31.

How to Prepare Your Poems for Submission
Save each poem as a Word document or a PDF with the category description and poem title as the document name (for example, Humorous-Johnny Carson). Do Not put your name or any other identification on each poem.

How to Email Your Poems
Email your poems to Maggie Kennedy, Contest Chair, at maggiev@ameritech.net. Please follow these instructions:

1. In the email subject line, use the words “Contest” and your last name in the subject line (for example, Contest-Smith).

2. In the body of your email, note the following:
• Your name, mailing address, preferred email, and preferred phone number
• Whether or not you are currently a Poets & Patrons member
• A list of the categories you are submitting poems to and the titles of the poems you are submitting for each category. For example: Free Verse: Mountain Cabin, Nature: Blackbird, Lake Breeze, and Ant Hill
• The total fee amount you are paying via the Poets & Patrons website.

3. Attach each of your poems to your submission email. Double check that you have followed all instructions before sending. If you are concerned that you are attaching too many documents to one email, feel free to break them down into two or three emails, following the same instructions for each email outlined above.

4. If you have any questions, feel free to email Maggie Kennedy, Contest Chair, at maggiev@ameritech.net.

How to Pay
See above for submission fees. Please pay online above (when contest opens).
Your submission will not be accepted until you have paid the fee.

Notes About Winners:

A list of winners’ names and their poem titles will be posted at the Poets & Patrons website after all winners have been notified. All winning poets will be invited to participate in an online reading in the fall.

Winning poets retain all rights. Winning poems will not be published.

Notes About Judging:

All judging is done anonymously; no judges are affiliated with Poets & Patrons. The decisions of judges are final.

Contest Categories

Note: All categories are open to all unless otherwise noted.

Regrets
Judge: Sal Marici

Rodents
Judge: Susan Chambers

Music
Judge: Joe Cavanaugh

Exploring
Judge: Marilyn Wolf

Chicago (open only to Poets & Patrons members and those who live within 100 miles of Chicago) Judge: Mario Smith