The Backwaters Prize in Poetry

A project of The Backwaters Press (see other related projects).

About

The Backwaters Prize in Poetry, an international poetry book competition, was initiated in 1998 and continues under the auspices of UNP. The annual Prize builds upon an impressive backlist in poetry and creative prose. Each year one poetry manuscript is selected as an overall winner, and one poetry manuscript is selected as an honorable mention, by a committee of preliminary judges and one final judge for inclusion in this series. Contest winners are chosen by distinguished American poets; past judges include Hayden Carruth (winner of the National Book Award and the National Book Circle Critics Award), Philip Levine (National Book Award winner and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize), and Ted Kooser (Poet Laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner). Both the selected winner and honorable mention are published by the University of Nebraska Press.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee is USD $32 (above average for contests).

Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 1998

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication: Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

31 members set this contest as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed: The Backwaters Prize in Poetry's overall average response time is within a normal range for contests.
More Challenging: The Backwaters Prize in Poetry's overall acceptance rate is lower than most contests.
Less Responsive: The Backwaters Prize in Poetry's overall rate of non-response is higher than most contests.

Learn more about our statistics

Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 April 2027* (approx. 156 days from now) through 01 May 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poetry Collection: 60 - 85 pages.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms, including: Long poetry.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional advance (US$2000 or more) + No royalties Professional advance. No royalties. Details: USD $2,000 for winner.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

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For the Editor(s):
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The Backwaters Prize in Poetry Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

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Accuracy

We have received 18 reports from 18 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

82 min | 114.6 mean avg | 111.5 median | 173 max days (18.9 std dev)

Responses

88.89 %

Acceptances:

0.00 %

Rejections:

88.89 % (114.1 avg. days per rejection) | 0.0 % personal, 62.5 % form, 37.5 % unspecified

Non-Responses

5.56 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

5.56 % (173.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

5.56 % (82.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

1 response is pending (182 days waiting).

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $32.00.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 12 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 May 2026.
Date compiled: 26 Oct 2026 18:14 UTC (5 hours, 46 minutes ago).

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Your Submissions

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Flyover Fiction
Frontiers
University of Nebraska Press

Untidy Season: Anthology of Nebraska Women Poets CLOSED
Zero Street Fiction

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 09 Oct 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.