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Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize

A project of Michigan State University Press (see other related projects).

About

The Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize is awarded annually. Submission periods for first books of poetry and those by previously published poets alternate every year.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions.
The fee is USD $15 (average for contests).
Important: In even numbered years, the contest is only open to writers who have at least one full-length collection published. In odd numbered year, it is only open to those who have not yet had a full-length collection published.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Contest Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed
Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize's overall average response time is within a normal range for contests.

Poetry Open Fee-based

Dates:

Open to poetry submissions through 01 October 2026* (approx. 15 days from now).

6

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poetry Collection: 64 pages or more.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Semi-pro advance (US$200-1999) + Unknown royalties Semi-pro advance. Unknown royalties. Details: USD $1,000.

Submissions:

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

Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize 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.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 8 reports from 8 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
78 min | 104.0 mean avg | 95.0 median | 169 max days (32.6 std dev)
Pending
3 responses are pending (1 min | 6.7 mean avg | 9.0 median | 10 max days waiting | 358.2 std dev) from 3 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $15.00.
Most recent response reported was received on 09 Feb 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 01 Oct 2025.
Date compiled: 16 Sep 2026 21:29 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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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: 14 Aug 2026

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

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