Skip to Content

The Prose Poem Contest (Gold Star Program) Gold Star

Welcome to The Prose Poem, a new prose poetry project.

We are currently seeking submissions of prose poems up to 500 words for online publication.

Please see our current submission calls for more details.

Prose Poetry Free Tip Jar Option

Open

Closes on Friday, December 15, 2023 11:59 PM GMT Standard Time (in 16 days)

Submission Call

  • We are currently reading prose poems of up to 500 words on any subject. We welcome micropoetry and other very short forms, as well as hybrid forms and ‘hermit crab’ poems that adopt the structure of other forms of writing (such as lists, forms, recipes, etc.).
  • We only publish prose poetry. We appreciate that there is a lot of crossover between the prose poem and forms such as narrative poetry, free verse, microfiction, flash fiction, etc. We are happy to read work that is on (or perhaps a little past) the fuzzy boundaries of these various forms, but we are unlikely to publish anything that looks like formal poetry or poetry consciously formatted in lines and stanzas without some nod to sentences, paragraphs, and/or other indicators of a prose-like sensibility.

Submission Guidelines

  • You may submit multiple poems.
  • We prefer .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .txt documents. If your piece relies heavily on formatting, please send us a pdf. (We will request another format if the poem is accepted for publication.)
  • Please do not include your name or personal details in the title or text of your document.
  • We publish on our website which is designed to be readable on many sizes of screens and which may not support unusual formatting decisions. Please keep this in mind when submitting. In some cases, we may have to publish poems as an image, or work with an author to find alternative formatting or digital publishing options.
  • We welcome simultaneous submissions but we only accept unpublished work. Please withdraw your piece by emailing us asap if it is picked up elsewhere. No refunds can be given.
  • We define previously published work as work that has appeared in other journals or on personal websites that are freely available. You are welcome to submit work that has appeared in private, password-protected writers’ forums and crtitique groups. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.
  • Submissions are free.
  • Donations are welcome and will go toward paying our expenses, including Duosuma fees, web hosting, and small honorariums for guest readers.
  • Submissions will be at no advantage or disadvantage based on donations.
  • Please include a print-ready third-persion bio and your name as you wish it to appear in print with your submission.

Terms of publication

  • We request first publication rights and a period of exclusivity for six months after publication. Copyright remains with the author at all times.
  • We are not in a position to be able to offer payment outside of our competition awards. (We expect to lose money on this project.)
  • We nominate for awards such as the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. In some cases, we are required to provide nominee's email address with a nomination so that they can be contacted should their work be chosen for an award. If you are not happy with us passing on your name and email address as part of an award nomination, please let us know when you submit your work. (This will in no way affect the decision to publish your work.)

Prose Poetry (1 poem)

Temp Closed

Opens on Monday, July 15, 2024 12:00 AM GMT Daylight Time (in 228 days)

We welcome submissions of prose poems of up to 500 words on any subject for our inaugural prose poetry competition.

Prizes:

  • First place: £100 plus publication
  • Second place: £50 plus publication
  • Third place: £25 plus publication
  • Honorable mention: £10 plus publication

Submission fees are:

  • 1 poem £3
  • 2 poems £4.50
  • 3 poems £6
  • Free submission are available for underrepresented writers and writers who cannot afford the submission fee. You do not need to give a reason for taking this option and your poem will not be at any disadvantage if you use the free entry. If you would like to make use of this, please email us at [email protected] for details.

Submission Call

  • We are currently reading prose poems of up to 500 words on any subject. We welcome micropoetry and other very short forms, as well as hybrid forms and ‘hermit crab’ poems that adopt the structure of other forms of writing (such as lists, forms, recipes, etc.).
  • We only publish prose poetry. We appreciate that there is a lot of crossover between the prose poem and forms such as narrative poetry, free verse, microfiction, flash fiction, etc. We are happy to read work that is on (or perhaps a little past) the fuzzy boundaries of these various forms, but we are unlikely to publish anything that looks like formal poetry or poetry consciously formatted in lines and stanzas without some nod to sentences, paragraphs, and/or other indicators of a prose-like sensibility.
  • We publish all poems that receive a cash prize (first, second and third place, plus honourable mentions). We offer publication to all longlisted pieces as well, but when you submit, you may opt not to publish with us if you do not win a cash prize.

Timeline

  • The competition is open for submissions from 15 July – 22 October (extended from 15 October)
  • The longlist will be announced by 30 October 2023
  • The shortlist will be announced by 15 November 2023
  • Winners will be announced by 30 November 2023

Unlike many competitions, we will be reading throughout the submission period, so you may receive a notification that you are on the longlist or that your poem is no longer being considered before the submission window is over. We will not announce prize winners and honourable mentions until after the competition closing date.

Submission Guidelines

  • You may submit as many times as you like, with a maximum of three poems per submission.
  • We prefer .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .txt documents. If your piece relies heavily on formatting, please send us a pdf. (We will request another format if the poem is accepted for publication.)
  • Please do not include your name or personal details in the title or text of your document.
  • We publish on our website which is designed to be readable on many sizes of screens and which may not support unusual formatting decisions. Please keep this in mind when submitting. In some cases, we may have to publish poems as an image, or work with an author to find alternative formatting options.
  • We welcome simultaneous submissions but we only accept unpublished work. Please withdraw your piece by emailing us asap if it is picked up elsewhere. No refunds can be given.
  • We define previously published work as work that has appeared in other journals or on personal websites that are freely available. You are welcome to submit work that has appeared in private, password-protected writers’ forums and crtitique groups. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

Terms of publication

  • All winning and highly commended pieces will be published on our website and will remain online for the lifetime of this project.
  • We request first publication rights and a period of exclusivity for six months after publication. Copyright remains with the author at all times.
  • Payment for prize-winning poetry can be made via PayPal or UK bank transfer.

Prose Poetry (2 poems)

Temp Closed

Opens on Monday, July 15, 2024 12:00 AM GMT Daylight Time (in 228 days)

We welcome submissions of prose poems of up to 500 words on any subject for our inaugural prose poetry competition.

Prizes:

  • First place: £100 plus publication
  • Second place: £50 plus publication
  • Third place: £25 plus publication
  • Honorable mention: £10 plus publication

Submission fees are:

  • 1 poem £3
  • 2 poems £4.50
  • 3 poems £6
  • Free submission are available for underrepresented writers and writers who cannot afford the submission fee. You do not need to give a reason for taking this option and your poem will not be at any disadvantage if you use the free entry. If you would like to make use of this, please email us at [email protected] for details.

Submission Call

  • We are currently reading prose poems of up to 500 words on any subject. We welcome micropoetry and other very short forms, as well as hybrid forms and ‘hermit crab’ poems that adopt the structure of other forms of writing (such as lists, forms, recipes, etc.).
  • We only publish prose poetry. We appreciate that there is a lot of crossover between the prose poem and forms such as narrative poetry, free verse, microfiction, flash fiction, etc. We are happy to read work that is on (or perhaps a little past) the fuzzy boundaries of these various forms, but we are unlikely to publish anything that looks like formal poetry or poetry consciously formatted in lines and stanzas without some nod to sentences, paragraphs, and/or other indicators of a prose-like sensibility.
  • We publish all poems that receive a cash prize (first, second and third place, plus honourable mentions). We offer publication to all longlisted pieces as well, but when you submit, you may opt not to publish with us if you do not win a cash prize.

Timeline

  • The competition is open for submissions from 15 July – 22 October (extended from 15 October)
  • The longlist will be announced by 30 October 2023
  • The shortlist will be announced by 15 November 2023
  • Winners will be announced by 30 November 2023

Unlike many competitions, we will be reading throughout the submission period, so you may receive a notification that you are on the longlist or that your poem is no longer being considered before the submission window is over. We will not announce prize winners and honourable mentions until after the competition closing date.

Submission Guidelines

  • You may submit as many times as you like, with a maximum of three poems per submission.
  • We prefer .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .txt documents. If your piece relies heavily on formatting, please send us a pdf. (We will request another format if the poem is accepted for publication.)
  • Please do not include your name or personal details in the title or text of your document.
  • We publish on our website which is designed to be readable on many sizes of screens and which may not support unusual formatting decisions. Please keep this in mind when submitting. In some cases, we may have to publish poems as an image, or work with an author to find alternative formatting options.
  • We welcome simultaneous submissions but we only accept unpublished work. Please withdraw your piece by emailing us asap if it is picked up elsewhere. No refunds can be given.
  • We define previously published work as work that has appeared in other journals or on personal websites that are freely available. You are welcome to submit work that has appeared in private, password-protected writers’ forums and crtitique groups. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

Terms of publication

  • All winning and highly commended pieces will be published on our website and will remain online for the lifetime of this project.
  • We request first publication rights and a period of exclusivity for six months after publication. Copyright remains with the author at all times.
  • Payment for prize-winning poetry can be made via PayPal or UK bank transfer.

Prose Poetry (3 poems)

Temp Closed

Opens on Monday, July 15, 2024 12:00 AM GMT Daylight Time (in 228 days)

We welcome submissions of prose poems of up to 500 words on any subject for our inaugural prose poetry competition.

Prizes:

  • First place: £100 plus publication
  • Second place: £50 plus publication
  • Third place: £25 plus publication
  • Honorable mention: £10 plus publication

Submission fees are:

  • 1 poem £3
  • 2 poems £4.50
  • 3 poems £6
  • Free submission are available for underrepresented writers and writers who cannot afford the submission fee. You do not need to give a reason for taking this option and your poem will not be at any disadvantage if you use the free entry. If you would like to make use of this, please email us at [email protected] for details.

Submission Call

  • We are currently reading prose poems of up to 500 words on any subject. We welcome micropoetry and other very short forms, as well as hybrid forms and ‘hermit crab’ poems that adopt the structure of other forms of writing (such as lists, forms, recipes, etc.).
  • We only publish prose poetry. We appreciate that there is a lot of crossover between the prose poem and forms such as narrative poetry, free verse, microfiction, flash fiction, etc. We are happy to read work that is on (or perhaps a little past) the fuzzy boundaries of these various forms, but we are unlikely to publish anything that looks like formal poetry or poetry consciously formatted in lines and stanzas without some nod to sentences, paragraphs, and/or other indicators of a prose-like sensibility.
  • We publish all poems that receive a cash prize (first, second and third place, plus honourable mentions). We offer publication to all longlisted pieces as well, but when you submit, you may opt not to publish with us if you do not win a cash prize.

Timeline

  • The competition is open for submissions from 15 July – 22 October (extended from 15 October)
  • The longlist will be announced by 30 October 2023
  • The shortlist will be announced by 15 November 2023
  • Winners will be announced by 30 November 2023

Unlike many competitions, we will be reading throughout the submission period, so you may receive a notification that you are on the longlist or that your poem is no longer being considered before the submission window is over. We will not announce prize winners and honourable mentions until after the competition closing date.

Submission Guidelines

  • You may submit as many times as you like, with a maximum of three poems per submission.
  • We prefer .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .txt documents. If your piece relies heavily on formatting, please send us a pdf. (We will request another format if the poem is accepted for publication.)
  • Please do not include your name or personal details in the title or text of your document.
  • We publish on our website which is designed to be readable on many sizes of screens and which may not support unusual formatting decisions. Please keep this in mind when submitting. In some cases, we may have to publish poems as an image, or work with an author to find alternative formatting options.
  • We welcome simultaneous submissions but we only accept unpublished work. Please withdraw your piece by emailing us asap if it is picked up elsewhere. No refunds can be given.
  • We define previously published work as work that has appeared in other journals or on personal websites that are freely available. You are welcome to submit work that has appeared in private, password-protected writers’ forums and crtitique groups. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

Terms of publication

  • All winning and highly commended pieces will be published on our website and will remain online for the lifetime of this project.
  • We request first publication rights and a period of exclusivity for six months after publication. Copyright remains with the author at all times.
  • Payment for prize-winning poetry can be made via PayPal or UK bank transfer.