Editor Interview: The Tenth Gate Prize

mid-career poets

Agni, Salamander, Rattle, Plume, The Awl

We're interested in a wide range of aesthetics for the Tenth Gate prize--from the restrained lyric to broad cultural satire, from themed projects to true collections. Poets we admire include Vijay Seshadri, David Baker, Tyehimba Jess, Wislawa Szymborksa, Patricia Smith, Barbara Hamby, Cathy Park Hong, Deborah Digges, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Kimiko Hahn, Camille T. Dungy, and Richie Hoffman.

The Tenth Gate series publishes the work of a mid-career poet writing in English. The poet must have previously published at least two full-length collections with established presses. The series is dedicated to Jane Hirshfield, who acknowledges the importance of accretion in the life of a poet. We use a new judge each year, and choose judges who have an abiding interest in both craft and originality, whose own work exemplifies what it means to patiently and bravely develop a personal poetics over many years.

Submit your most polished, most surprising work. Each individual poem, from a two-liner to a multi-page epic, matters. We do not read cover letters or notes of explanation when selecting the finalists and winner; in fact, all submissions should omit any identifying information, including an acknowledgments page.

The ideal submission is between 50 and 80 pages long, each page of which is necessary to the work as a whole. We admire risk-taking in any of its forms. We welcome submissions from past years and we take pleasure in publishing work that we've seen before in earlier incarnations. This series champions poets who are in it for the long haul.

In the past, some submitters have ignored the request that at least two full-length poetry collections have preceded the one under submission. "Published by an established press" means that we do not include self-published work, whether individually or through a micro-press or by longtime friends is not what we're looking for. We acknowledge and celebrate perseverance and dedication to your long-term development.
Also, a surprising number of poets don't cooperate with the request that all identifying material, including the acknowledgments page, be removed from the manuscript. Please take the extra minute to do this so that all manuscripts start on a level playing field. Thank you!

All manuscripts are read anonymously. Once finalists are chosen, the president of the press does a check of the publication history (at least two full-length poetry collections with established presses) before the names are announced.

Every submissions is read fully from page one to the end, for many books take time to build their case. We understand that when we hold your poetry manuscript in our hands, we're holding years of exploration, thinking, and craft, and that publication is extremely important, both professionally and personally, to you as a poet in mid-career. We will not choose a judge who can't share that careful and thoughtful approach to every manuscript.

A small, hand-picked team of diverse and dedicated poets all read the entire submission pool and discuss all submissions until a smaller pool is chosen to send to that year's judge. NOTE: This team is different every year, to assure poets that each year provides a new opportunity to win the prize.

I read widely in contemporary English language poetry and poetry criticism, and of course work on my own poems and books. I dedicate most of every summer to reading and discussing the submissions with the Tenth Gate team.

We think it's imperative for editor and poet to discuss every aspect of the collection. We see ourselves as part of the book's team, from selection to production to active promotion in the years that follow. While the poet has the final say about any changes, we expect an open mind and willing collaboration toward the goal of creating the absolutely best book possible and making sure it reaches a wide audience. The press asks the poet to seek "outside eyes" during the copy-editing phase and employs its own copy-editor who will supply suggestions and questions for consideration by editor and poet. The poet is responsible for approving the final galleys.

We certainly do. We're happy to work with the poet in submitting the book for awards.