With the new season of magazines out there, we at PoetryMama have come back with a new refreshing list of best paid poetry contests of 2025, because we acknowledge the amount of blood, sweat and tears it takes for writers to find the perfect platforms for their work.
Our list consists of the world renowned magazines, established publishing sites, authors and poets who are eager to publish and support new budding writers.
(If you are interested in contests without any entry fee, we got you too. Click on the link down below)
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List of Paid Poetry Contests:
1. The Letter Review Prize for Poetry
Deadline: Open
Entry fee: $15 USD
Guidelines: Up to 70 lines per poem. Open to all nationalities. No style or subject restrictions.
Prize: 1000 USD Prize pool for our 2-4 Winners. Winners are published by The Letter Review. Up to 20 entrants Shortlisted. All entries are considered for publication, and submission to anthologies such as The Pushcart Prize. Judges’ feedback available. Judged blind.
2. The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books
Deadline: Open
Entry fee: $25 USD
Guidelines: Open to all nationalities. No style or subject restrictions. Submit the first 15 pages of your poetry chapbook. Poems of all varieties are welcome. Sonnets, comedy, blank verse, epic, rhyming, childrens, free verse etc.
Prize: $1000 USD Prize pool for our 2-4 Winners. Optional: Winners are offered the option to publish an extract at The Letter Review. Up to 20 entrants Shortlisted. Judges’ feedback available. Judged blind.
3. Ploughshares Submissions
Deadline: January 15 at noon EST
Entry fee: $3.75
Guidelines: 1-5 pages of poetry are accepted. Translations are welcome if permission has been granted by the original author. Previously published work is not considered. Do not consider multiple submissions. Simultaneous submissions to other journals are welcome.
Prize: $45/printed page, $90 minimum per title, $450 maximum per author. Two contributor copies of the issue. A discounted rate for additional contributor copies.
A one-year subscription.
4. Red Rock Review
Deadline: Sat, Mar 1, 2025 1:30
Entry Fee: $2.00
Guidelines: submissions of no more than 80 lines. Send no more than five poems/ ten pages of poetry per submission.
traditional form and bold experimental poetry, as well as original translations of previously published work are accepted. Accepts simultaneous submissions.
For translations: accepts translations into English from any language; especially translations from Spanish. Submitter must have permission from the poem’s copyright holder in order to translate/ publish it.
Prize: Two free contributor copies + publication
5. Swamp Pink Poetry Prize
Deadline: Sat, Jun 1, 2025 3:30 PM
Entry fee: $3
Guidelines: submit a set of 3-6 poems. We accept simultaneous submissions for all genres.
Prize: $40
6. Midway Journal’s Action/Words Poetry Contest
Deadline: October 1st – December 31st
Entry fee: $10 per entry (unlimited entries)
Guidelines: Seeks submissions that call for, enact, or reflect upon connections between poetry and praxis. Previously published work will not be accepted. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Up to 3 poems per entry. Any style. No word limits. No more than one poem per page.
Theme: “To split”
Prize:
1st Prize – $300
2nd Prize – $150
3rd Prize – $50
7. Wingword Poetry Competition
Deadline: open
Entry fee: one poem, three poems, five poems and ten poems is INR 1000, INR 2000, INR 3000, INR 5000 respectively.
Guidelines: poet must be an Indian national, resident of India or a person of Indian origin to enter the competition. Any length and style of poetry is accepted. Previously published poems are allowed.
Prize: 1st Prize: INR 50,000 + Book Publication
2nd Prize: INR 30,000
3rd Prize: INR 20,000
The top 10 rankholders will receive INR 10,000
100 Commendable Mentions are published in the annual Wingword anthology
8. Laureate Prize
Deadline: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $25 per submission
Guidelines: Full length books should be between 50-80 pages. Books centered around a unifying theme will be given preference. The collection as a whole must be unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are permitted.
Prize:
- $500 and 20 copies of their book.
9. The 2024 Perkoff Prize
Deadline: Open
Entry fee: $4
Guidelines: Poems up to 8-20 pages are accepted. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Entries must be previously unpublished.
Prize: $1000 and publication
10. In-House Poem Contest
Deadline: Thu, Jan 16, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $25.00
Guidelines: 5 poems are accepted. Poems may have been published individually, but not as a collection. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Each poem must not exceed sixty lines. Do not accept translations.
Prize: 300 USD, five copies of the anthology they appear in, and the opportunity to participate in a standout interview about their work.
Finalists will receive $50 USD, publication in Driftwood Press‘ annual anthology, and a free copy of the anthology they appear in.
11. TriQuarterly
Deadline: Wed, Jan 1, 2025 11:30 AM
Entry fee: $2
Guidelines: Submit up to 6 previously unpublished poems of any style or sensibility. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Prize: Publication+ Profit
12. Women’s Poetry Competition 2024
Deadline: 9 December 2024
Entry fee: £10.00
Guidelines: Submit up to 3 poems with a maximum of 10 pages.
Theme: poems that make the strange feel natural, and the natural feel strange.
Prize: 1st: £2,000; 2nd: £500; 3rd: £250 .
13. The NARRATIVE| POEM OF THE WEEK
Deadline: open
Entry fee: $19/entry
Guidelines: May contain up to five poems. Your submission should give a strong sense of your style and range. Accept submissions of all poetic forms and genres but do not accept translations.
Prize: Authors are paid $100 (reprints) to $200 for a poem published as a Poem of the Week, and all the Poems of the Week written by new and emerging writers are eligible for our annual $4,000 Narrative Prize.
14. The Greensboro Review
Deadline: Thu, Jan 2, 2025 10:30 AM
Entry fee: $3/poem
Guidelines: Entries must be previously unpublished. They do accept simultaneous submissions. Poetry entries can include up to 10 pages.
Prize: publication
15. Gulf Coast Submission
Deadline: Sun, Mar 2, 2025 11:30 AM $3.00
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: entry may consist of up to 5 poems at no more than 200 lines each. Poems submitted may not be previously published and must be the original work of the contestant. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
Prize: $50 per page for poetry
16. 2025 Colorado Prize for Poetry
Deadline: Mon, Jan 20, 2025 12:30 PM
Entry fee: $28.00
Guidelines: Book-length poetry manuscripts will be accepted. May consist of poems that have been published. The theme and style are both open. Must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages. Translations are not eligible.
Prize: $2,500 honorarium.
17. Mississippi Review Poetry Prize
Deadline: Thu, Jan 2, 2025 11:30 AM
Entry fee: $16.00
Guidelines: poetry entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less. There is no limit on the number of entries you may submit. Previously published work is ineligible. Paper entries will still be accepted.
Prize: $1,000
18. PRISM international
Deadline: Tue, Dec 10, 2024 1:30 PM .
Entry fee: $3.00
Guidelines: welcome cross-genre, hybrid, and interdisciplinary poetry and poetics. Submissions must be previously unpublished, in print and online. Accepts simultaneous submissions.
Prize: $500
19. Lefty Blondie Press
Deadline: January 15, 2025
Entry fee: $5
Guidelines: Submit up to 3 poems. No limit on form or topic, though 40 lines or less work better for the broadside format. Previously unpublished poems preferred. Previously published may be considered if the author owns copyright and includes acknowledgement. Simultaneous submissions accepted.
Prize: publication
20. Harbor Review -the Editor’s Prize
Deadline: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $15.00
Guidelines: Awarded once a year for a micro chapbook. Should be exactly 10 poems. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. They do not accept translations.
Prize: $200 and publication of their micro chapbook
21. Harbor Editions – Laureate Prize
Deadline: Sat, Feb 1, 2025 1:30 PM
Entry fee: $25.00
Guidelines: Full length books should be between 50-80 pages. The collection as a whole must be unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are permitted. They do not accept translations. All fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers.
Prize: $500 and 20 copies of their book
22. THE GRIFFIN POETRY PRIZE 2024
Deadline:
Works published between January 1 and June 30 are to be submitted
and postmarked no later than June 30. Submissions must be received
by JULY 7, 2025.
Works published between July 1 and December 31 are to be submitted
and postmarked no later than December 31. Submissions must be
received by January 7, 2025.
Entry fee: Not mentioned.
Guidelines: Submissions must come from publishers. No SELF-PUBLISHING BOOK is eligible. All books must carry an ISBN.
Prize: Winner will receive C$130,000 and the other shortlisted poets will each receive C$10,000.
23. Mississippi Review
Deadline: Thu, Jan 2, 2025 11:30 AM
Entry fee: $16.00
Guidelines: entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less. There is no limit on the number of entries you may submit. Previously published work is ineligible. Simultaneous submissions are welcomed.
Prize: $1,000
24. -1000 Below: Flash Prose and Poetry Contest 2024
Deadline: March 1st to June 1st, 2024
Entry fee: $10 per entry (unlimited entries)
Guidelines: Up to 2 poems per entry are allowed with up to 50 words per poem. No more than one poem per page. All submissions will be considered for publication.
Prize: First Prize: $500 + publication in Midway Journal
Second Prize:$250 + publication in Midway Journal
Third Prize: $50 + publication in Midway Journal
6 thoughts on “20+ Paid Poetry Contests to enter in 2025”
Can we please get more poetry scholarships , fellowships and no entry poetry competitions .
Definitely! We’ll soon update our list of contests to 30 contests with no entry fee.
I started writing poetry late, have won an international award, and been published after retirement why are so many contests for children and young poets only modern stuff, there is value in tradition, and learning, insight, and experience come with age.
In our opinion, it’s solely because a lot of young writers want to establish their career as soon as possible in todays competitive world.
I would like to write regularly for a site or magazine on a payment basis.Presently am on allpoetry.I just discovered, Poetry is one of my passionate strengths
Great! We always include magazine submissions in the lists. Subscribe for updates!