The Poetry Society of South Carolina
Contest Submission Guidelines
The Poetry Society of South Carolina's contests are funded by private donors.
All Submission Must Be Electronic.
In order to submit entries, use our online submissions manager.
Members submit their poems for free. For non-members, the submission fee for each poem is $5.00. Certain prizes are open to members only. Click here to join.
Submission periods:
Fall: October 15th through November 16th, 11:59 a.m.
Spring: January 15th through February 16th, 11:59 a.m.
Entries must be original, single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font, and must adhere to the following specifications:
-
Length not to exceed THIRTY-SIX lines (including prefatory matter such as epigraphs or dedications, and stanza-break lines, but not including the title).
An author may submit to as many prizes as they are qualified to enter, but please submit only one poem per prize.
An entry consists of the body of the poem with the title of the poem at the top of the page. The author’s name and address must not appear on the document carrying the text of the poem. The title of the document file uploaded to Submittable must match the title of the poem.
The same poem may not be entered for more than one prize at the same time. A poem that has failed to win a prize may later be submitted for any other prize or competition for which it is suitable.
Each entry must be original, unpublished (either in print or online or placed on exhibition), and written in English. Distribution in workshops or closed, online critique groups does not constitute publication. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but if the poem is accepted elsewhere, it must be withdrawn from the competition immediately.
Authors grant the PSSC first publication and electronic reprint rights to prize-winning work. Authors retain all re-publication rights, subject to acknowledging original publication in The Poetry Society of South Carolina Yearbook.
The winner of a prize is ineligible for the same prize the following year.
At the discretion of the judges, one or more honorable mentions may be awarded for any prize. To keep these entries eligible for resubmission at a later date, titles will be withheld.
Contest results will be announced at the February and May meetings and posted online at the PSSC website and on Facebook.
The PSSC reserves the right to withhold any announced prize.