How To Find Poetry Contest Opportunities

Are your ready to share your gift of rhyme and self-expression with the world and possibly receive cash and prizes?  Or do you seek notoriety beyond the local coffeehouse and poetry competitions?  One of the best ways to expose your poems is to participate in a poetry contest.  There are many ways to find one that is compatible with your style of writing – whether it is traditional rhyming or Haiku.

The fastest and least expensive way to find information on poetry opportunities is to go online.  Type in the search engine keywords like ‘poetry’ or ‘poem’, along with ‘publish’ or ‘contest’, you will find everything from national contests to web publications to opportunities sponsored by universities.

Writing periodicals and related books are also a good resource for those interested in writing poems.  Both Writer’s Digest and Poets and Writers magazines hold an annual poetry competitions. Writer's Market publishes a directory, which is updated yearly, for both online and print poetry contests.

If you enter ‘poetry forum’ or ‘poetry group’ in a search engine, this can even be more helpful to the new or experienced poet.  A writing group can not only provide leads but are an excellent source of feedback.  The nature of a writing group can vary, some give how-to's and first-person experiences about publishers and writing competitions.  And other groups offer free critiquing from a professional viewpoint and how to avoid getting ripped off.  This can be helpful to a novice looking to have a prosperous writing career.  Some groups do charge a membership fee, but there are many that are free to join.

As there are those who are eager to hear what you have to say, there are those looking to make money.  The majority of poetry contests charge an entry fee.  They may charge per poem or a flat fee with a limit on the number of submissions per entry.  Normally, this is a small amount of $20 or less. Now, there are a few competitions with attention-grabbing ads with words like “Free” or “At no cost to you”.  Unfortunately, there is no set way to tell how your work will be used (if at all) without doing extensive research regarding the company’s history.

Whether you seek fame and fortune from your poetry or just want a little recognition, writing can be relaxing and profitable.  Even if the prize is just an honorable mention that can be shown off to others.