Joseph Lease will judge the 2012 Omnidawn Chapbook Poetry Contest.
Electronic and postal submissions will be accepted from January 1, 2012 to March 15, 2012. (Note that the deadline has been extended 15 days because the AWP Writers Conference is scheduled this year from February 29-March 3.)
The 2012 Omnidawn Chapbook Poetry Prize is open to any poet writing in English. The prize includes:
— $1,000
— Fall 2012 publication by Omnidawn of the winning chapbook
— 100 complimentary copies of the winning chapbook for the author
— Display advertising for the winning author and chapbook in American Poetry Review, Poets & Writers Magazine, Rain Taxi Review of Books, and other publications.
Accepting Postal or Online Submissions (Detailed procedures below)
All entrants will receive their choice of either this contests winning chapbook or any chapbook from the Omnidawn Chapbook Catalog at http://www.omnidawn.com/ch_catalog.htm.
Note that if we find any significant problem with your manuscript (your manuscript file won’t open, important information is missing, or whatever) we will contact you so that you have every opportunity to correct the issue. An error or deficiency in your manuscript will not disqualify you from the competition. The only really critical requirements are to check the "Eligibility" section immediately below, make sure we do have a way of contacting you, that you are fully satisfied with your manuscript (because revisions are not allowed during the contest), and you do get your submission in by the deadline.
The reading fee for each manuscript is $15.
Eligibility:
1. This contest is open to all writers no matter how many books they have published.
2. The manuscript should be between 20 and 40 pages in length. If the manuscript is larger than 40 pages we suggest you submit it to Omnidawn's First/Second Book Contest or Omnidawn's Open Book Contest.
3. Individual poems in a contest manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, print or web journals, anthologies, or chapbooks, but not in a full length single author collection. If a poem has been published in a full length book of poetry written solely by you, do not include that poem in a manuscript submitted to this contest. Manuscripts that have been self-published as books or chapbooks are also ineligible.
4. The manuscript must be original and in English. Translations are ineligible. However, we do understand that you may choose to use some words from other languages occasionally in poems. This is perfectly acceptable.
5. Manuscripts by more than one author are ineligible.
6. Friends, colleagues, and past or present students of the judge are not eligible to compete.
Guidelines:
—Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please notify us with an email to submissions@omnidawn.com if your manuscript has been accepted elsewhere.
—Multiple submissions to this contest are acceptable, but each manuscript must be submitted separately, with a separate entry fee.
—The manuscript should be paginated.
—No revisions to submitted manuscripts will be allowed during the contest.
—We will announce contest results via advertising, email and our websites, including display advertisements in the print publications of American Poetry Review, Poets & Writers Magazine, Writers Chronicle, Rain Taxi Review of Books, and other publications, and announcements on this web page (www.omnidawn.com/contest) and the Omnidawn blog (http://omnidawn.wordpress.com).
—Regarding the winning manuscript: The chapbook may not be published in a subsequent book or chapbook by the winning poet for one year after publication by Omnidawn.
How We Judge—Each Manuscript is Read by at Least Two Editors:
Any identifying information will be removed from all manuscripts before they are sent to the editors who choose the semi-finalists to be sent to the judge. All manuscripts will be given a number to associate them with the contact information of their submitters. The Omnidawn staff members who remove the identifying information are NOT involved in the reading or selection of manuscripts.
All manuscripts will then be read by at least two different editors. Only Omnidawn's Senior Poetry Editor and Poetry Editors will read submissions, and these editors will not have access to the identities of the submitters. For the sake of avoiding any conflict of interest, if an editor believes that he/she recognizes the work of a colleague, student, or friend, then that manuscript is given to another editor. The editors will select the semi-finalists to be sent to the judge. The judge will then select the winner and five finalists. If the judge wishes to see additional manuscripts, she or he may request them; the judge is not, however, permitted to request specific manuscripts. Friends, colleagues, and/or students of the judge are not eligible to compete. The judge is not allowed to choose manuscripts that present a conflict of interest.
Omnidawn abides by The CLMP Code of Ethics. The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses’ community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our staff, editors, or judges; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines -- defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.
Two Submission Options
Option 1: Submit on our secure web site. (Most submissions are via our web site. This is usually the easiest way to submit.)
Option 2: Submit via postal mail.
Procedures for each of these options are listed in detail below.
Option 1: Procedure to submit on our secure web site.
—PLEASE READ AT LEAST THE BOLD TYPE in the directions below before proceeding to the online submissions web page. Reading the non-bold type is optional. You will find the button to direct you to the submissions web page at the end of this procedure.
—If you have any questions send an email to submissions@omnidawn.com or telephone our toll free number (800) 792-4957. If we can’t take your call immediately, we can usually call you back within 30 minutes.
—Electronically submitted manuscripts must be received between January 1, 2012 and midnight, Pacific Daylight Time, on March 15, 2012.
—All entrants will be mailed their choice of any Omnidawn chapbook or a copy of the winning chapbook. If you do not indicate a choice, you will be mailed a copy of the winning chapbook. To indicate your choice of chapbook, list the name of the chapbook in the “Comments” field (or write “this contest’s winning chapbook) on the online submission page. For a list of available chapbooks, visit http://www.omnidawn.com/ch_catalog.htm. If you choose a currently available chapbook from our catalog, you should receive it within ten days after your entry has been received. If you do not receive it within ten days please contact us. If you choose the winning chapbook, it will be mailed to you when it is published in the fall of 2012. If you forget to specify your choice of chapbook, you can send an email to submissions@omnidawn.com to indicate your choice.
—Since you provide contact information on our web site, a page within your manuscript with contact information is OPTIONAL. We prefer that you not include a bio, acknowledgements page, cover letter, or headers or footers that include your name, but you will not be disqualified for including such info. Please note that all identifying information will be removed from the copy of the manuscript file that is sent to editors who select manuscripts.
—You will be able to upload your manuscript on the submissions page. Manuscripts must be sent in one file, not multiple files. Please submit files in .RTF (Rich Text Format) or MS Word .DOC or .DOCX format only, or if you make absolutely certain no contact information or other identifying info is in the file, you may also submit files in PDF format. Most word processing programs can save files as .RTF by going to FILE—SAVE AS, and then choosing Rich Text Format in the FORMAT drop-down box.
—If you DID enter an Omnidawn Poetry Contest in the last two years (2010 or 2011), or previously this year, either online or via postal mail, you already have an account, and you will not be able to create another account using the same email address. When you go to the secure online submissions page you can log in using the box on the upper left by entering your email address and your password. If you don’t have your password, click “need help” below the login button, and you can have a new password sent to your email address, or email or phone us and we can reset your password. Once you are logged in you can click “submit your work” in the new box on your left, which will take you to a secure web page to submit a new manuscript. (Contact information is retained in our database, but credit card numbers are not.)
—If you did NOT enter an Omnidawn Poetry Contest in the last two years (2010 or 2011), or previously this year, when you go to our secure online submission page, you will be asked to enter your credit card billing and contact information, the title of your manuscript, and a six character password of your choice. (Contact information is retained in our database, but credit card numbers are not.)
—If you use a pen name, or if the poet’s name differs from the name on the credit card, or if you are submitting for someone else, please list the pen name or poet’s name in the writer name field, and put your credit card billing name and information in the other fields.
—Please DO use the “comments” field to tell us where you learned about the Omnidawn contest to the best of your recollection, and also to give us any feedback about your experience submitting to this contest, and any other information you would like us to know. We are always trying to simplify and improve the submissions process, so your feedback will be very helpful to us. Note that any personal publication history is irrelevant here because these comments will only be read by staff who are NOT involved in the selection process.
—If you want to submit additional work, update your contact info or password, or view your submissions you can login at the end of this process or in the future using the email address and password you entered so that you will not need to complete contact information again.
—If when you click “Continue” your credit card is NOT accepted (usually because of a typo) your contact information and manuscript have still been uploaded to our database so that we have everything we need except your payment. You can resolve this by completing the payment in one of two ways:
(a) Mail a check for $15 to the address at the bottom of this web page. Please write your email address and the title of your manuscript on your check (or money order, which is also acceptable). We will send you an email confirming that your manuscript has been entered into the contest when your check arrives.
(b) Enter your credit card info again by going to https://omnidawn.net and using the box on the left to log in using the email address and password you just entered. A screen will appear displaying the contact info you have entered with a record showing the entry you just submitted. In the second field of that record click on the words “pay now” and a secure screen will appear so that you can enter your credit card information again. If successful you will receive an immediate notification of success and an email stating that your submission has been entered into the contest. If your credit card still does not work you can still use option (a) above by mailing a check.
To go to the secure submissions page and begin the electronic submission process, please click the button below.
[ CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT ONLINE ]
Or paste the following link into your browser: www.omnidawn.net
Option 2: Procedure to submit via postal mail:
If you have any questions send an email to submissions@omnidawn.com or telephone our toll free number (800) 792-4957. If we can’t take your call immediately, we can usually call you back within 30 minutes.
Manuscripts sent by postal mail must be postmarked between January 1, 2012 and March 15, 2012.
Please DO NOT send Fed Ex, UPS, or signature required US Post Office envelopes. These will not be accepted.
Please DO NOT send cover letter, acknowledgements, or bio. These will only be removed before your manuscript is read.
Please enclose the following:
1. One title page with your name, contact information, and where you learned about our contest (to the best of your recollection). Please include your mailing address, phone number, and email address if you have one. This title page with contact info can be at the front or, so you don’t have to repaginate, at the back of your manuscript
2. One title page with manuscript title only and nothing else.
3. Your chapbook poetry manuscript (between 20 and 40 pages in length).
4. Reading fee of $15. This can be either a check or money order. Make checks or money orders payable to Omnidawn. (A reading fee of $15 must accompany each submission.)
5. All manuscripts will be deleted or recycled at the end of the contest. For entries sent by postal mail, please do NOT send an SASE for return of the manuscript.
6. (Optional) A self-addressed stamped post card and/or a standard sized SASE. You may, if you choose, include a self-addressed stamped postcard, and we will mail this back to you to verify that your manuscript has been received. (If you include an Email address, you will also receive an email when we enter your submission into our database. Your cancelled check will also confirm that your entry has been received.) You may also enclose a standard size SASE and we will use this to send you information on the winner and finalists when these are determined.
Send postal submissions via First Class or Priority Mail to:
Omnidawn Chapbook Poetry Prize
Omnidawn Publishing
1632 Elm Avenue
Richmond, CA 94805-1614 |
