Main Street Rag's
Annual Poetry Book AwardGuidelines / Mailing Instructions
/ Previous Winners
2010 WINNERS' LIST
Winner: God's Optimism by Yehoshua November of Morristown, NJ.
Others that have been offered publication as result of this contest: The Decadent Lovely by Amy Pence, Carrollton, GA, Wave by Andrew A. Sofer, Roslindale, MA, An Innocent in the House of the Dead by Joanna Catherine Scott, Chapel Hill, NC, Framed in Silence by Lynn L. Domina, Delhi, NY, Where Once by Sally S. McNall, Paradise, CA, Chemical Tendencies by Paul Lieber, Venice, CA, Following Ghosts Upriver by Marc M. Pietrzykowski, Atlanta, GA, The Language of Shedding Skin by Niki N. Herd, Tucson, AZ.
Because the primary purpose for our contest is to select manuscripts for publication, SOME of the finalists will be offered publication and we will make a list of those who accept our publication offer vavailable for advance orders as soon as we work out details with the authors and have them up in the The MSR Online Bookstore as soon as possible for advance sales. .
NEXT DEADLINE:
January 31, 2011
Reading Fee: $22/entry, $27 for those who want to receive a copy of the winning book.****Notification in April for Winter 2011/2012 publication. ****
Winner receives 50 books and $1000. Runners up also considered for publication.
Send between 48 and 84 pages of poetry, no more than one poem per page, 12 point type in an easily readable font like Arial or Times New Roman. Do not include Table of Contents in page count and print/submit on a letter size sheet of paper.
Include a separate cover letter with manuscript title, author's name, and all pertinent contact information. Author’s name should not appear anywhere in manuscript.
Our goal is "blind" judging. Do Not Include Dedication and/or Credits/Acknowledgements Pages in entry. For the purpose of fairness, it is important that judges know as little about the author as possible and these pages are not relevant to the judging process. In the past, if these items accidentally slipped through registration, readers were instructed to disqualify manuscripts that arrive with credits, acknowledgements, or author's name on them anywhere. This year we have changed that rule. Since our primary goal for the MSR Poetry Book Award is to select manuscripts for publication, we will no longer disqualify those who blatantly disregard the rules. They can't win, but they will still be considered for publication.
For notification of receipt, entries can include a post card, but if they include an email address, we will send a verification of receipt via email the day it arrives. Entries should include a #10 SASE ( This is a standard business size: 4 X 10) for winner notification if they do not choose to be notified by email. Please not not waste postage on a 9 X 12 since no manuscripts will be returned regardless of what size envelope is provided.
No restriction on content style or subject--we're looking for the best manuscript.
*Although MSR frowns on simultaneous submissions for our magazine, it is acceptable for our book contests. Upon notification, however, winner must immediately withdraw his/her mss from consideration elsewhere.
All checks should be made payable to Main Street Rag, PO BOX 690100, Charlotte, NC 28227-7001.
DO NOT US Postal Service Media Mail. The USPS has changed its standards for Media Mail and is enforcing it much more readily than it once did. Use First class and if you are worried about it arriving, pay the extra 70 cents for Delivery Confirmation.
DO NOT use clips or binding of any kind. We have THOUSANDS of clips here from years of submissions and we remove anything that comes in a binder or folder and throw away the binder or folder away. If you want to pay for those materials and the additional shipping to get the manuscript here only to have it thrown away, that's your choice. It will not go to any readers in a binder of any kind.
DO NOT send anything that must be signed for (Signature Receipt or Express Mail) since it means having to stand in line to receive it and we don't have time for that--particularly on the days immediately preceeding and immediately after the postmark deadline. And please don't use FED EX to send anything to our physical location since their local drivers are literacy challenged (they don't read instructions and we may not receive what you send as a result).
Contest Recommendations