NEO•GRIOT

Cleveland State University

Poetry Center Awards

First Book and Open Book Competitions 2013

$1,000 and publication in the CSU Poetry Series is offered for the best full-length volumes of original poetry in English submitted between November 1, 2012 and will close March 13, 2013 (postmark deadline).

The First Book Award is given to an author who has not previously published a book of poetry.
The Open Competition is for poets who have previously published at least one full-length collection.

Tracy K. Smith

2013 First Book Award Judge: Tracy K. Smith

ELIGIBILITY:

• manuscripts are eligible for the First Book competition if the author has not published or committed to publish a collection of his or her poetry in a book of 48 or more pages with a press run of at least 500 copies; if an author’s prior books were all self-published or published by subsidy presses, they should still enter the First Book competition

• entry to the Open Competition is limited to authors who have published at least one full-length collection of original poetry in English (of 48 or more pages with a press run of at least 500 copies) with a non-subsidy press

• intimate friends, relatives, current and former students of First Book judge Tracy K. Smith (students in an academic, degree-conferring program or its equivalent) are not eligible to enter the 2013 First Book contest

• current faculty, staff,, students, and alumni of Cleveland State University or the Northeast Ohio MFA Program (NEOMFA) are not eligible to submit their work to either competition

• poets whose collections were previously published by the CSU Poetry Center are not eligible to submit their work to either competition

• manuscripts that have been previously published in their entirety, including self-published manuscripts, are not eligible

• translations are not eligible

• simultaneous submissions are acceptable; please inform us immediately if the manuscript is accepted elsewhere

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS:

• manuscript should contain a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 100 pages of poetry

• reading fee: $25.00 per manuscript, check or money order payable to Cleveland State University

• manuscript pages should be numbered, include a table of contents

• include one cover page with manuscript title, your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (your name should not appear elsewhere on the manuscript); include a second cover page containing manuscript title only

• clearly indicate “First Book” or “Open Competition” on outside of mailing envelope and on each cover page

• include an acknowledgments page after the first cover page, listing any previously published poems (as well as all previously published full-length collections of original poetry if you’re submitting your work to the Open Competition)

• send multiple submissions in the same envelope, marked “Multiple”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• for notification of manuscript receipt, include a self-addressed, stamped postcard 

• for notification of contest results, include email address and/or a self-addressed, stamped envelope

• manuscripts are not returned, and once submitted, cannot be altered; winners will be given the opportunity to make changes prior to publication

• the CSU Poetry Center reserves the right  to consider all finalists’ manuscripts for publication

• listing of winners and finalists will be posted on the Poetry Center website: www.csuohio.edu/poetrycenter

• email poetrycenter@csuohio.edu with any further questions

MAIL ENTRIES TO:
Cleveland State University Poetry Center Prizes
(please specify: First Book or Open Competition)
Department of English
2121 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214