The Kathyrn A. Morton Prize in Poetry includes a $2,000 cash award, publication of a full-length collection of poetry, and a standard royalty contract. Kathryn A. Morton was a published author and devotee of fine literature, especially poetry. She received a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.A. from Stanford University, where she studied with Yvor Winters. Our contest begins January 1st, and ends February 15th. See below for page requirements. Also, please note our entry fee ($27) and P.O. Box number below.
Eligibility
Contest is open to any writer of English who is a citizen of the United States. Employees and board members of Sarabande Books, Inc. are not eligible. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines, chapbooks of less than 48 pages, or anthologies, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible. To avoid conflict of interest, students in a degree-granting program or close friends of a judge are ineligible to enter the contest in the genre for which their friend or teacher is serving as judge.
Manuscript Format
* Please submit one copy of the manuscript and our required entry form.
* Manuscripts must be:
- Anonymous—the author’s name or address must not appear anywhere on the manuscript (your title page should contain the title only).
- A minimum of 48 pages of poetry.
- Typed on standard white paper, one side of the page only.
- Paginated consecutively with a table of contents and acknowledgements page (a list of publications in which poems from the manuscript have appeared).
- Bound with a spring clip or placed in a plain file folder. No paper clips or staples please.
* Also, please keep the following in mind:
- Retain a copy of your manuscript. We cannot return manuscripts.
- Submission of more that one manuscript is permissible if each manuscript is accompanied by an entry form and handling fee.
- Once submitted, manuscripts cannot be altered. Winner will be given the opportunity to make changes before publication.
- Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but Sarabande Books must be notified immediately if manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
- Finalists will be asked to send additional copies of the work. Sarabande Books will consider all finalists for publication. Winner will be notified in early July.
All manuscripts must be accompanied by our entry form which contains all the necessary identifying information. Do not send your manuscript without this form.
Submission Information
This Summer we are increasing the prices for our submission periods; please see specific periods for the corresponding increase. We so appreciate your continued participation and support.
Electronic Submissions
Sarabande will accept manuscripts submitted online through our Submishmash software. Manuscripts submitted electronically must conform to the same guidelines as print manuscripts although you do not need to attach the standard entry form to your online submission.. Instructions and FAQs are located at the Submission Manager page,
http://sarabandebooks.submishmash.com/Submit
Physical Manuscripts
*Manuscripts must be postmarked between and including January 1 and February 15.
*Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for notification that manuscript has been received.
*Include a self-addressed, stamped, regular business-sized envelope for contest results.
*Please send your manuscript in a plain or padded envelope. No boxes please.
*No Federal Express, Overnight Mail, or UPS.
*We strongly advise that you send your manuscript first class.
*There is a $27 handling fee, check made payable to Sarabande Books, Inc.
Please send entries to:
The Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry
Sarabande Books, Inc.
PO Box 4456
Louisville KY 40204