Writing Contests – BkMk Press

$1,000 and book publication for each prize

Submission Deadline: Contest entries temporarily suspended

We are pleased to announce the winners of our most recent contests:

John Ciardi Prize for Poetry: Laura Minor of Jacksonville, Florida. Selected by John Hodgen.

G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize for Short Fiction: Amin Ahmad of Durham, North Carolina. Selected by Stephanie Powell Watts.

(The 2020 contest entry deadline was January 15, 2020.)

Electronic Submissions should include:

1 Microsoft Word document or PDF.
Poetry manuscripts: approximately 50-110 pages, single spaced. Short fiction collections: approximately 125-300 pages, double spaced.
One title page within the manuscript
(no author information)
No additional identifying information should appear in the manuscript. Such information, including acknowledgments, will be removed prior to judging.
Table of Contents within the manuscript
Uploaded files should have the same name as
the manuscript
Non-refundable entry fee of $30 (US funds).
Manuscripts must be uploaded no later than
January 15, 2021.
Click below to link to our Submittable page or
go to Submittable.com

Postal Submissions should include:

Typed manuscript on standard-sized paper, bound only with a clip or rubberband (no staples or permanent binding).
Poetry manuscripts: approximately 50-110 pages, single spaced. Short fiction collections: approximately 125-300 pages, double spaced.
Two title pages within the manuscript:
a) title only (no author information)
b) title, author name, address, phone number, email
No additional identifying information should appear in the manuscript. Such information, including acknowledgments, will be removed prior to judging.
Table of Contents within the manuscript
SASE for notification regarding winner. (No manuscripts will be returned.)
Non-refundable entry fee of $25 (US funds).
Manuscripts must be postmarked no later than
January 15, 2021.

Mail to:

John Ciardi Prize or G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize,

BkMk Press, 5101 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110

No faxed or emailed submissions, please.
Simultaneous and multiple submissions are acceptable. Please notify us of acceptance elsewhere.
Current students and employees of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and current volunteer members of the New Letters and BkMk Press staffs, are not eligible.
Manuscripts will not be returned. No refunds will be issued.
Judging will be blind at all levels. Initial judging will be done by a network of published writers and editors. The final judging will be done by a poet and a fiction writer of national reputation. 2021 winners will be announced August, 2021 and the winning entries will be published in 2022. These competitions are held annually.
BkMk Press supports the CLMP Code of Ethics for literary contests.