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Tupelo Press

2009 Dorset Prize Guidelines

Open to All Poets Writing in English

Submission Period: September 1 – December 31, 2009
(postmark or online submission-date).


The Dorset Prize includes a cash award of $3,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, a book launch, and national distribution with energetic publicity and promotion.

The final judge for the 2009 Dorset Prize will be Jane Hirshfield, author most recently of After (Harper, 2006). Personal friends or current and former students of Jane Hirshfield are not eligible for this year’s Dorset Prize.

All finalists will also be considered for publication.
A note from the publisher about our Dorset Prize cash award:
As the economic upheaval continues to take an enormous toll on all publishers, particularly nonprofit literary presses, we have decided that, for the time being, it does not make good sense to offer a $10,000 award for the Dorset Prize as in recent years. We must husband all of our resources in order to honor commitments already made, and to enable us to make further commitments to superb manuscripts. When the economic climate shows a marked improvement — when we begin to see significant increases in book sales and nonprofit giving — we will, of course, consider restoring the Dorset Prize to $10,000. Meanwhile, we believe that $3,000 represents a substantial honorarium for a writer, especially combined with the editing, design, printing, and distribution of one of our extraordinary volumes of poetry. The Dorset Prize continues to offer a fitting and substantial award to a deserving poet. This continues to be the preeminent open poetry award.
Manuscript Requirements:
Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript of between 48 and 88 pages (of poems). Include two cover pages: one with the title of the manuscript only, the other with title of manuscript, name, address, telephone number, and email address. Include a table of contents and, if applicable, an acknowledgments page for prior publications in periodicals. Cover letters or biography notes are optional; if included, these will not be read until the conclusion of the contest.
  • The Dorset Prize is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize.
  • Poets submitting work for consideration may be published authors or writers without prior book publications. While the first three winners of the annual Dorset Prize were first books (the anonymous process seems to work), we receive many submissions from poets with significant publishing histories, including previous books, so the competition is intense. Please take this into consideration when deciding whether to enter a manuscript for the Dorset Prize.
  • Individual poems in a contest manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, journals, or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. Reminder: Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible.
  • Simultaneous submissions to other publishers or contests are permitted, as long as you notify Tupelo Press promptly if a manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
  • All finalists will also be considered for publication.
  • Tupelo Press endorses and abides by the Ethical Guidelines of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), which can be reviewed here, along with more about Tupelo Press’s ethical considerations for literary contests.
  • Before you submit a manuscript to a Tupelo Press competition, please consider exploring the work of the poets we have published. We’re drawn to technical virtuosity combined with abundant imagination; memorable, vivid imagery and strikingly musical approaches to language; willingness to take risks; and an ability to convey penetrating insights into human experience.
Terms:
A reading fee of $25 (US) by check or Pay Pal must accompany each submission. If sending a check, please make this payable to Tupelo Press, Inc. Multiple submissions are accepted, so long as each submission is accompanied by a separate $25 reading fee.

Why a reading fee? We are an independent, nonprofit literary press. Reading fees help defray, but do not actually cover, the cost of reviewing manuscripts and publishing the many books we select outside of our competitions.
Notification:
If mailing your submission, you may include a stamped, self-addressed postcard for confirmation of your manuscript’s receipt. The online Submissions Manager (see below) automatically confirms receipt.

If you like, enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope (SASE) for notification of the winner. An email announcement will also be sent to all entrants. Do not enclose a SASE for return of manuscript; all manuscripts will be recycled at the conclusion of the competition, except those under consideration for future publication.

Results will be announced in late April, 2010.
Online Submission
Beginning in 2009, Tupelo Press is accepting online manuscript submissions. The online submission system will be accepting poetry manuscripts between September 1 and December 31, 2009.
Submission via Postal Mail
We also accept manuscripts via postal mail. Please include a check or money-order for the $25 reading fee, payable to Tupelo Press, or utilize our online PayPal option and enclose a copy of the receipt with your printed submission.

You may also include a self-addressed postcard for acknowledgment of receipt of your manuscript and a SASE for notification of the winner, who will also be announced by email.
Note Our New Address:
Mail your submission to:
Tupelo Press Dorset Prize
PO Box 1767
North Adams, MA 01247

International submissions only:
Tupelo Press Dorset Prize
243 Union Street, Eclipse Mill Loft 305,
North Adams MA 01247 USA.

All entries, by postal delivery or online submission, must be postmarked or certified by our online Submissions Manager between September 1 and December 31, 2009.

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Tupelo Press
The Eclipse Mill, Loft 305
PO Box 1767
North Adams, MA 01247
413.664.9611
www.tupelopress.org