Tupelo Press $10,000 Dorset Prize for 2008

Open to All Poets Writing in English

Submission Period: September 1 - December 15, 2008 (Postmark)

Again this year, the Dorset Prize includes a cash award of $10,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press (in paper and hardcover editions), a book launch at Poets House in New York City, and national distribution through Tupelo Press and Consortium Book Sales and Distribution, Inc., Ingram and Baker & Taylor.

The 2008 Dorset Prize will be judged by Ilya Kaminsky. All finalists will be considered for publication. Personal friends as well as current and former students of Ilya Kaminsky are not eligible for this year’s Dorset Prize.

Manuscript Requirements:

Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript of between 48 and 88 pages. Include two cover pages: one with title of the manuscript only, the other with title of manuscript, name, address, telephone number and email address. Cover letter or bio is optional, as these will not be read until the conclusion of the contest. Include a table of contents and, if applicable, an acknowledgments page. The Dorset Prize is open to anyone writing in the English language, regardless of prior publication history.

Terms:

A reading fee of $25 (US) by check (or Pay Pal) must accompany each submission. Please write checks payable to Tupelo Press, Inc.

This year, your reading fee entitles you to receive ONE of the following Tupelo Press titles: Every Bird is One Bird by Francine Sterle, Ice, Mouth, Song by Rachel Contreni Flynn, The Next Ancient World by Jennifer Michael Hecht, Victory and her Opposites: A Guide by Amy England, The Wanton Sublime by Anna Rabinowitz, or Why is the Edge Always Windy? by Mông-Lan. Please print out and indicate your selection on the form provided and include with your manuscript submission. Entries that do not include the form will NOT receive a complimentary book.

You may include a stamped, self-addressed postcard to confirm receipt of manuscript. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, so long as you notify Tupelo Press promptly if manuscript is accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are permitted so long as each manuscript is accompanied by separate entry fee. Individual poems may have been published previously in magazines, journals or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible.

Notification:

Enclose SASE for notification of winner. Do not enclose SASE for return of manuscript; all manuscripts will be recycled at the conclusion of the competition, except for those under consideration for future publication. Results will be announced in late April.

Entry must be postmarked between September 1 and December 15, 2008

Mail your submission to:

Tupelo Press
Dorset Prize
PO Box 539
Dorset, VT 05251

International submissions Only:

Tupelo Press
Dorset Prize
4933 Main St.
Manchester Center, VT 05255

Contest Procedures and Ethical Considerations:

Tupelo Press is fully committed to fairness. Further, we believe that contest procedures should be transparent. If you have questions about our policies or procedures, please do not hesitate to inquire by email.

How We Judge Contests:

To be certain that each and every manuscript submitted receives the fairest and most thoughtful consideration, all manuscripts are submitted to readers anonymously, and are judged anonymously. When a manuscript is received, all identifying material, acknowledgment pages, cover letters and bios are removed and filed for reference at the conclusion of the competition. The manuscripts are then sent to readers, who are instructed to "grade" each manuscript on a scale of 1-5, and to make notes and recommendations on each of the "5" and "high 4" manuscripts. All of the "5" and "high 4" manuscripts are then returned for further consideration by the editors of Tupelo Press. That process, too, is anonymous. In a given competition, we often find about 75 - 150 manuscripts in the "high 4" to "5" category.

The editors then narrow the field to 50 semifinalists, which are then "ranked." Generally, the top 25 manuscripts become finalists. After a winner has been announced, all decisions about which additional manuscripts are to be published are made, ultimately, by the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with other editors. Tupelo Press uses new readers each year. All readers are nationally recognized poets trusted and respected by Tupelo Press. Tupelo Press does not use students or interns as readers at any stage of its competitions.

Tupelo Press is thoroughly committed to safeguarding the integrity of our contests.

Additional Considerations:

Before you submit a manuscript to a Tupelo Press competition, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the work of the poets that we publish. We look for a vivid and musical use of language, a willingness to take risks, a finely honed technique, an abundance of imagination, and the ability to convey something important about the human experience.

While the first three winners of the annual Dorset Prize, interestingly enough, were first books (the anonymous process seems to work), you need to know that we receive many, many submissions from poets with significant publishing histories and, in many cases, a number of previous books, so the competition is fierce. Please take this into consideration when deciding whether to enter a manuscript for the Dorset Prize.

Tupelo Press is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

CLMP Contest Code of Ethics

CLMP's community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to:
1. Conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors;
2. To provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and
3. To make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically.
We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.