2005 Tupelo Press $10,000 Dorset Prize
Open to All Poets Writing in English.

Submission Period: September 1 - December 1, 2005 (postmark)

Again this year, the Dorset Prize includes a cash award of $10,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press and national and international distribution through Tupelo Press and Consortium. The judge is Linda Gregerson, a recent Guggenheim Fellow and author of three distinguished books of poetry.

All finalists will be considered for publication. In addition to last year's winner, Tupelo Press has committed to four additional finalists, and is considering others.

Guidelines

Manuscript Requirements:
Submit a previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript of between 48-80 pages, enclosed in a folder. 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 optional. Include a table of contents and an acknowledgments page. This competition is open to anyone writing in the English language, regardless of prior publication history.

Terms:
Entry fee of $25 (US) must accompany each submission, made payable to Tupelo Press, Inc. Include stamped self-addressed postcard to confirm receipt of manuscript. Multiple submissions are permitted so long as each manuscript is accompanied by separate entry fee. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, so long as you notify Tupelo Press promptly if manuscript is accepted elsewhere. 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poems may have been published previously in magazines, journals or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished.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 those under consideration for future publication. Usually the winner is notified in late April or early May.

Entry must be postmarked between September 1 and December 1, 2005.

Mail Manuscript and Entry Fee to:
Tupelo Press Dorset Prize
PO Box 1767
North Adams, MA 01247

International submissions only should be sent with entry fee via FedEx, DHL or UPS to: Tupelo Press Dorset Prize, 4933 Main St, Suite 3, Manchester Center, VT 05255

Contest Procedures and Ethical Considerations:

Tupelo Press is please to endorse the following Contest Code of Ethics, as adopted by the Council of Literary Presses and Magazines, of which Tupelo Press is a member.

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.

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 and judges anonymously.When a manuscript is received, all identifying material, acknowledgment pages 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 100 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. Those finalists—with absolutely no notes or rankings—are then given to the judge, who may or may not ask to see additional manuscripts. If a judge requests additional manuscripts, the editors will send the judge some or all of the semifinalists depending upon how many additional manuscripts the judge requests. 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. You should not enter this year's contest if you have studied with, or have a personal relationship with the judge, or if the judge has helped shape your manuscript in any manner. Similarly, judges are instructed to set aside any manuscript where they recognize the work, where they have a personal relationship with the poet, where they have taken any part in shaping the manuscript, or where—for whatever reason—selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety. In our experience, our judges have been as deeply concerned about these ethical considerations as are we. Further, Tupelo Press is committed to selecting judges who represent different geographical regions and aesthetics, in an effort to assure the fairness of our contests.

Additional Considerations:

Before you submit a manuscript to a Tupelo Press competition, please read the work of the poets that we publish. We publish work that encompasses a wide range of approaches (from formal to experimental). Tupelo Press has published books by poets working in academe, and books by poets completely outside the academic world. We have published books whose language is direct and highly "accessible," books that are experimental and abstract, and books that lie somewhere between those two poles. But all of the books we publish demonstrate 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.

While the first three winners of the annual Dorset Prize, interestingly enough, have been 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.