2026 POETRY CONTEST SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
The Knoxville Writers Guild is accepting submissions during the month of February for its annual poetry contest. Submissions must be received electronically by 11:59 p.m. on February 28, 2026.
Please direct questions regarding the contest to knoxvillewritersguild.org/contact and choose “Contest Questions.”
General Contest Guidelines:
Please review these Guidelines carefully prior to entering. Failure to comply with them may result in disqualification, rejection of your entry, and forfeiture of your entry fee! When you are ready to enter, please submit your entry via the appropriate link:
Who can submit?
KWG board members and Contest Committee members are ineligible to submit. A past first-prize winner may not enter the following year’s contest. Previous winners who have won three or more times in a category are not eligible, but will be considered Writer Emeritus and may be invited to serve as a judge.
Is there a limit on submissions?
No. For members, the first submission is free, and each submission thereafter is $15. For nonmembers, each submission is $15.
What constitutes a submission?
Each submission must be 100 lines or less, and may be either one or two poems. If two poems are entered as one submission, they will be judged based upon the overall collection. There are no restrictions in poetry style, content or spacing.
How do I submit my entry?
Submissions open on February 1, 2026. All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on February 28, 2026 through the online submission process. See the link for entry on this website. Entries received via any other method of delivery will not be processed.
1. If you are submitting more than one entry, each submission must be entered separately, with the applicable fee. The title of your attachment should match the title of your submission (or the title of the first poem if a collection of two poems).
2. The submission attachment may not contain the author’s name or any other identifying information. In other words, do not include your name, pen name, or any other identifying information on the entry itself. If you do, your entry will be disqualified, rejected, and you will forfeit your entry fee.
3. You will receive an automated email confirmation that the Guild has received your entry. Please send a follow-up inquiry if you do not receive an email confirmation for receipt of your submission.
4. Specifications: All entries should be presented with black text on a white background, in 12-point type and Times New Roman font. Use of italics is not encouraged, but is permitted if it is needed to convey meaning.
5. Unpublished works only, please. Submission of previously published works will result in disqualification and forfeiture of your entry fee.
What are the entry fees?
1. For Guild members, the first submission is free, but thereafter the fee is $15 per submission.
2. For nonmembers, the fee is $15 per submission. If you’d like to become a KWG member, you may join at knoxvillewritersguild.org for only $35/year.
3. Submit your electronic payment via the online submission process.
Prizes:
1. Winners will be notified by phone and/or email.
2. First Place Prize is $300. Second Place Prize is $100. However, prizes may not be awarded if an insufficient number of eligible entries are received.
3. The First Place winner will be invited to read the winning submission at an upcoming meeting of the Guild after the winners are announced. Prize checks will be mailed to the physical mailing address connected to your submission unless the winner provides the Guild with a different payment address.
4. The Guild will also publish the winning poems on its website unless the prize winner requests otherwise.