When your manuscript arrives, it is logged
into our Colorado Prize database. The top
cover sheet (with your name and address)
and the acknowledgments page (if included)
are then removed and filed away until the
contest is over.
Once all the entries have been received,
they are boxed up and sent to outside screening
judges; the Center does not use interns or
students to screen for this contest. Each
judge receives approximately two hundred
manuscripts from which to select up to ten
finalists. If a screener recognizes the work
of a colleague, student, or friend, he or
she contacts the Center and that manuscript
is sent to another screener.
The final judge receives up to thirty finalists
from which to select the winner. If the final
judge wishes to see additional manuscripts
from the screeners, he or she may request
them; the judge is not, however, permitted
to request specific manuscripts. Friends,
colleagues, and students of the judge are
not eligible to compete, and the judge is
asked to refrain from choosing manuscripts
that present a conflict of interest (selecting,
for example, a manuscript he or she has helped
to develop).
Colorado Prize
for Poetry FAQ
Q: How many pages does my manuscript
have to be?
A: While there is no minimum or maximum
page count, most manuscripts are at least
40 pages and no more than 100 pages.
Q: I don’t understand the
two cover sheets. What do I do?
A: On one piece of paper, put only the
title of your manuscript. On another piece,
put the title of your manuscript, your name,
address, and phone number. Please don’t
put your name anywhere else in the manuscript.
Q: Can the poems have been published
before?
A: Yes. But the collection itself should
be unpublished.
Q: Should I include acknowledgments?
A: If the poems have been published elsewhere,
you may include acknowledgements, but they
will not be seen by the screeners or the
final judge.
Q: Are religious/western/erotic/etc.
poems OK?
A: The contest is open to all themes and
genres, though we highly recommend that you
read some of the previous winners to gain
a sense of the level of craft typical of
the Colorado Prize for Poetry.
Q: Are translations OK?
A: Yes. You must, however, secure all permissions
before submitting.
Q: My manuscript contains artwork.
Is that OK?
A: Yes, as long as they’re not originals;
we don’t return manuscripts.
Q: If I send you enough return
postage, will you return my manuscript?
A: No.
Q: Do I have to live in Colorado
to enter?
A: No.
Q: Do I have to live in the United
States to enter?
A: No.
Q: What do you mean by “securely
bound”?
A: You need to fasten your pages together
somehow. You can use a clip, a rubber band,
spiral binding—anything as long as
the pages aren’t loose.
Q: Are simultaneous submissions
OK?
A: Yes. If your manuscript is selected
for another prize before our contest ends,
please notify us immediately.
Q: If my book wins, who owns the
rights?
A: The author retains the copyright, but
the Center for Literary Publishing (the publisher)
controls the printing rights.
Q: Will the winning book be a paperback?
A: Yes.
Q: How many copies do you print?
A: Between 750 and 1000.
Q: Will the book be available in
bookstores?
A: Yes.
Q: Do I get royalties?
A: The $1,500 honorarium is an advance
against royalties.
Q: I entered the Colorado Prize
last year. Can I submit the same manuscript
again?
A: Yes. Each year we have different judges
and different entries, so it’s really
a different contest every year.
Q: Can I enter more than once?
A: Yes, but each entry must be accompanied
by the $25 entry fee. If you do enter more
than once, let us know what you’d like
to do with the second subscription (send
it to someone else or extend the subscription
to two years). Please don’t, however,
enter twice with the same manuscript—it’s
not a drawing.
Q: How many entries do you get?
A: It varies year to year, but generally
between 500 and 600.
Q: Who’s the judge this year?
A: Paul Hoover.
Q: Who are the previous winners?
A: Jaswinder Bolina, Karen Garthe, Rusty Morrison, G. C. Waldrep, Robyn Ewing, Geoffrey Nutter, Sally Keith, Stephen Burt, Michael White, Catherine Webster, and Dean Young.
Q: Who are the previous judges?
A: Charles Simic, Charles Wright, Jane Miller, Mark Strand, Jorie Graham, Allen Grossman, Fanny Howe, Donald Revell, Forrest Gander, Cal Bedient, and Lyn Hejinian.
Q: Where do I send my entry?
A: Colorado Prize, Center for Literary
Publishing, Dept. of English, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
Q: To whom do I make out the check?
A: Colorado Review.
Q: Can I pay by credit card?
A: Yes, as long as it’s a Visa or
a Mastercard.
Q: Can I send a money order?
A: Yes.
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