The annual Rattle Poetry Prize offers $15,000 for a single poem to be published in the winter issue of the magazine. Ten finalists will also receive $500 each and publication, and be eligible for the $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote.
Additional poems from the entries are frequently offered publication as well. In 2022 we published 19 poems that had been submitted to the contest from over 3,000 entries.
With the winners judged in an anonymized review by the editors to ensure a fair and consistent selection, an entry fee that is simply a one-year subscription to the magazine—and a large Readers’ Choice Award to be chosen by the writers themselves—we’ve designed the Rattle Poetry Prize to be one of the most inspiring contests around.
Past winners have included a retired teacher, a lawyer, and several students. It’s fair, it’s friendly, and you win a print subscription to Rattleeven if you don’t win.
1) The entry fee is a one-year subscription to Rattle (or a one-year extension for subscribers) at our regular $25 rate, paid through Submittable as you submit your entry. Prior to May 1st, new subscriptions will start with the Summer 2023 issue, arriving in June. After May 1st, new subscriptions start with the Fall 2023 issue, arriving September 1st. Current subscribers will receive a one-year extension.
2) One $15,000 Winner and ten $500 Finalists will be selected in an anonymized review by the editors of Rattle and printed in the Winter 2022 issue; one $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award will then be chosen from among the Finalists by subscriber and entrant vote.
3) Open to writers, worldwide; poems must be written primarily in English (no translations except by the original author). Rattle’s winter issue must be a potential first curation for all works submitted—meaning they can’t have appeared in any books, e-books, magazines, or similar collections, online or in print. The poems may have been self-published to personal blogs or social media. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but we must be notified immediately if any poems are accepted elsewhere. On Submittable, log in, click on the submission, and send us a message using that system to let us know.
4) No identifying personal or contact information should appear on in any files with poems. We can’t know who you are while reading; but your contact information will be saved on Submittable.
5) Entry fees are non-refundable and cannot be edited during the judging process. Send up to four poems per entry. There is no line-limit. Poems may be any length, any style, or any subject. Multiple entries by a single poet are accepted, however each group of four poems must be treated as a separate entry and an additional $25 fee. Each additional entry will add an extra year to your subscription.
6) Winners will be announced September 15, 2023, and the Readers’ Choice Award Winner will be announced February 15, 2024. Additional entries may also be offered standard publication.
7) Entries may only be submitted online through Submittable.
Resource and Apply: Click Here
