www.mainstreetrag.com/ChapCont.html

2009 Guidelines

Deadline: May 31, 2009 (postmark).
Reading Fee: $17

* * * We prefer that entries for this contest arrive NO SOONER than March 1 since this contest comes right on the heels of the MSR Poetry Book Award. * * *

Winner receives $500 and 50 copies of chapbook. All entries receive a copy of the winning manuscript and are considered for publication.

Runners-up will also be offered publication and every manuscript entered will be considered for publication.

Send between 24 and 32 pages of poetry, any style/form, no more than one poem per page and no smaller than 10pt type of an easily readable font like Arial or Times New Roman.

Do Not Include Dedication and/or Credits/Acknowledgements Pages in entry. For the purpose of fairness, it is important that judges know as little about the author as possible and these pages are not relevant to the judging process. If they should accidentally slip through the registration area,20first round readers are instructed to disqualify manuscripts that arrive with credits, acknowledgments, or author’s name on them.

Include cover sheet with author’s contact information– name, address, phone number, and email (if applicable). Name should not appear anywhere else in the manuscript.

* * * NEW POLICY***(started in 2008)

Since our goal with our contest is to select manuscripts for publication, we will no longer disqualify manuscripts that do not follow all of our guidelines. We will still consider them for publication, but they will not be eligible to WIN the contest. The most common reason for disqualification in the past has been the inclusion of acknowledgments and author’s credits. We try to catch these pages and discard them before the manuscripts get to readers since we prefer a blind reading. Unfortunately, they sometimes get missed. Rather than lose out on an opportunity to publish a good manuscript, we’ve decided to continue the judging, but eliminate the possibility of a cash prize.

No manuscripts will be returned.

For notification of receipt, entries can include a post card, but if they include an email address, we will send a verification of receipt via email. Entries should include an SASE for winner notification ONLY if they do not choose to be notified by email.

Do not send anything USPS Return Receipt or Signature Receipt–we won’t stand in line for these items and they will eventually be returned to you (when the Postal Service gets tired of putting cards in our box). If you need confirmation that we received it, include a reliable email address or a stamped return post card.

*Although MSR frowns on simultaneous submissions for our magazine, it is acceptable for our book contests. Upon notification, however, winner must immediately withdraw his/her mss from consideration elsewhere (or from the MSR Chapbook Contest–if the manuscript has been chosen winner in another contest).

All checks should be made payable to Main Street Rag, PO BOX 690100, Charlotte, NC 28227-7001.

MSR will accept entries via email, BUT only until May 18. Contact Main Street Rag for instructions prior to sending any manuscript via email. Online submission is $19.

Mailing Instructions:

All checks should be made payable to Main Street Rag, PO BOX 690100, Charlotte, NC 28227-7001.

We recommend using US Postal Service Me dia Mail (within the US), but that takes longer to arrive, so DO NOT send it Media Mail if you are mailing it on or near the deadline. Why? because we distribute the LAST manuscripts to first round readers on June 8. Anything that has not arrived by the day before (June 7) will be excluded and the check returned in the SASE (if one has been provided–otherwise, it will be shredded).

DO NOT use clips or binding of any kind. We have THOUSANDS of clips here from years of submissions and we remove anything that comes in a binder and throw away the binder. If you want to pay for a binder and the shipping to get it here only to have it thrown away, that’s your choice. It will not go to any readers in a binder of any kind.

DO NOT send anything that must be signed for (Signature Receipt or Express Mail) since it means having to stand in line to receive it (and we won’t).