Ann Lauterbach will judge the 2009 Omnidawn Poetry Contest

Submissions accepted by Omnidawn March 1 – June 30, 2009

www..omnidawn.com/contest/contest_guidelines.htm

The 2009 Omnidawn Poetry Prize is Omnidawn Publishing’s second annual contest for a first or second full-length collection of poems by a poet writing in English. The contest will be judged by Ann Lauterbach, with a cash prize of $2,000 and Fall 2010 publication by Omnidawn Publishing with full publicity and advertising of the book to Omnidawn standards. The prize also includes 100 free copies of the book. Manuscripts will remain anonymous until a winner is selected.

Deadline:
— Envelope must be postmarked on or between March 1st of 2009 and June 30th of 2009.

General Guidelines:
— The entering manuscript must be your first or second full length poetry book. (If you have written two or more poetry books that have been published or accepted for publication you are ineligible for this contest.) Chapbook publication has no bearing on this.
— The poet must be writing in English. Translations are ineligible.
— Entry fee of $25 must accompany each submission; make check payable to Omnidawn Publishing. We cannot accept any other form of payment at this time.
— The entry fee entitles you to one Omnidawn title from our catalogue. Please see website page “Omnidawn Titles” for full catalogue of books from which you can choose. If you would like to receive an Omnidawn book of your choice and you live in the United States include a US Post Office 9.5″x 12.5″ Flat Rate Priority Mail Envelope with $ 4.95 standard postage stamp(s) to cover shipping. Do NOT use computer generated postage such as Click-n-Ship, E-Stamps, or Endicia because this postage is date and zip code specific and we cannot use it. On the outside of the envelope please write in the title you are requesting. We will enclose your book in a protective mailer, place it in your envelope, and mail it to you. If you do not include a Stamped Flat Rate envelope we will assume you are not interested in receiving a book. (If you live outside the U.S. and would like an Omnidawn title please add $12.00 for postage to the entry fee for a total of $37.00 (U.S. Dollars) and include a self addressed envelope with the name of the book you want printed on the front.)
— Multiple submissions to this contest are acceptable but each manuscript must be entered under separate cover, each with separate check for entry fee.
— Simultaneous submissions are fine but please let us know if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher while under our consideration.
— No revisions to submitted manuscripts will be considered.

Manuscript Submission Requirements:

— We recommend that the manuscript be no fewer than 40 pages and no more than 70 pages. The manuscript should be paginated with a table of contents and enclosed in a standard manila folder. Nothing should be written on the manila folder. Each manuscript should include one cover page with title of manuscript only and a second cover page with title plus your name, address, telephone number, email address, and where you learned about the Omnidawn contest (to the best of your recollection). If you have requested a free book please list the requested title below your contact information.
— Please do NOT include an acknowledgments page or a cover letter or bio.
— Please do NOT contact us with queries regarding the status of your submission. Your canceled check will indicate that we have received your entry.
— Please do NOT enclose a SASE for return of manuscript; all manuscripts will be recycled at the end of our contest. Please notify us if you move or change your email address or phone number; send new address, email address, or phone number to: submissions@omnidawn.com.
— We will announce the contest results on our web page.
— Mail manuscript and entry fee to:

OMNIDAWN POETRY PRIZE
Omnidawn Publishing
3263 Kempton Ave
Oakland, Ca 94611
—Please do NOT send Fed Ex, UPS or signature-required USPS express mail envelopes; they will not be accepted.

How We Judge:
The entries are logged into a database by an assistant not associated with the reading process who registers the personal address information of the entrant, the title of the manuscript, assigns it a number and removes all identifying materials. The manuscripts are then anonymously submitted to the editors of Omnidawn for screening. Omnidawn does not use interns or students to screen for this contest. For the sake of avoiding any conflict of interest, if one of the readers recognizes the work of a colleague, student, or friend, then that manuscript is given to another editor. The final judge receives the top manuscripts from which to select the winner. If the final judge wishes to see additional manuscripts 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. The judge is not allowed to choose manuscripts that present a conflict of interest.

Omnidawn abides by The CLMP Code of Ethics: The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses’ 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.

Book Production, Distribution, Advertising, and Complimentary Copies:
The prize winning book will be produced, distributed, and advertised to Omnidawn standards and will also meet the Green Press Initiative standards and have the Green Press Initiative statement on the copyright page. The book will be printed using the same archival quality acid-free paper and full four-color cover used for other Omnidawn books. As with other Omnidawn books, we will encourage the winning poet to participate in the design of the book, including choice of typefaces, cover colors and artwork, with all stages subject to the approval of the winning poet. The book will be distributed worldwide by Omnidawn’s distributor, Independent Publishers Group, and will be advertised along with other Omnidawn books inPoets & Writers Magazine, American Poetry Review, American Book Review, Rain Taxi, and other publications. All costs, including production, distribution, and advertising will be fully paid for by Omnidawn. In addition to the $2,000 cash prize, the winning poet will also receive 100 copies of the book free of charge.