Most poetry contests charge an entry fee, usually somewhere between a few dollars and $30 or more. In the November and December 2026 lists on our Poetry Submission Deadlines Calendar, only 4 of the 54 contests we verified were free to enter. Fees add up quickly, so it’s worth knowing what you’re paying for, when a fee makes sense, and how to find the good free ones.
Why do poetry contests charge entry fees?
At most small presses and literary magazines, entry fees fund the contest itself. They typically cover:
- The prize money. A $1,000 prize has to come from somewhere, and for many small nonprofits, it comes from entries.
- The judge’s fee. Contests usually pay an outside judge, often a well-known poet.
- Reading and administration. Screeners read every entry, and submission platforms like Submittable charge the press.
- Publication costs. For book and chapbook prizes, the fee helps pay to edit, print, and distribute the winning book.
Some contests give something back for the fee. Several Canadian magazines include a subscription with your entry: the Foster Poetry Prize from Contemporary Verse 2 and Prairie Fire’s McNally Robinson contest both do. Nightboat Books says that if no manuscript is chosen, every entrant gets a refund.
When a fee contest can be worth it
A fee isn’t a bad sign by itself. A paid contest may be worth entering when:
- The prize is serious and clearly stated. Look for a specific cash amount and, for book prizes, publication terms like author copies, an advance, or royalties.
- The judge is named. A named final judge means a real person is accountable for the choice.
- The press has a track record. Past winners are listed, and their books exist and are easy to find.
- You fit the eligibility well. A first-book prize is a better bet if you really are a first-book poet, and a themed contest suits a poem that truly fits the theme.
- The fee fits your budget. Decide on a yearly contest budget, and spend it on the contests that fit you best rather than entering everything.
Free poetry contests with real prizes
Free contests exist, and some are among the most generous prizes in poetry. Examples from our verified lists:
- Four Quartets Prize (Poetry Society of America): no submission fee, $20,000 to the winner, for a sequence of poems published in the U.S. in 2026. Deadline December 15, 2026 (postmark).
- PJI Editor’s Prize for BIPOC Writers (Poetic Justice Institute / Fordham University Press): no entry fee, $1,000 and book publication. Deadline November 15, 2026.
- Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets and the Neville Dawes First Book Prize for Emerging Caribbean Poets: no fee, $1,000 and publication by the University of Nebraska Press. Both close December 1, 2026.
Many paid contests also have free routes:
- Free windows or capped free entries. The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition offers a fee-free option capped at the first 100 entries.
- Membership. The Poetry Society of America’s annual awards are free for members.
- Hardship waivers. Beloit Poetry Journal’s Chad Walsh Chapbook Series and Two Sylvias Press’s Wilder Series offer limited hardship waivers, and PRISM international invites writers who can’t afford the fee to get in touch.
- Free days. The American Poetry Journal normally charges $3 for its online issues, but this reading period it has a free day on November 13, capped at 55 submissions.
And don’t forget regular journal submissions. Many literary magazines charge nothing to submit, and some pay their poets. Baltimore Review, for example, reads poetry submissions with no fee and pays $75 per accepted work.
On every monthly deadline page, each entry is labeled Fee or No Fee, so you can search the page for “No Fee” and see the free ones at once.
Are poetry contests legit? How to spot a bad one
Most contests run by literary magazines, small presses, and university presses are legitimate. A few are built mainly to collect money. Watch for these red flags:
- Everyone’s a winner. You’re told you’re a “semi-finalist,” then offered an expensive anthology, plaque, or “publication package.”
- The prize is vague. “Publication and exposure,” with no cash, no named press, and no details.
- No judge, no past winners. You can’t find who judged last year or who won.
- You pay to be published. A legitimate contest’s fee covers reading. It shouldn’t buy your way into print.
- Rights grabs. The rules claim permanent rights to every entry, not just the winners.
- Pressure to pay fast. Countdown timers, “last chance” emails every day, or a deadline that keeps moving.
If you’re unsure, look the contest up on Duotrope, Chill Subs, or Poets & Writers, and search the contest name with “scam” or “review.”
A simple way to decide
Before you pay, ask yourself four questions:
- Would I be proud to win this? If not, skip it, even if it’s cheap.
- Do I fit the eligibility exactly? Check first-book rules, line limits, residency rules, and age limits.
- Is my poem or manuscript ready? A contest is a bad place to test a draft.
- Is there a free option? A membership, waiver, free window, or a fee-free journal that would also suit the work.
If the answers are yes, yes, yes, and no, the fee is probably money well spent.
Keep your entries organized
Contests often forbid simultaneous submissions or require you to withdraw if a poem is accepted elsewhere. Some forbid poems that have appeared anywhere online. Track every entry with the poem title, contest, date, fee, and deadline. Our guide to how to submit poetry includes a simple tracker you can copy, and our cover letter guide has a short template for contest entries.
Emily Dickinson wrote that “Success is counted sweetest / By those who ne’er succeed”. Contests are a long game. Pick them carefully, and keep sending the work you believe in.
Find this month’s contests
- Poetry Submission Deadlines Calendar: this month and next, updated monthly.
- Poetry Submission Deadlines November 2026: 26 contests and 6 journal calls, each marked Fee or No Fee.
- Want a free place to send a poem today? Poetry Catalog’s general submissions are always free and always open.
New deadline pages are announced in the Poetry Catalog newsletter. Subscribe at poetrycatalog.substack.com.