General Rules for All Divisions
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Contests are open to all persons with Iowa residence. No entry fee. No membership or book purchase required.
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Student exception: Students whose homes are in Iowa but are studying outside of the state are eligible to enter, as well as out-of-state students attending Iowa schools.
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Poems must be original and unpublished, including on-line and self publication.
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Poems must be submitted by their author, except for student poems, which may be submitted by teacher or parent.
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Vulgarity or pornography is NOT accepted.
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Up to 5 poems may be submitted by one author.
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All poems must have titles, except haiku.
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20 line limit unless otherwise specified. Line limits do not count title nor spaces between stanzas, but do count epigraphs. Lines should not exceed 65 characters or editor may make arbitrary line breaks and count them as separate lines.
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Send poems after January 1 to editor for your division. Postmark deadline February 28.
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Winners and others to be published in Lyrical Iowa will be notified as soon as all judging is completed (mid-summer). Students will be notified in May-June. No one will receive more than one award. No more than one poem will be printed per author. IPA has first publication rights; all other rights automatically revert to each author AFTER our publication in late fall.
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Poems may not be withdrawn after submission. No simultaneous submissions.
Adult Division Rules
Read the General Rules for All Divisions above in addition to individual division rules.
To submit after January 1, email all poems together (up to 5) in one email typed or copied into the body of the email. NO ATTACHMENTS. Begin your email with your name, address, email, phone number, county, and if first-time entrant in a contest. Indicate the contest at the top of each poem. Send to contest@iowapoetry.com by midnight on February 28.
Only if you DO NOT have email, each poem must on a separate 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper, typed or computer printed in plain font. (Do not use all capital letters.) Indicate contest at top of each poem sheet. In UPPER RIGHT CORNER of each sheet, print author's name, address, phone number and county. Postmark deadline: February 28. Include a self-addressed #10 business envelope with sufficient postage. Mail all together in business #10 envelope. DO NOT send registered mail. Send only ADULT entries to: Marilyn Baszczynski, Editor, 16096 320th Way, Earlham, IA 50072
Read carefully for form and line limits.
Lucille Morgan Wilson Poetry Award
Any subject in good taste, any form, 20 line limit.
Cash prizes: 1st - $100, 2nd - $60, 3rd - $40
Grant Wood Poetry Prize
Inspired by any artwork by Grant Wood - paintings, lithographs, metalworks, jewelry, woodworking (links and references at "Grant Wood" in Wikipedia). Indicate title and source, but don't count line. Any form, 20-line limit.
Cash prizes: 1st - $75, 2nd - $45, 3rd - $30
Find more on Grant Wood Country Writers Forum.
Haiku
Important: seasonal reference, two-part juxtapositional structure, objective sensory imagery, no title, need not adhere to 5-7-5 form. For more information, go to Michael Dylan Welch's haiku-checklist at graceguts.com/essays/haiku-checklist.
Cash prizes: 1st - $65, 2nd - $40, 3rd - $25
Traditional Forms
Any subject, following recognized forms of ghazal, pantoum, sonnet or villanelle, line limit as regulated by form but not to exceed 20.
Cash prizes: 1st - $50, 2nd - $30, 3rd - $20
Poems FOR Children
Poems written by adults in style and content appropriate for reading by or to children. Any form, 20 line limit.
Cash prizes: 1st - $50, 2nd - $30, 3rd - $20
National/World Events
Should focus on an event, not a general situation. Any form, 20 line limit. (Include a 1-2 line (max) summary of event and date, but do not count these lines.)
Cash prizes: 1st - $50, 2nd - $30, 3rd - $20
Humorous Verse (New Rules!)
Subject humor, rhymed and metered form recommended, 20-line limit.
Cash prizes: 1st - $50, 2nd - $30, 3rd - $20
First-Time Entrant Award
This is presented to the highest-ranking first-time entrant who does not win a higher-ranking monetary award in the regular categories.
Cash prize: $50
Honorable mentions are awarded as merited.
Student Division Rules
Read the General Rules for All Divisions above in addition to individual division rules.
College Division (Undergraduate)
Graduate students should enter adult division.
20 line limit, no more than 65 characters per line.
Any form or subject.
Email all poems together (up to 5) in one email typed or copied into the body of the email. NO ATTACHMENTS. Include name and location of your school, your name, home address, and an email address that is valid year round since results may not be determined until June. Send to rudolphw@grinnell.edu with "IPA COLLEGE POETRY CONTEST" as the subject line.
Note: Additional college/university level awards are available through the NFSPS in their national contests. Click here for their rules and application form.
High School Division (Grades 9-12)
20 line limit, no more than 65 characters per line.
Email submissions now accepted! Email all poems together in one email copied into the body of the email. NO ATTACHMENTS. Include 1) author’s name, 2) home address, 3) grade in school, 4) teacher’s name, 5) name and mailing address of school, 6) teacher or parent email address.
Email to: lyricaliowahs@gmail.com
If you DO NOT HAVE EMAIL, each poem must be on a separate 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. Include information #1-6 above in the upper right corner of each sheet. Some school poems may be selected to go on to next year’s national competition.
Incomplete information causes delay and may disqualify entries.
Mail to HIGH SCHOOL poems to:
Kelli Lage
1160 250th St
Sheffield, IA 50475
Poems may be submitted by student, teacher or parent. No school poems are returned.
Cash prizes: 1st - $25, 2nd - $15, 3rd - $10, plus honorable mentions
Grade School Divisions (K-8)
20 line limit. One poem per page - no illustrations, please.
Each poem must be on a separate 8 1/2 x 11" sheet of paper, typed or computer printed in plain font. On each poem sheet, in upper right corner, please include:
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your name and home address
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grade in school
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name of teacher
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name and mailing address of school; county of school
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parent and teacher's email address
Incomplete information causes delay and may disqualify your entries.
Poems may be submitted by student, teacher or parent. No school poems are returned. NO EMAIL SUBMISSIONS.
Grades K-4 and 5-8 are judged separately.
Cash prizes: 1st - $15, 2nd - $10, 3rd - $5, plus honorable mentions
Send GRADE SCHOOL entries to:
Della Weems
32944 K Ave.,
Adel, IA 50003
NFSPS Manningham Trust Student Poetry Award
Available for all US students, junior division (grades 6-8) and senior division (grades 9-12). Poems may have been previously published and/or have won previous awards. Click here for rules.
Additional NFSPS Contests
Students may enter contests for the NFSPS Student Award (grades 9-12) or the Poetry in the Classroom Award (grades 3-8). These rules differ from IPA rules and must be followed carefully.
Any subject. Any form. 32-line limit. No entry fee. Contests open January 1 through March 15 every year. Click here for complete rules.