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, as part of the poetry prize and be eligible for the $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote.
In 2020 we published 24 poems that had been submitted to the contest from over 3,000 entries. So, additional poems from the entries are frequently offered publication as well.
With the winners judged in an anonymous 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 Rattle even if you don’t win.
Guidelines for Submission
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 2022 issue, arriving in June. After May 1st, new subscriptions start with the Fall 2022 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 a blind 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 publication for all works submitted. No previously published works, or works accepted for publication elsewhere. 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, each with its own cover sheet and an additional $25 fee. Each additional entry will add an extra year to your subscription.
6) Winners will be announced September 15, 2022, and the Readers’ Choice Award Winner will be announced February 15, 2023. Additional entries may also be offered standard publication.
7) Entries may only be submitted online through Submittable.
Submitting via Submittable
Click the link to our Submittable contest page to purchase your subscription and upload up to four poems through that system. Submission in document files is preferred, but you may paste them into a text box instead. Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, .txt. Contact information is supplied through the online form and saved as metadata and should not be included in the files with the poems.
Before submitting read our code of ethics
For more details, see past winner and finalists of the Rattle Poetry prize
Deadline for Submission
11:59 p.m. PST July 15th, 2022
