SLATE ROOF PRESS POETRY CONTESTS
Winners of the Slate Roof Press Poetry Chapbook Contest/Elyse Wolf Prize are awarded publication and $500. We produce beautiful books with letterpress covers by an award-winning bookmaker, using high-quality papers. Elyse Wolf Prize winners become active members of the press, making a three-year commitment, gaining valuable experience in publishing, and participating in monthly meetings and the tasks of running the press. Based in Greenfield, Mass, Slate Roof is a member-run, not-for-profit collaborative, publishing art-quality chapbooks since 2004.
Winners of the Slate Roof Press Glass Prize for an original broadside each receive $250. Each poem will be printed in a beautiful limited letterpress edition of 100 numbered and signed copies.
2023 ELYSE WOLF PRIZE opens May 1 and closes June 15, 2023.
This year's contest is open to all poets in the United States writing in English.
$10/sliding scale reading fee. The winner will be granted the 2023 Elyse Wolf Prize of $500 and will become an active member of the press. The runner-up receives $100.
MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
As a collaborative, we are dedicated to publishing the best work and involving poets in the publishing process. Chapbook contest/Elyse Wolf prize winners agree to a three-year work commitment, averaging 8-10 hours/month, including monthly meetings on Zoom. The winners work with members toward publication and marketing of his/her/their work, as well as the work of others in the collective. Members receive feedback and editing suggestions on drafts and final manuscript.
Nineteen Years of Poetry
Slate Roof Press offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about small press publishing and to join a community of poets. Slate Roof Members are involved in all aspects of publishing, such as working with local vendors, sending out promotion, managing bookstore accounts, participating in book fairs and presentations, designing promotional materials, providing feedback on other members’ manuscripts, editing/proofreading final copy, book assembly, and book distribution. The chapbooks are designed by the poet; we attend to papers, binding, and typography. Currently, our print run is 350 copies; of that, 25 copies are given to the author and 50 are retained by Slate Roof for promotional purposes. Poets retain copyright. All profits return to the press.
This year's contest is open to all poets in the United States writing in English.
1. To enter, review Membership Requirements above.
2. Prepare your submission:
- A title page with title of the manuscript only; a table of contents page; no more than 28 pages of poems; 12 pt. Times (or equivalent), 8.5 x 11 paper, 1” margins, pages numbered. No identifying information on any pages.
- A separate cover sheet with title of manuscript, your name, address, telephone number, email address, and a short bio. Please also tell us what attracts you about joining a collaborative press.
- Note that while individual poems may have been published, the collection as a whole must be unpublished, including self-publication.
- Paste cover sheet into text box. Upload title page, table of contents, and manuscript (all three as a single document, no identifying information); pdf strongly preferred; doc, docx, txt, or rtf acceptable.
3. Submit $10 reading fee. If the reading fee presents a hardship, please 1) email us your manuscript at info@slateroofpress.com; and 2) go to http://slateroofpress.com/about.html to make a donation in an amount that feels accessible. If you feel you are in a position to make a donation exceeding the $10 reading fee in support of a fellow poet, we welcome your generosity. Your manuscript submission will be considered complete once both the text and the donation have been received.
All entries will be considered complete once payment is received.
A winning manuscript will be chosen by the press via a blind review. In addition, we may offer publication and membership to finalists. For additional information on Slate Roof Press, email us at info@slateroofpress.com. We reserve the right not to select a winner, in which case entry fees will be refunded. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere.