OPA Spring contest opens Feb. 1

OPA 2022 ADULT SPRING CONTEST

Begins:  February 1, 2022

Ends:     March 1, 2022

CATEGORIES

Please remember that if you are not a current member of OPA you must submit your

entries through the Non-Member Submittable portal in order for them to be accepted.

Limit: one poem per category (no duplicates).

Poet’s Choice: Limit 80 lines, any subject, any form. Judge: Jessica Mehta

Members Only: Limit 20 lines, any subject, any form. Entrant must bea current OPA member.  Judge: Beth Wood

New Poets: Limit 30 lines, any subject, any form. A new poet is someone with no more than two poems published in online or print journals. (Self-published chapbooks and collections count as previous publication.) Judge: Sherri Levine

Traditional Form—Shakespearean Sonnet: Limit 14 lines, any subject, three quatrains and a concluding couplet, rhyming abab cdcd efef gg.  Judge: John Witte

Theme—Ars Poetica: Limit 40 lines, any form on the subject. Judge: Susan Rich

Age 30 and Under: Limit 30 lines, any subject, any form, open to adults age 30 or  under as of contest deadline. Please provide DOB with entry cover letter. Judge: Marc Janssen

Spanish Language: Limit 40 lines, original poem plus poet’s translation of the poem into English, any subject, any form. (Internet translations not accepted.) Judge: JM Persánch

AWARDS

Poets Choice: 1^st place $125; 2^nd place $75; 3^rd place $50; 3 Honorable Mentions

All other categories: 1^st place $75; 2^nd place $50; 3^rd place $30; 3 Honorable Mentions

All 1^st, 2^nd, and 3rd place winners will be published on the OPA website and in the annual anthology of prizewinners, Verseweavers.

 ENTRY FEE

OPA members: Flat rate of $8 for up to seven poems (limit one poem per category).

Non-members: Flat rate of $15 for up to six poems (limit one poem per category).

DEADLINE

Submitted electronically via Submittable by March 1, 2022, 11:59pm PST.

(NOTE: Paper submissions no longer accepted.)

SPRING 2022 POETRY CONTEST GUIDELINES – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

Entries not in compliance with these guidelines will be disqualified; entry fees non-refundable.

1. Poems must be your original work, unpublished in print or online (including self-published books), and may not have been a prior cash winner in any contest. Appearance on personal websites, blogs, Facebook pages, or critique groups does not constitute publication.
2. You may enter one poem in each category, without duplication.
3. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged, but entry fees are non-refundable. If your poem is accepted elsewhere, please notify OPA immediately via Submittable to withdraw the poem.
4. Format poems in 12-point font size, Times New Roman or another standard typeface. Format as .doc or .docx (no PDF). PDF files will not be accepted.
5. Online submissions at https://OPA.submittable.com. You can also find this link on the Contests page under Submittable (external link). Submission title should be listed beginning with last name, followed by ContestEntry (e.g., “Smith-ContestEntry.docx”). In the upper-right corner of every page (one poem per page) in your submission, indicate category and poem line count. (Title and spaces between stanzas  do not count as lines.) Your name or contact information must not appear anywhere on the poems. Poems are read blind. blind. In the Cover Letter field, please enter a cover letter which includes your
   poem titles, contact information (name, address, phone, email), and bio (third
   person, 75 words or less). If entering the 30 and Under category, include your DOB. If entering multiple categories, all poems must be submitted in a single document using .doc or .docx format. PDF files will not be accepted.
6. If you join OPA at the time you enter, you are eligible for the Member rate, and for the Members Only category. (Please use the Become a Member option in Submittable prior to making your contest submission. Include in your contest entry a statement that you have recently joined or are now joining OPA.
7. Poems may not be edited and re-submitted; your submission is final.
8. Members Only category: OPA sends out notifications in February notifying members whether membership is current or needs to be renewed. Watch for emails or postcards. For questions regarding membership, email Membership Chair at Contact > Membership > Contact Membership Chair.
9. Members may submit up to seven poems, limited to one poem per category. Non-members may submit up to six poems, limited to one poem per category.
10. Winners will be notified in mid to late April 2022. 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place winning poems will be published on the OPA website and in Verseweavers, OPA’s annual anthology. All rights revert to author after publication. OPA reserves the right to use prizewinning poems on the OPA website, membership forms, etc.
11. Submissions not conforming to these rules will be disqualified; entry fees will not be refunded.