Moonstone Book Contest
- Submissions accepted to January 31, 2016
- Winner will receive a $600 cash prize, publication and 25 copies of the book*, promotion on our website and a reading at one of our venues in Philadelphia.
Please submit between 75 and 90 pages of material.
Individual poems may have been previously published, but the work as a whole must be new. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers or contests are permitted so long as you promptly notify Moonstone Press if a manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
Include only one poem per page.
If a poem continues to a second page, indicate whether or not there is a stanza break. Thirty-five lines equal one page. Divider pages or section titles should be included in the total page count. When determining total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanzas (example: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks (often indicated by a * symbol) should also be included as lines when calculating total line length. Count an epigraph as three extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines of your total line count. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line and remember that the final chapbook will be printed in 12 point Times New Roman font on pages that are 5 1/2 inches wide.
Include the following as separate pages:
a biography (this can be included in the cover letter), a cover page with contact information, table of contents, dedication, acknowledgments for any previous publications, and an inside title page (with no name). These pages should not be included in the manuscript’s total page count. The cover page should include the manuscript title and all contact information (mailing address, email address, home phone, and cell phone if available).
Your name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript.
Submit manuscript in a 9 X 12 (or 10 X 13) inch non-padded envelope or USPS priority mail envelope. Please do not use paper clips, binder clips, staples, or report folders.
Please enclose a 9 X 12 (or 10 X 13) inch SASE with correct postage if you want your whole manuscript returned. For notification of results only, include a #10 business SASE. If there is no SASE, notification will be sent via email. If there is no SASE and no email address, there will be no notification. Please notify us of any change of address.
All submissions should be postmarked no later than January 31, 2016. Winners will be announced about February 29, 2016.
Mail your manuscript along with a $28 reading fee** payable to:
Moonstone Arts Center
110A S. 13th Street
Philadelphia PA 19107
* additional copies will be available for purchase
** Please note that this fee is nonrefundable should you decide not to participate.
See our publishing guidelines if you would like to publish with The Moonstone Press