The Gatewood Prize
***Our contest rules have undergone significant changes over the past few months, please read the new guidelines carefully.***
The Gatewood Prize is Switchback Books' annual competition for a first or second full-length (48-80 pp.) collection of poems by a woman writing in the English language. It is named after Emma Gatewood, the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.
NOTE: We only accept electronic submissions. Do not send paper submissions. For more information, see "Submission Format" below.
Judge:
TBAReading Period:
March 1 - June 1, 2010General Terms:
Poet must be a woman; our definition of "woman" is broad and includes transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, and female-identified individuals.
Entry fee of $15 must accompany each submission; make check payable to Switchback Books. We do not accept cash or money orders.
Multiple submissions are acceptable, but each manuscript must be entered under separate cover and fee.
You must let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher while under our consideration.
No revisions to submitted manuscripts will be considered; the winning manuscript may be revised before publication.
Translations ineligible.
Manuscripts by close friends and former students of the judge are ineligible.
Co-written collections are eligible provided both poets meet all eligibility requirements.
Submissions will be read by Switchback editors and staff members. We will select ten manuscripts to send on to the judge, who will choose the final winner.
Manuscripts remain anonymous until a winner is selected. Please remove any identifying references from your manuscript (including those in the body of the manuscript).
Manuscript Requirements:
Manuscripts should be between 48 and 80 pages, paginated.
Please include two cover pages: top cover page should include manuscript title, author's name, and author's contact information; second cover page should only include the title of the manuscript.
No acknowledgments page.
Notification:
The entry fee entitles you to a free copy of the winning book. To receive your free copy of the winning book, please include with your reading fee a 7x10 envelope with a USA address and $2.15 in USA postage.If you want to be notified of the contest results by snail mail (as opposed to e-mail), enclose a SASE with your reading fee.
Do not enclose an SASE for return of manuscripts; all manuscripts will be recycled at end of contest term.
International submissions must include U.S. postage; IRCs will not be honored. Go to www.usps.com to purchase US postage.
TELL US IF YOU MOVE. Send new address to: editors@switchbackbooks.com
Deadline:
Manuscripts will be accepted between March 1st through June 1st, 2010.Submission Format:
Send a PDF (preferred) or DOC to contest [at] switchbackbooks [dot] com. Send contest fee via post with manuscript title and e-submission date in the memo field.
Switchback Books strongly recommends that you familiarize yourself with our aesthetics before submitting a manuscript to our contest.
2008 Gatewood Prize Results
2007 Gatewood Prize Results