Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest is created by Winning Writers, the organization finding and creating quality resources for poets and writers. Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2015-2019). The judges are Soma Mei Sheng Frazier, the winner of CutBank's 2018 contest and released in 2019, and Michal Jones, Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and parent in Oakland, California.
Interested in the competition?
Competition Overview
No restriction on age of author. All countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions)
Eligibility
$25 per submission. In each submission, students can include up to three poems.
Entry fee
April 15-October 1, 2025
Submission deadline
Competition Details
1. Submsision Details
All ages and genres of poetry are accepted for the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest.
Length limit: maximum 250 lines per poem (excluding title or blank lines)
Acceptable document types:.doc, .docx, .pdf, .odt, .rtf, .txt
Acceptable fonts: Times New Roman, Arial, or Verdana in 12-point size or larger
To ensure anonymity, remove name/initials, email address, mailing address, phone number, and social media links in your submission.
2. Prizes
Participants compete for an astonishing $12,000 prize pool.
- Tom Howard Prize: $3,500 for a poem in any style or genre
- Margaret Reid Prize: $3,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style
- The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value)
- 10 Honorable Mentions will receive $300 each (any category)
- The top 12 entries will be published online
