Poetry Society of Oklahoma
Contests Rules and Guidelines

Please note: Due to the increase in the Postal Service losing, destroying, and/or delivering mail to wrong Post Office Box numbers please make sure your email address is listed on your index card and print "Please notify on receipt" at the top ot the card. If you have not received an email confirming I have received your entries within 10 days of mailing them, please let me know so we can contact the Postal Service and report your mail lost.

1. Members are required to send a flat fee of $5.00 to enter any and/or all categoriesin the annual spring contest.

2. Non-Members fees are $3.00 per poem for eligible categories (open to all categories) in the annual spring contest.

3. All poems must be original, unpublished, not having won a First place prize in any PSO contest.

4. Unpublished poems which have not been accepted for publication prior to the PSO contest entry deadline of December 15th of contest year
are eligible to be entered in the Annual PSO Contest.

5. Contestants not complying with rules may be prohibited from entering these and future contests at the discretion of the Executive Board.

6. By entering, contestants acknowledge PSO may read their winning poems at the time of  Awards. All rights remain with the author and no
winning poem will be published by PSO (without the author's express permission).

7. Send one poem per category, one page per poem. Exceptions are: Categories with 'no line limit'.

8. Submit a different poem for each category entered.

9. Packets for the PSO Annual Spring Contests may be picked up after the Awards Banquet in March. Workshop Contest and
    National Poetry Day Contest packets will be returned after their respective Awards presentations in July and October. Packets
    without  SELF ADDRESSED  STAMPED  9"x12"   ENVELOPE and/or PROPER RETURN POSTAGE will NOT be mailed.

    These packets will be destroyed.

10. Winning checks over 60 days old will not be honored.

 

Formatting Guidelines

1. Provide two (2) copies of each poem. On one copy only, include name and address in the upper right corner.
    Make separate stacks of Unidentified and Identified copies please. Do not put name and address on the second copy.

2. Type all poems single-spaced (double space between stanzas) on 8½" x 11" white paper. NOTE: If "Form" is listed as Poet's Choice,
    and a specific form is used, please state type of form on page.

3. Type the number and name of category in the upper left corner of each poem page.

4. Please include one index card, 3x5 preferred. On the left side of the card list your name, address, phone number, and email address clearly typed,
written, or stamped. Under this information please put the number only of contests you entered (do NOT list titles or first lines please, just the number of the contest.)
On the right side please indicate member or non-member

5. All poems, index card, entry fee and SASE should be contained in one 9" x 12" envelope. If not, the entries will be disqualified and packets destroyed.

6. Do NOT fold your entry(ies). Folded entries will NOT be accepted. They will be destroyed.

7. Winners in the PSO Annual Spring Contest will be announced at the March Awards Banquet. NOTE: For more information on individual categories regarding form
requirements  or poem example; contact either the sponsor of that category or Barbara Shepherd,  okcwriters@aol.com.

(We also recommend that you read Lewis Turco's, The Book of Forms or other authorized books on forms)

Mail entries together in one envelope with contest fees and index card to:

Barbara Shepherd, Contest Chair
2913
Gettysburg Rd.
Edmond, OK 73013-6459


Contests Pages
(click the contest to go to that contest's page)

Annual Spring Contest

Annual Spring Contest Winners

July Workshop Contest

July Workshop Contest Winners

National Poetry Day Contest

National Poetry Day Contest Winners