Contests & Submissions

The PSNH offers opportunities for publication both through direct submissions to the editor and through our contests. In addition to publication of winning poems there are cash prizes for our National and Members contests.

National Contest

National Contest Coordinator
Betsy Snider
PO Box 225
Acworth, NH 03601

Please note limit is forty lines. Name and address must appear in the upper right hand corner of the copy on which they appear. NO identification is to appear anywhere on the second copy.

The Poetry Society of New Hampshire sponsors four National Contests open to all poets, members or not. Judges for the contests are not members of the Poetry Society of New Hampshire. Prizes are awarded to four places, 1st place, $100, 2nd place, $50, 3rd and 4th places $25 each. Winning poems will be published in our quarterly magazine, The Poets Touchstone, and winning poets will receive one copy of the issue in which their poems appear. Rights revert to the author after publication.

Guidelines

Entries that do not meet the guidelines will not be considered or returned. Poems must be postmarked by the deadline date.

  • Subject and form are open.
  • Length limited to 40 lines.
  • One poem per page.
  • Poems must be typed.
  • Two copies of each poem, one with NO identification (no name, no address), the other with the name and address in the upper right corner.
  • #10 SASE for winners list only. Poems will not be returned.
  • Entry fee is $3 for the first poem, and $2 each for others. Entries limited to 5 poems per poet per contest.
  • Poems must not be previously published, have won a prize, nor be currently entered in another contest.
  • Poems must be postmarked by the deadline date. Deadlines are: August 15th, November 15th and February 15th, May 15th.
  • Mail poems and check payable to the Poetry Society of New Hampshire (PSNH) to the coordinator at the address above.

Members Contest

Helen Duchesne
Members Contest Coordinator
998 West Shore Road
Bristol, NH 03222

The society sponsors four members only contests. Judges are also members. Prizes are awarded as follows: 1st Place – $25, 2nd Place – $15, 3rd Place – $10. Winning poems will be published in the The Poets' Touchstone. Rights revert to the author after publication.

Guidelines:

Entries that do not meet the guidelines will not be considered or returned.

  • Entries must be post-marked by the applicable deadline: the 15th of February, May, August and November.
  • Subject and form are open, unless otherwise stated.
  • Limited to 40 lines including blank lines between stanzas.
  • One poem per page.
  • Entries limited to one poem per poet per contest.
  • Poems must be typed.
  • Submit two copies of each poem: one with NO identification (no name, no address), the other with your name and contact info in the upper left corner.
  • Note contest deadline on outside of envelope.
  • #10 SASE for winners’ list only.
  • Poems will not be returned.
  • Decisions of the Judge are final.
  • Poems must not be previously published, have won a prize, nor be currently entered or submitted elsewhere.
  • Mail poems to the coordinator at the address above.

Direct Submissions

John Ferguson, Editor
315 Richards Avenue
Portsmouth, NH 03801-5239
jbf@fergus.com

We encourage all members to submit work for consideration. Please include your phone number and e-mail contact information in case we need to communicate with you. All rights revert to authors and artists upon publication, but if you do resubmit elsewhere, please credit The Poets’ Touchstone. Book reviews, essays on poetry, black & white artwork and poems may be submitted directly to the Editor, via mail or e-mail above.

Student Poetry Contests

Barbara Bald
Junior Contest Coordinator
Poetry Society of New Hampshire
21 Finethy Road
Alton, NH 03809

Karen Galipeau
Senior Contest Coordinator
Poetry Society of New Hampshire
50 Lexington Drive
Hampstead, NH 03841

Rules for Poetry Society of New Hampshire Contest

  • This contest is open to all students attending Grades 1-12 in New Hampshire.
  • Prepare two copies of each submission.
  • The first copy of each poem shall be without any personal identification.
  • The second copy shall have the following in the upper right hand corner: The student’s name & home address, the school’s name & address, and the student’s grade in school. It must have a signed statement certifying that the poem is original and has not been copied, in whole or in part, from another author’s work (including poems posted on the internet).
  • Both copies must state "Junior Division" (grades 1-8) or "Senior Division (High School) in the upper left hand corner.
  • Submissions may have been previously published and may have won prizes.
  • Line limit is 40 lines. Any style. Theme is Open.
  • All poems shall be neatly typed or computer-generated on white paper. If the poem is longer than a single page then staple the second page to the first.
  • Please no large print, illustrations or unusual type fonts (for example: Gothic or script).
  • Include one #10 business-sized envelope with your entry, and $1.00 per poem entered.
  • Please make checks payable to: The Poetry Society of NH. Do not include cash.
  • Ten winning poems in each division will be published in The Poets’ Touchstone. Enter as many poems as you wish.
  • Postmarked deadline every year is March 31
  • We cannot be responsible for poems lost or delayed by the mail. No poems will be returned, so do not send your only copies. Entries that do not follow the guidelines will be neither considered nor returned.
  • Please mail poems and entry fee to the appropriate coordinator above.