Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

The Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest is an annual international poetry competition now in its 24th year, offering $12,000 in total prizes. The contest features two major prizes: the Tom Howard Prize ($3,500) for poems in any style or genre, and the Margaret Reid Prize ($3,500) for poems that rhyme or have a traditional style. Additionally, the contest awards ten Honorable Mentions of $500 each. The top two winners also receive two-year gift certificates from co-sponsor Duotrope (valued at $100). All top 12 entries are published online on the Winning Writers website and announced in their newsletter which reaches over 50,000 subscribers. Poets may submit published or unpublished work, with a maximum length of 250 lines per poem. Each submission may contain up to 3 poems for a $25 entry fee. The contest welcomes poets of all ages from nearly all countries (with exceptions due to US government restrictions). Entries are judged anonymously by award-winning poets with expertise in diverse literary traditions. The contest emphasizes quality literary merit and is recognized as one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers. Poems written with the aid of AI text generators are not eligible. The contest runs annually with submissions accepted from April 15 to October 1, and results announced the following April 15. Winners retain copyright to their work while granting Winning Writers a nonexclusive license to publish prize-winning entries online. This well-established contest provides significant recognition and financial support to poets working in both traditional and contemporary forms.