Contests
With all CutBank contests, please submit using the link below. Thanks!
Submit to CutBank literary journal
Current Contests
2013 Montana Prize in Fiction, Montana Prize in Creative Non-fiction, and Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry
Submissions for all contests are accepted December 1, 2012 through March 1, 2013. Winners receive $500 and publication in CutBank 79. All submissions will be considered for publication in CutBank. The contests’ $17 entry fee includes a one-year, two-issue subscription to CutBank, beginning with the prize issue, CutBank 79.
Please send only your best work. With all three of these awards, weare seeking to highlight work that showcases an authentic voice, anoriginal perspective, and willingness to push against the boundariesof the form at hand. For more information, guidelines, and to apply, click here.
Montana Prize in Fiction Judge – Maile Meloy
Maile Meloy is the author of the novels Liars and Saints and A Family Daughter, and the story collections Half in Love and Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It, which was named one of the Ten Best Books of 2009 by the New York Times Book Review and one of the best books of the year by the Los Angeles Times and Amazon.com. Her first book for young readers, The Apothecary, won the 2012 E.B. White Award and was named one of the best children’s books of the year by Publishers Weekly, the Chicago Public Library, and
Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction Judge – John D’Agata
John D’Agata is the author of The Lifespan of a Fact, About a Mountain, and Halls of Fame, and editor of The Next American Essay and The Lost Origins of the Essay. He teaches creative writing at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, where he lives.
Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry Judge – Cole Swensen
Cole Swensen in the author of fourteen books of poetry, most recently Gravesend (U. of California Press, 2012) and Stele (Post-Apollo Press, 2012), and a collection of critical essays, Noise That Stays Noise (U. of Michigan Press, 2011). She is also the founding editor of La Presse (www.lapressepoetry.com), a nano-press that publishes contemporary French writing in English translation, and the coeditor of the 2009 Norton anthology American Hybrid. She is the recipient of a 2007 Guggenheim Fellowship, and her work has received the Iowa Poetry Prize, the San Francisco State Poetry Center Book Award, the PEN Award in Literary Translation, and the National Poetry Series. She teaches in the Literary Arts Department at Brown University.
Big Fish Online Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Prize:
A prize of $200 and online publication will be given for the best piece of writing under 500 words that we receive. Flash fiction, short-shorts, micro-prose, prose poems, poetic prose, just plain short stories–whatever you call your briefest prose pieces, send them our way.
The contest winner will be chosen by the CutBank editorial staff and announced on our website on December 1. All submissions will be considered for both online publication and print publication in CutBank.
SUBMISSION DETAILS:
Submissions for the online flash fiction and prose poetry contest are accepted from October 1 to November 1 and must be accompanied by a $9 submission fee. Submissions may be up to 500 words.
Previously unpublished work only. Multiple submissions are acceptable, as long as each one is accompanied by its own submission fee. Simultaneous submissions are also acceptable, but please inform us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Thank you! We look forward to reading your work.
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Past Contests, 2012
2012 Montana Prize in Fiction, Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry
It gives us great pleasure to announce the winners of our annual contests:
2012 Winners:
Montana Prize in Fiction (judged by Benjamin Percy): Matt Valentine, “The Hindu Shuffle”
Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction (judged by Eula Biss): Daisy Pitkin, “An Algorithm”
Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry (judged by Bhanu Kapil): Jeff Downey, “Scapegrace”
Thank you to everyone who submitted! It was a pleasure reading your work.
All three pieces will appear in the new issue of CutBank 77.
2012 Big Fish Lyric Essay Contest
Innovative, sonically pleasing nonfiction prose on any topic is welcome in this category. John D’Agata quoting his teacher Deborah Tall once suggested that a lyric form of the essay “is a kind of essay propelled not by its information, but rather by the possibility for transformative experience.” CutBank likes this definition, but we’re also excited to see how you interpret such a malleable genre.
The contest winner will be chosen by the CutBank editorial staff and announced on our website May 1. All submissions will be considered for both online and print publication in CutBank. Submissions are accepted from March 1 to April 1 and must be accompanied by a $9 submission fee. Previously unpublished work only. Multiple submissions are acceptable, as long as each one is accompanied by its own submission fee. Simultaneous submissions are also acceptable, but please withdraw your work promptly if it is accepted elsewhere.
Writers on Writing Essay Contest
We’re looking for original, personal takes on the literary arts–form is largely up to you. We’re hoping to receive your best craft essays, stylistic manifestos, and impressions on why writing matters. You might even take a crack at defining the lyric essay for us. Smart, self-referential fiction pieces that illuminate the writing process or the importance of writing are also welcome in this category.
The contest winner will be chosen by the CutBank editorial staff and announced on our website May 1. All submissions will be considered for both online and print publication in CutBank. Submissions are accepted from March 1 to April 1 and must be accompanied by a $9 submission fee. Previously unpublished work only. Multiple submissions are acceptable, as long as each one is accompanied by its own submission fee. Simultaneous submissions are also acceptable, but please withdraw your work promptly if it is accepted elsewhere.
CutBank Chapbook Contest
Guidelines
Deadline
January 1 – March 31, 2012
Award
Publication, $1000 cash prize, and 25 contributor copies
Eligibility
This competition is open to original English language manuscripts in the genres of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. While previously published stand-alone pieces or excerpts may be included in a manuscript, the manuscript as a whole must be an unpublished work. Translations and previously self-published collections are ineligible. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable; please note that reading fees are non-refundable, and you must withdraw the manuscript immediately via Submishmash if it is accepted elsewhere. Please do not include cover artwork with your submission; black and white illustrations are acceptable so long as you’ve obtained the rights. The author must not have a close personal or professional relationship with any current or previous CutBank staff members.
Reading Fee
$17. Includes consideration and a copy of CutBank 77 upon its release in summer 2012. (International applicants must send an addition $5 to receive a copy of the issue)
What We’re Looking For
Startling, compelling, and beautiful original work. We’re looking for a fresh, powerful manuscript. Maybe it will overtake us quietly; gracefully defy genres; satisfyingly subvert our expectations; punch us in the mouth page in and page out. We’re interested in both prose and poetry – and particularly work that straddles the lines between genres. Manuscripts should be cohesive and coherent; in other words, your manuscript should resonate and make sense as a book.
Guidelines for Electronic Submissions
Submissions are accepted exclusively through our online submissions manager, Submishmash. Entries must be received no later than March 31, 2012. Please submit 25 to 40 pages of typed poetry or prose in either DOC/DOCX/RTF/PDF format. For poetry and short prose, please include no more than one piece per page. Images are acceptable, but only in black and white; you must obtain reprint rights for any included images. Include page numbers, table of contents, and, if applicable, an acknowledgments page addressing where sections have been previous published. Submissions should include two cover pages as the first two pages of the document: one with the manuscript’s title, the other with the title, author’s name, address, and e-mail address. The author’s name should not appear anywhere else in the manuscript. Results will be announced via e-mail and posted at www.cutbankonline.com in late May 2012.
The Long and Short of It
The CutBank Chapbook Contest honors a book of original poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction by a single author; translations are not eligible for this award. The winning author receives a $1000 honorarium plus 25 copies of the published book. The winner will be announced by CutBank, the winning book will be featured on the CutBank website, and we’ll do our best to distribute it to regional independent bookstores. The contest will be judged by the CutBank editorial staff. Entries must be submitted between January 1 and March 31, 2011. All entries must be made through our submission manager. Manuscripts should be 25-40 pages in length of poetry (a cohesive poetry manuscript), fiction (either a short fiction collection or novella), or creative nonfiction (one long essay or a short collection of essays). Please indicate in the acknowledgements if any sections of the manuscript have been previously published, and where; the manuscript as a whole must be an unpublished work. Manuscript revisions are not permitted during the contest. Multiple entries are fine as long as each is accompanied by a submission fee (in which case you will receive an additional copy of CutBank). The author must not have a close personal or professional relationship with any current or previous CutBank staff members.
The CLMP Code of Ethics: CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines — defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.
It is truly an honor to read your work. We wish you the best of luck!
2012 Montana Prize in Fiction, Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry
Submissions for all contests are accepted December 1, 2011 through Feb 29, 2012. Winners receive $500 and publication in CutBank 77. All submissions will be considered for publication in CutBank. The contests’ $17 entry fee includes a one-year, two-issue subscription to CutBank, beginning with the prize issue, CutBank 77.
Please send only your best work. With all three of these awards, we are seeking to highlight work that showcases an authentic voice, a boldness of form, and a rejection of functional fixedness. For more information, guidelines, and to apply, click here.
Montana Prize in Fiction Judge – Benjamin Percy
Benjamin Percy is the author of two novels, Red Moon (forthcoming from Grand Central/Hachette in 2012) and The Wilding, as well as two books of stories, Refresh, Refresh and The Language of Elk. His fiction and nonfiction have been published by Esquire, GQ, Men’s Journal, Outside, the Wall Street Journal, and the Paris Review. His honors inlcude a fellowship from the NEA, the Whiting Writers’ Award, the Plimpton Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and inclusion in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics.
Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction Judge – Eula Biss
Eula Biss holds a BA in nonfiction writing from Hampshire College and an MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa. Her second book, Notes from No Man’s Land, received the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism. Her work has also been recognized by a Pushcart Prize, a Jaffe Writers’ Award, and a 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library. She teaches writing at Northwestern University and is working on a new book about myth and metaphor in medicine with the support of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Howard Foundation Fellowship. Her essays have recently appeared in The Best American Nonrequired Reading, The Best Creative Nonfiction and the Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Nonfiction as well as in The Believer, Gulf Coast, Columbia, Ninth Letter, the North American Review, the Bellingham Review, the Seneca Review, and Harper’s.
Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry Judge – Bhanu Kapil
Bhanu Kapil lives in Colorado where she teaches writing and thinking at Naropa University’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, as well as Goddard College’s low-residency MFA. She has written four full-length cross-genre works–The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers (Kelsey Street Press, 2001), Incubation: a space for monsters (Leon Works, 2006), humanimal [a project for future children] (Kelsey Street Press, 2009), and Schizophrene (forthcoming, Nightboat Books).
Big Fish Online Contest: Flash Fiction and Prose Poetry
open October 1 – November 1
A prize of $200 and online publication will be given for the best piece of writing under 500 words that we receive. Flash fiction, short-shorts, micro-prose, prose poems, poetic prose, just plain short stories–whatever you call your briefest prose pieces, send them our way. The contest winner will be chosen by the CutBank editorial staff and announced on our website on December 1. All submissions will be considered for both online publication and print publication in CutBank. Submissions must be accompanied by a $9 submission fee.
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Past Contests, 2011
2011 Big Fish Online Contest: the Lyric Essay and Writers on Writing
*Winner will be announced in May*
open March 1 – April 1
A prize of $200 and online publication given for the best piece of nonfiction writing under 5,000 words that we receive in one of the following categories:
The Lyric Essay: Innovative, sonically pleasing nonfiction prose on any topic is welcome in this category. John D’Agata quoting his teacher Deborah Tall once suggested that a lyric form of the essay “is a kind of essay propelled not by its information, but rather by the possibility for transformative experience.” CutBank likes this definition, but we’re also excited to see how you interpret such a malleable genre.
Writers on Writing: We’re looking for original, personal takes on the literary arts. Form is largely up to you, our submitters. We’re hoping to receive your best craft essays, stylistic manifestos, and impressions on why writing matters. You might even take a crack at defining the lyric essay for us. Smart, self-referential fiction pieces that illuminate the writing process or the importance of writing are also welcome in this category.
The contest winner will be chosen by the CutBank editorial staff and announced on our website May 1. Submissions must be accompanied by a $9 submission fee. All submissions will be considered for both online and print publication in CutBank. For more information, guidelines, and to apply, click here.
2011 Montana Prize in Fiction, Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry
2011 Winners:
Montana Prize in Fiction (judged by Eileen Myles): Anne Ray, “Novio, Novia”
Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction (judged by Thalia Field): Ryan Flanagan, “Wolf Man, part II”
Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry (judged by D. A. Powell): Wendy Xu, “I am Your Youngest Poet, and Fill Your Bed with Ink”
Thank you to everyone who submitted! It was a pleasure reading your work.
Submissions for all contests are accepted December 1, 2010 through February 28, 2011. Winners receive $500 and publication in CutBank 75. All submissions will be considered for publication in CutBank. The contests’ $17 entry fee includes a one-year, two-issue subscription to CutBank, beginning with the prize issue, CutBank 75.
Please send only your best work. With all three of these awards, we are seeking to highlight work that showcases an authentic voice, a boldness of form, and a rejection of functional fixedness. For more information, guidelines, and to apply, click here.
Montana Prize in Fiction Judge – Eileen Myles
Eileen Myles’ THE INFERNO/A POET’S NOVEL came out in October 2010, and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ICELAND (MIT Press, 2009) is a talkative prose collection in which she describes her travels and explores art criticism. She’s published more than 20 volumes of fiction, poetry, articles, plays and libretti including HELL (an opera with composer Michael Webster, 2004), SKIES (2001), ON MY WAY (2001), COOL FOR YOU (a novel, 2000), SCHOOL OF FISH (1997), MAXFIELD PARRISH (1995), NOT ME (1991) and CHELSEA GIRLS (stories, 1994). With Liz Kotz, she edited THE NEW FUCK YOU/ADVENTURES IN LESBIAN READING (Semiotext(e), 1995). Eileen conducted in 1992 an openly female write-in campaign for President of the United States. In the 80s, she was Artistic Director of St. Mark’s Poetry Project. In ’94 and again in 2007, Eileen toured with Sister Spit. She is a Professor Emeritus of writing at UCSD. In 2007, she received The Andy Warhol/Creative Capital art writing fellowship.
Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction Judge – Thalia Field
Thalia Field’s recent book of interrelated story-essays, BIRD LOVERS, BACKYARD, joins her earlier POINT AND LINE, and INCARNATE:STORY MATERIAL from New Directions Press. She also recently released, A PRANK OF GEORGES (with Abigail Lang) from Essay Press, and has written a “performance-novel” ULULU (CLOWN SHRAPNEL), published by Coffee House. Thalia’s work has appeared in Tin House, Conjunctions, Ploughshares, Chicago Review, Seneca Review, Angelaki, and other journals. She is included in The Next American Essay, edited by John D’Agata, and considers the essay to be essentially a mode or register at home and in the lineage of any genre. Thalia teaches in the Literary Arts Program at Brown University.
Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry Judge – D. A. Powell
D. A. Powell’s most recent collections, COCKTAILS (2004) and CHRONIC (2009), were both chosen as finalists for the Publishing Triangle and National Book Critics Circle Awards. In 2010, Powell received the California Book Award, the Kingsley Tufts Prize in Poetry and the Northern California Book Award. A former Briggs-Copeland Lecturer in Poetry at Harvard University, Powell has taught at Columbia University, University of Iowa and New England College. He is currently the McGee Visiting Writer at Davidson College in North Carolina.
2011 Big Fish Online Contest: Flash Fiction and Prose Poetry
A prize of $200 and online publication will be given for the best piece of writing under 500 words that we receive. Flash fiction, short-shorts, micro-prose, prose poems, poetic prose, just plain short stories–whatever you call your briefest prose pieces, send them our way. The contest winner will be chosen by the CutBank editorial staff and announced on our website on December 1.
WINNER: from the BOOK OF BOOKS by Nicholas Gulig
