About The Mississippi Valley Poetry Contest
The Mississippi Valley Poetry Contest began in 1972 and has become a premier contest in the U.S. Funded by donations, grants, and entry fees, the contest operates through the Midwest Writing Center, a non-profit parent organization, and volunteer poets, writers, and artists.

Contest Rules

No Previously Published Poems. Simultaneous submissions accepted; however, you must immediately withdraw your poems if they are accepted elsewhere.

Friends, relatives and former or current students of judges may not enter. Past or current employees and board members of Midwest Writing Center are also ineligible.

Contact Submission Information

Postal ("snail") Submission:

Poems should be typed with no identifying information on the page. Include a separate cover sheet with authors name, address, email address, and poem titles. Please note on your cover letter the category for which you would like to be considered. Poems may be more than on page, but only one poem per page.

Include a SASE for results if you do not wish to receive notification via email.

Electronic Submissions:

Electronic submission should be made via our online submission manager. Submissions should include all poems in one (.doc or .rtf) document, with no identifying information in the file.

Deadline

Submissions must be postmarked January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2012.

Entry Fee

$10 for up to three poems; $2 for each additional poem. To submit to both national and regional contests, entry fee is $15 for up to three poems in each contest category, $2 for each additional poem.

Methods of Payment

You can pay via PayPal online. Or, send a check IF you are submitting via traditional postal mail:

Midwest Writing Center

Mississippi Valley Poetry Contest

225 E. 2nd St., Suite 303

Davenport, IA 52801

Prizes

Prizes will be given in two categories:

National (all U.S. poets eligible)

Regional (only poets residing in Northern Mississippi Valley Region states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.)

First, second and third place prizes for each category are as follows; $250, $175, and $100; the regional contest winner will also receive an award in honor of Max J. Molleston, long-time Mississippi Valley Contest coordinator.

The top 25 finalists in each category will be printed in and receive a contributor's copy of our anthology Off Channel, published by the Midwest Writing Center Press.

2012 National Judge:

Nate Pritts

2012 Regional Judge:

Chad Parmenter