Deadline: 31 August 2010
Geographical Restrictions: no mention
Reading Fee: $10
Accepts (genre): poetry
Prize/Payment: $2,000.00 total
For Christian Poets
Total Prizes: US$2,000.00
Major Prizes:
FIRST PRIZE: $500.00
SECOND: $300.00
THIRD PRIZE: $200.00
HONORABLE MENTIONS (7): $100.00 each
Special Prizes:
BEST RHYMING POEM: $200.00
HONORABLE MENTION RHYMING POEM: $100.00
We award all prizes, regardless of how few entries we receive. Some contests advertise big awards, but in the "fine print" you see that the prizes are only paid if a certain number of poets enter. Utmost is different. We guarantee to pay all prizes in our poetry contests, and we always announce publicly the winners.
How to enter the Novice Christian Poetry Contest:
1. This contest is open only to Christians. It is open to all Christians. You do not need to be a member of Utmost Christian Writers to enter this contest, but you must be a Christian believer.
2. Send up to ten (10) poems with your entry fees to: Utmost Christian Writers Poetry Contest, 121 Morin Maze, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6K 1V1 (Do not send entries by email.) Make your check payable to: Utmost Christian Writers (You have the option of paying by cash, check, international money order or on-line: see Rule #8). Please note that your poetic entries must be sent to us by regular postal mail—with an official entry form—even if you pay your fees by Internet.
3. Poems may be rhymed or free verse, up to sixty (60) lines, but must not have been published previously or have won any prize in any previous competition of any kind.
4. Poets entering must be unpublished poets. What does this mean?
5. Poems may be simultaneously submitted to other contests or submitted for publication elsewhere, even while they are being considered for the Novice contest.
6. Each poem must be typed as a separate manuscript, with no name or other identification on it. If your poem requires multiple pages, number the pages.
7. Fill out an entry form (photocopies or handwritten copies of the form are acceptable) and include it in the same envelope as your entries. Entries must be POSTMARKED August 31, 2010 or earlier.
8. Include an entry fee of $10 for each poem entered. (Make your check payable to: Utmost Christian Writers.) For example, if you entered 10 poems (the maximum permitted), you would need to send a check for $100. American citizens should submit U.S. dollars. Canadian citizens should submit Canadian dollars.
(We accept checks drawn on banks in the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. We accept "International" postal money orders and cash. NOTICE: Your postal money order MUST say "International" on the face.)
You may also use your credit card to securely pay your fees over the Internet (see button on the entry form).
9. Be sure to send only copies of your poems (not originals) as manuscripts will be destroyed following the competition. In no case will entries be returned to entrants. Please do not send a SASE with your entry.
10. Winners will be announced on October 10, 2010. Competitors may request a list of winners by writing to Utmost Christian Writers after October 10 and including a SASE, or by inquiring by email at: nnharms@telusplanet.net.
Winners will always be announced on the Utmost Christian Writers web site.
11. By accepting a prize, any winner of a cash prize of $100 or greater authorizes Utmost Christian Writers Foundation to post the winning entry at the Utmost web site in perpetuity. All poets retain copyright and all other publication rights to their work. We place no restrictions on the rights of winners to publish or sell their work elsewhere following the announcement of prizes.
12. Prizes will be sent by first class postal mail. Payments are made by cash or postal money order so that prizes may be enjoyed by the winners without bank charges being assessed. Winners need not be in attendance at the prize announcements to receive their prizes. Prizes are paid in American dollars. ALL PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED.
13. Poems will be judged by an independent committee of poets under the supervision of Utmost Christian Writers Foundation director, Barbara Mitchell. Under no circumstances will Utmost Christian Writers or the judges enter into discussion with any contestant. At least 12 prizes are guaranteed to be awarded as follows:
FIRST PRIZE: $500.00
SECOND PRIZE: $300.00
THIRD PRIZE: $200.00
HON. MENTIONS (7): $100.00 each
BEST RHYMING POEM: $200.00
HONORABLE MENTION RHYMING POEM: $100.00
14. In no case will prize amounts be reduced or substituted. Winners will receive announced cash prizes even if the number of entries is fewer than expected.
15. If entries exceed expectations, cash prize amounts may be increased accordingly.
What do we mean by "unpublished poet?"
• The Web: If your poetry has appeared only on Internet web pages and never in a print publication you are an "unpublished poet" and you may enter our contest.
• In Print: If your poetry has been printed in any format wherein it was offered by you for sale for publication, and was accepted by another party for publication and was actually printed by the accepting publication, then you cannot enter the Utmost Christian Poetry Contest. Other printings of your work where you did not offer your poetry with the expectation of payment (ie. church bulletins, etc) do not disqualify you from entering our contest. If you produced a self-published pamphlet or book of poetry—paying all costs of publication yourself—and printed fewer than 501 copies of the book, we consider you to be an unpublished poet. If you have any questions about whether you qualify to enter our contest please write and ask us.
What is a Christian?
In previous years we have had a number of people ask whether they are "Christian" for the sake of our contest. It's not our desire to judge religious beliefs—or to enter into doctrinal disputes—but we hope the following will be helpful.
If you are Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or any other identifiable religion that does not put forth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior, then you are not a Christian for the purposes of our contest. If you are an agnostic or atheist you are also not a Christian for the purposes of this contest. We mean no disrespect to you or your faith.
A Christian is a person who believes Jesus Christ is the only Savior, that He died for the sins of the world and that He rose from the dead. A Christian has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus' life for his or her personal sins, and is attempting to live as Jesus Christ taught we should.
Aside from these basics, we ask you to judge for yourself if you are a Christian.
Confused about how to enter the Poetry Contest?
Here's what to do, step-by-step:
#1. Bookmark this page. (Use your "Favorites" menu.)
#2. Read the rules to be sure your poems qualify. (While you are at the rules page you can print a copy of the rules by choosing "Print" from your File menu.) Then click the "Back" button to come to this page again.
#3. Print the entry form by going to this page and choosing "Print" from your File menu. Then click "Back" to return to this page.
#6. Fill out the entry form and enclose the correct amount of entry fees according to the rules.
#7. Put your completed entry form, your poems and your check written to "Utmost Christian Writers" into an envelope and mail it to: Utmost Christian Poetry Contest, 121 Morin Maze, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA T6K 1V1. (We accept checks drawn on banks in the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. We accept "International" postal money orders and cash.)
#8. Does your envelope contain: your poetry, your entry fees, a completed entry form?
You're done! Just drop it into the mailbox, and check back at this page on October 10, 2010 to see if you've won $500 or one of our other cash prizes totalling $2,000!
More information here.
Geographical Restrictions: no mention
Reading Fee: $10
Accepts (genre): poetry
Prize/Payment: $2,000.00 total
For Christian Poets
Total Prizes: US$2,000.00
Major Prizes:
FIRST PRIZE: $500.00
SECOND: $300.00
THIRD PRIZE: $200.00
HONORABLE MENTIONS (7): $100.00 each
Special Prizes:
BEST RHYMING POEM: $200.00
HONORABLE MENTION RHYMING POEM: $100.00
We award all prizes, regardless of how few entries we receive. Some contests advertise big awards, but in the "fine print" you see that the prizes are only paid if a certain number of poets enter. Utmost is different. We guarantee to pay all prizes in our poetry contests, and we always announce publicly the winners.
How to enter the Novice Christian Poetry Contest:
1. This contest is open only to Christians. It is open to all Christians. You do not need to be a member of Utmost Christian Writers to enter this contest, but you must be a Christian believer.
2. Send up to ten (10) poems with your entry fees to: Utmost Christian Writers Poetry Contest, 121 Morin Maze, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6K 1V1 (Do not send entries by email.) Make your check payable to: Utmost Christian Writers (You have the option of paying by cash, check, international money order or on-line: see Rule #8). Please note that your poetic entries must be sent to us by regular postal mail—with an official entry form—even if you pay your fees by Internet.
3. Poems may be rhymed or free verse, up to sixty (60) lines, but must not have been published previously or have won any prize in any previous competition of any kind.
4. Poets entering must be unpublished poets. What does this mean?
5. Poems may be simultaneously submitted to other contests or submitted for publication elsewhere, even while they are being considered for the Novice contest.
6. Each poem must be typed as a separate manuscript, with no name or other identification on it. If your poem requires multiple pages, number the pages.
7. Fill out an entry form (photocopies or handwritten copies of the form are acceptable) and include it in the same envelope as your entries. Entries must be POSTMARKED August 31, 2010 or earlier.
8. Include an entry fee of $10 for each poem entered. (Make your check payable to: Utmost Christian Writers.) For example, if you entered 10 poems (the maximum permitted), you would need to send a check for $100. American citizens should submit U.S. dollars. Canadian citizens should submit Canadian dollars.
(We accept checks drawn on banks in the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. We accept "International" postal money orders and cash. NOTICE: Your postal money order MUST say "International" on the face.)
You may also use your credit card to securely pay your fees over the Internet (see button on the entry form).
9. Be sure to send only copies of your poems (not originals) as manuscripts will be destroyed following the competition. In no case will entries be returned to entrants. Please do not send a SASE with your entry.
10. Winners will be announced on October 10, 2010. Competitors may request a list of winners by writing to Utmost Christian Writers after October 10 and including a SASE, or by inquiring by email at: nnharms@telusplanet.net.
Winners will always be announced on the Utmost Christian Writers web site.
11. By accepting a prize, any winner of a cash prize of $100 or greater authorizes Utmost Christian Writers Foundation to post the winning entry at the Utmost web site in perpetuity. All poets retain copyright and all other publication rights to their work. We place no restrictions on the rights of winners to publish or sell their work elsewhere following the announcement of prizes.
12. Prizes will be sent by first class postal mail. Payments are made by cash or postal money order so that prizes may be enjoyed by the winners without bank charges being assessed. Winners need not be in attendance at the prize announcements to receive their prizes. Prizes are paid in American dollars. ALL PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED.
13. Poems will be judged by an independent committee of poets under the supervision of Utmost Christian Writers Foundation director, Barbara Mitchell. Under no circumstances will Utmost Christian Writers or the judges enter into discussion with any contestant. At least 12 prizes are guaranteed to be awarded as follows:
FIRST PRIZE: $500.00
SECOND PRIZE: $300.00
THIRD PRIZE: $200.00
HON. MENTIONS (7): $100.00 each
BEST RHYMING POEM: $200.00
HONORABLE MENTION RHYMING POEM: $100.00
14. In no case will prize amounts be reduced or substituted. Winners will receive announced cash prizes even if the number of entries is fewer than expected.
15. If entries exceed expectations, cash prize amounts may be increased accordingly.
What do we mean by "unpublished poet?"
• The Web: If your poetry has appeared only on Internet web pages and never in a print publication you are an "unpublished poet" and you may enter our contest.
• In Print: If your poetry has been printed in any format wherein it was offered by you for sale for publication, and was accepted by another party for publication and was actually printed by the accepting publication, then you cannot enter the Utmost Christian Poetry Contest. Other printings of your work where you did not offer your poetry with the expectation of payment (ie. church bulletins, etc) do not disqualify you from entering our contest. If you produced a self-published pamphlet or book of poetry—paying all costs of publication yourself—and printed fewer than 501 copies of the book, we consider you to be an unpublished poet. If you have any questions about whether you qualify to enter our contest please write and ask us.
What is a Christian?
In previous years we have had a number of people ask whether they are "Christian" for the sake of our contest. It's not our desire to judge religious beliefs—or to enter into doctrinal disputes—but we hope the following will be helpful.
If you are Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or any other identifiable religion that does not put forth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior, then you are not a Christian for the purposes of our contest. If you are an agnostic or atheist you are also not a Christian for the purposes of this contest. We mean no disrespect to you or your faith.
A Christian is a person who believes Jesus Christ is the only Savior, that He died for the sins of the world and that He rose from the dead. A Christian has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus' life for his or her personal sins, and is attempting to live as Jesus Christ taught we should.
Aside from these basics, we ask you to judge for yourself if you are a Christian.
Confused about how to enter the Poetry Contest?
Here's what to do, step-by-step:
#1. Bookmark this page. (Use your "Favorites" menu.)
#2. Read the rules to be sure your poems qualify. (While you are at the rules page you can print a copy of the rules by choosing "Print" from your File menu.) Then click the "Back" button to come to this page again.
#3. Print the entry form by going to this page and choosing "Print" from your File menu. Then click "Back" to return to this page.
#6. Fill out the entry form and enclose the correct amount of entry fees according to the rules.
#7. Put your completed entry form, your poems and your check written to "Utmost Christian Writers" into an envelope and mail it to: Utmost Christian Poetry Contest, 121 Morin Maze, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA T6K 1V1. (We accept checks drawn on banks in the USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. We accept "International" postal money orders and cash.)
#8. Does your envelope contain: your poetry, your entry fees, a completed entry form?
You're done! Just drop it into the mailbox, and check back at this page on October 10, 2010 to see if you've won $500 or one of our other cash prizes totalling $2,000!
More information here.
