Poetry Contests | No Entry Fee

Below is a list of free online poetry contests for 2020 which are managed by international poet Premium Members. Poetry contests are held every week and anyone can enter. All competitions are free and you can enter as many contests as you want. You keep copyrights on all of your poems. Some poetry contests even have prizes!

Contest Submission Guidelines

1. Submit your poems to PoetrySoup using the Submit Poems link at the top of any PoetrySoup page
2. Return to the poetry contest page
3. Select a contest to enter and then click the Enter Contest button associated with the poetry contest you want to enter.
4. Select your poem to enter by clicking the Enter Contest button (You may need to scroll see more of your poems).
5. Entrant’s name, address, e-mail, and phone number must not appear in the poems.
6. Do not identify yourself in your contest entries.
7. The poet’s name should not appear anywhere in the poem field.

How to Win

• Enter the contest early. A contest closes when either the number of allowed entries is reached or the contest deadline passes.
  Study the past winners of a contest sponsored by that member
• Prior to entering a contest, have your poem critiqued in the High Critique Forum
• Objectively and critically review your poem
• Enter a lot of contests. Hey, the more contests you enter, the better chance you have of winning one.

Other Contest Links

• Poetry Contest Winners and Status
• Top Poetry Contest Poets
• Archived PoetrySoup Contest Winners
• Short Story Contests (Cash Prizes)

Types of Contests

Cash or Prize Contests

Premiere Contests

• Stricter guidelines for contest sponsors as determined by PoetrySoup
• One poem per place in contest
• 1st place winners will have a trophy next to their poem on the website

Standard Contest

• Rules determined by contest sponsor
• Number of winners and how they place are determined by contest sponsor

List of Poetry Contests