IMPORTANT: Please make sure you have read and understand all Fischer Prize Contest Guidelines before completing your entry form. Incomplete or improperly submitted forms will be denied and a $10 additional fee assessed for re-entry.

We respect your privacy. Contact info is used ONLY for contest purposes and is never sold or shared.

Poem file format and naming MUST FOLLOW GUIDELINES or your submission may be denied. Please review the poem guidelines before uploading your files.

COPYRIGHT:
As a condition of submission to the Fischer Prize Contest, the submitting poet affirms that they own the copyright to the poem submitted, and that it is an original work created by the submitting poet. They permanently grant the Telluride Institute’s Talking Gourds Program (TGPP) the permission to publish the submitted poem on its website and in any future anthology, should one be created, unless alternate written arrangements are made with the program. All other rights revert to the poet.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORK:
Previously published poems in print or online are permissible as entries, so long as the poet retains the copyright and the poem has not been a winner in another contest. All entries must include previous publication information in the poem text and any poems published by TGPP will include attribution to the previous publication entity.

SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS:
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable but acceptance at another site or contest can NOT be a reason to withdraw poem from consideration or limit website or anthology publication by the Fischer Contest without written permission from TGPP. Fees will not be refunded.

ENTRY FEES

Each poem has a base entry fee. If you would also like feedback from our Director, there is an additional $10 fee per poem.

If you want more in-depth feedback, one of our preliminary judges can respond and work with you at a $30/hour mentoring fee. That can be arranged individually by responding to the initial feedback email.

INCOMPLETE FEE

If the contest administrator sends an email telling you that your submission(s) is “incomplete” with instructions as to what needs fixing, you’ll need to resubmit by postal mail with a completed submission and check for $20 made out to TGPP with a note “incomplete and handline fees” ($10 for incomplete fee and $10 for postal handling).