In the spirit of Emma Lazarus' famous poem, "The New Colossus," SHINE poetry series proudly announces the "Come As You Are" (Short Run) Book Prize, open to any poet residing in the U.S.A. (With apologies for language barriers, only manuscripts written in English are eligible.) Kindly read all guidelines listed below before submitting your work.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: (Submissions not adhering to the following may be promptly dismissed.)
- Prepare and submit a manuscript of 40-55 pages in length (one poem per page preferred)
- Please include a Table of Contents, and an Acknowledgments page noting any prior publications, if applicable
- Manuscripts should be in Times New Roman, 12 point (or similar font style & size), attached to an email
- Title your manuscript attachment as your suggested book title
- The body of your email shall serve as your cover letter (include a third-person bio and contact information)
- Send to: SHINEpoetry[at]protonmail.com with subject line: "Come As You Are" prize entry
- There is no fee to enter
- Submissions must be received by Midnight EST, March 31, 2026
- Open to any poet residing in the U.S.A. (prior publication not required)
- Manuscripts must be written in English
- Only one entry per person, please
One prize winner will be selected in-house by SHINE poetry. The winner will be announced in May of 2026, with publication planned for Fall 2026.
THE WINNING POET WILL BE AWARDED THE FOLLOWING:
- A short run publishing package including close-read editing & formatting services provided in-house by SHINE poetry
- Management of on-demand publishing services for the duration of one year from the book launch date
- Social media promotion of the poet and the winning book across SHINE’s media platforms
- Two complimentary copies of the published manuscript
- Access to additional at-cost copies for the duration of the one-year short run publishing term
- SHINE poetry will publish the winning manuscript in paperback form only
- SHINE poetry shall retain exclusive rights, including all royalties up to two-thousand dollars and fifty-percent of all royalties thereafter, for a duration of one year from the date of publish
- At one year from the date of publish, the short run publishing agreement shall terminate, and all rights what-so-ever shall revert to the author
For the sake of transparency, a sample contract may be downloaded below:
| Sample Publishing Contract for SHINE Poetry Book Prize |
Thank you for considering SHINE poetry as a home for your collection!
All submissions will be handled with care.
All submissions will be handled with care.
