Submissions and Guidelines

Trio House Press sponsors two annual poetry manuscript awards and one annual creative nonfiction award:

The Trio Award for First or Second Book for emerging poets for a book of poems contributing in an innovative and distinct way to American poetry. 

The Louise Bogan Award for poets at any level of publication.

Each award winner receives $1000 and twenty copies of their book, along with assistance in marketing the book.

In 2023, Trio House Press launched its first creative nonfiction manuscript contest:

The Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award. 

Award winners receive $1,000 and twenty copies of their book, along with assistance in marketing the book.

Trio House Press offers an open submissions period each year for poetry manuscripts, which may vary from year to year.

2024 SUBMISSION PERIODS:

November 1 through March 15: Trio Award and Louise Bogan Award

February 1 - May 15: Aurora Polaris Award

June 1 - June 30, 2024: Open Reading Period

Our submissions fee is $25 per manuscript for all award reading periods. We do not waive submission fees for contests, but do offer a fee-free option during our open reading period for poets with incomes of $50,000 or less per year.

Judges are forwarded unmarked manuscripts for consideration. Relatives, close friends, and current or former students of judges are not eligible for publication. 

Trio House Press is honored to host the following judges for this year's contests:

2024 Trio Award Judge: Jessica Q Stark

2024 Louise Bogan Award Judge: Oliver de la Paz

Our submissions process adheres to and supports all ethical standards and guidelines outlined by the CLMP.

All manuscripts must be written primarily in English, and authors must reside primarily in the United States. We do not publish fiction at this time.

• The Trio Award for First or Second Book is only open to poets with fewer than two books published. Books and chapbooks with ISBN's are considered "books"
• The Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence is open to ALL poets, regardless of publication history.
• The Aurora Polaris Award is open to all writers, regardless of publication history.
• Poetry manuscripts must be 48-90 pages of poetry (excluding title page, table of contents, and all front matter), written in English by a poet residing within the U.S.; prose manuscripts must be 80,000 words or fewer.
• No submissions from those living outside of the United States.
• Poets and writers must submit their own work; no submissions are accepted that are written by the deceased.
• Submissions generated using AI in any fashion are prohibited.
• Translations are not eligible for publication, nor are previously published or self-published books
• Manuscripts must be sent in a single Word doc. or docx. file. with no identifying information.
• Include and upload your cover letter with your bio and contact information in the cover letter option area.
• Include an acknowledgement page of individual poems published within the manuscript.  The manuscript as a whole must not be previously published.
• Your name or other identifying materials must not appear anywhere else upon your manuscript.
• Multiple award submissions are accepted as long as a $25 fee accompanies each award submission.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted as long as we are notified immediately if your manuscript is chosen elsewhere.
• Relatives and current or former students of judges are not eligible for awards or publication during our contest submissions period.
• Do not include any identifying material, including your name, bio, or contact information on your manuscript. Please include this in your cover letter and upload your cover letter separately.
• No edits can be made to manuscripts after you submit your manuscript.  However, if chosen for award or publication, edits can be made prior to final proofs.
• In the unlikely event that, due to unexpected illness or life events, that a judge is unable to select an award winner, a member of the Trio House Press Editorial staff will select the award winner.
• Your submission acknowledges that you understand and agree to all guidelines.
• Entrants will be notified of the status of their submissions when finalists are chosen, usually within a month of the closing date of the contest. Finalists and winners will be announced on our website and on social media.