*** 2015 Judge ~ Shannon J. Curtin ***

ELJ Publications is excited about discovering the emerging poetic talent that is out there. We will consider your work for publication only if you have never published a chapbook or full-length collection before.  ELJ Publications prefers narrative and free verse poetry that explores human emotions, experiences, dreams, revelations, etc. We also veer towards the surreal with powerful images and language. If you feel that your poems fit into any of these categories, please consider us.

Please submit 30-40 poems along with title page. Please DO NOT place a bio or acknowledgements into the manuscript. Please NO identifying information in the manuscript or file name.

We read BLIND. We will get a feel for who you are through your words, your stories and your voice. When we fall in love with your manuscript and find out who you are, we still won’t care about your pedigree. We will care most about you as not only a writer but a person. We believe in collaboration between writer and editor, person and person.

Please NO collaborations. Looking for narrative, free verse or prose poetry. Please NO horror or erotica. Longer poems are welcome, as are simultaneous submissions. Please notify us immediately if you manuscript is picked up elsewhere. We appreciate a manuscript that has been fully proofread.

Contest is only open from February 14th-28th. Winner will get a $100 award and 10 copies of their book plus a contract. We will pick a winner in March and publish the book in April or May. Please direct any questions to eljpublications@gmail.com.

Submit here.