How to Lose a Poetry Contest by Lisa Zerkle, co-editor

How to Lose a Poetry Contest

I had the good fortune to judge a poetry contest this month.  We had an overwhelming response—over 1100 poems—and a short time in which to judge them.  Roughly 120 poems were excellent, gripping and well-crafted enough to merit inclusion in our anthology.  To reach that number, we had to weed through about 1000 poems—a stack of paper taller than the metro yellow pages.  So how did those 1000 merit losing status?  Most were not “losers.”  They were quality poems, written about interesting subjects -- just less stellar than the top 120.  But some were quickly and easily tossed in the slush pile.  Here’s why:

1. Spelling - You would think it would go without saying.  When in doubt, consult your dictionary.  Don’t guess.  This is especially important when using words from a foreign language.

2. Grammar - You can use creative grammar at times in poetry, but it still needs to make sense.  Agreement was especially troublesome for some poets to the point of obscuring or confusing the meaning of a line or stanza.

3. Cliché, cliché - If I had a dollar for all the “twinkling stars,” “as I look out the windows,” “deep thoughts on the beach,” and “lovely rainbow” poems, I would be out shopping instead of writing this article.  Tread carefully over well-traveled ground.   If you are writing about the beauty of a spring day or a walk on the beach you’ll have to put an new spin on it to keep your reader’s interest.

4.  Rants - The protest poem has a long, proud history.  If you choose to join that history, look to see where it has been handled deftly.  Few people want to read an angry one-sided rant -- even if they agree with your point of view.  If you have to get something off your chest, write it, and file it deep in the drawer.  Then take out a fresh piece of paper and try again.

5. Funky fonts and random capitalization - A mediocre poem cannot be improved by printing it in 18 point italic Arial.  Use the specific font and type size in the guidlines.  If none is specified, use an easy-to-read, unremarkable font.  Save those forty fonts on your computer for your scrapbooking  project.  Also, unless you are Writing in the Style of John Donne, it’s Best not to capitalize Beauty, Truth, and Justice. 

6. Messy, crossed-out manuscripts.  Neatness counts. Why would an editor take a scribbled on, whited-out, crumpled entry seriously?  Surely this is a mistake only novices would make, you think.  Yet the worst-looking manuscripts we received were from well-known poets who had published several books.  Maybe they’re thinking that the work is so wonderful, the editor will see past the messy presentation.  Why take the chance?

7.  Last-minute entries - Okay, I admit I’m the pot calling the kettle black here.  I am a world-champion procrastinator.  Trouble is, it’s a trait many poets share.  If you are one of those able to get your act together and send in an entry even a week early, you stand a good chance of basking in the glow of the editor’s relief.  This sense of relief is heightened the farther the distance to the closing date of the contest.  Send your entry a month early and you have good will to spare.

8.  Whiny losers - So you sent your best work, followed the guidelines, enclosed that SASE, all by the deadline, and still didn’t win?  Better luck next time.  Grumble, shake it off, and send your entry out to another venue.  Whatever you do, DON'T send a letter to the editors telling them what idiots they are for not choosing your work.  Luckily, this didn’t happen much to me, but you better believe I remember the poets who sent such letters.  Not only will I look less favorably on future submissions from them, but I’m not sure I can read any of their lovely work without being reminded of their rude reply.

         Lisa Zerkle, co-editor, Kakalak Anthology of Carolina Poets, lzerkle@gmail.com