CONTEST: The Lyrical Language Lab RHYMING POETRY contest for kidlit

WHAT TO SUBMIT: A kidlit rhyming poem suitable for elementary, middle grade, or  

               young adult readers

THEME: “Winter Wanderings: Nature Poems”

LENGTH: Maximum 16 lines (not including title)

WHEN TO ENTER: November 18 to December 8, 2024. Submissions close December 8 at 11:59pm PST.

ENTRY FEE PER POEM: $10

WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Longlist Dec. 13; Shortlist Dec. 15; Winners Dec. 17

 

Please read the rules and guidelines carefully before entering the contest.

First Prize

$300

Second Prize

$200

Third Prize

$100

7 Honorable Mentions

$25 eGift Card from Bookshop.org or Amazon

All winners will have their poem, photo, and short bio included on the 

 Winners’ Page on this website.

  • Contest entries will be judged anonymously in three rounds of judging.
  • ROUND 1: Judges will narrow entries down to a longlist of 20 titles. The longlist will be posted on this website (poem titles + Transaction ID only) on December 13, 2024. 
  • ROUND 2: Judges will narrow down longlisted entries to a shortlist of 10 titles. The shortlist will be posted on this website (poem titles + author name) on December 15, 2024.
  • ROUND 3: Judges will choose the first, second, and third place winners from the shortlist. The remaining seven entries on the shortlist will receive honorable mention.
  • Winners will be posted on this website (names and poems) and emailed on December 17, 2024. 
 

JUDGING CRITERIA
Here are just some of the things the judges will be looking for:

  • Adherence to the “Winter Wanderings: Nature Poems” theme.
  • Appealing to the chosen age group
  • Knowledgeable use of meter and rhyme
  • Thoughtful use of poetic devices (metaphor, sound devices, white space, etc.)
  • Surprising/lovely use of language
  • Distinctive voice
  • Evocation of a mood, time, and/or place
  • Logical progression/organization
  • Clarity of intention (not so abstract as to obscure meaning)
  • Overall craft of writing
 
 

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY

  • Entrants must be 18 years of age and over.
  • The contest is open to entrants worldwide. Void where prohibited.
  • Entries are permitted from both agented and unagented writers.
  • Multiple entries are permitted, but each entry must be submitted with a separate form and a separate fee.
  • Previously published work is not eligible.
  • Poems generated by AI are not eligible.
 

POEM GUIDELINES

  • Your poem must be written for and appeal to the children’s literature market (e.g., elementary, middle grade, young adult, ages 0-18).
  • Your poem must somehow relate to the theme “Winter Wanderings: Nature Poems.”
  • Your poem must be written in rhymed verse. Free verse poems, unrhymed poetic forms (e.g., haiku), and prose will be disqualified.
  • Your poem MUST have a title, which cannot be “Untitled.” The title is the identifying information used by the judges.
  • Your poem must be a maximum of 16 lines (not including the title).
  • Your poem must be previously unpublished in any form (except for publishing on personal blogs) and must not be currently under contract.
  • Your poem must be written in English.
  • As a general guideline, use single-spaced 12pt font. You are free to use white space,  indenting, different font sizes, and/or other text treatments, if that is what your poem calls for. 
  • Poems should be submitted as doc, docx, or PDF files.
  • Your uploaded document should include only three things: 1) PayPal Transaction ID#, 2) poem title, and 3) poem. Do not include your name or any other information on your uploaded document.
  • Once your poem is submitted, it cannot be changed, edited, or altered. You may, of course, withdraw your work, but there are no refunds given.
  • Please add renee@reneelatulippe.com to your safe sender list in your email provider. Winners will be notified by email. 
 

DECISION OF JUDGES

  • The decision of the judges is final. The judges will not be able to answer specific questions about your poems, poems of other entrants, or their decisions as judges, nor enter into any correspondence with entrants regarding the contest. 
  • The judges cannot provide individual feedback on poems. 
  • The contest organizers have the right to change the judge(s) at their discretion.

 

RESULTS, NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS, AND PRIZE DISTRIBUTION

  • Longlist results will be posted on this website on December 13, 2024  (poem titles + Transaction ID only).
  • Shortlist results will be posted on this website on December 15, 2024 (poem titles + author name).
  • Winners will be posted on this website and notified by email on December 17 (names and poem titles).
  • Please add renee@reneelatulippe.com to your safe sender list in your email provider. Winners will be notified by email. 
  • Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be paid only via PayPal and not by check, cash, bank transfer, or any other means. Be sure you are able to accept such prize payment before you enter.
  • The Bookshop.org or Amazon eGift Cards for Honorable Mention winners are delivered via email directly from Bookshop.org or Amazon. There may be slight variations to this prize depending on which country the winner resides in. In certain cases, the contest administrators reserve the right to modify the type and delivery method of Honorable Mention prizes.   
  • Unclaimed prizes will not be distributed. Prizes are non-transferable.
 

COPYRIGHT AND USE OF POEM

  • You retain full copyright of your poem. For winning poems (the shortlist), a copyright notice will be included anywhere your poem is published publicly. 
  • For shortlisted entrants: By entering the Lyrical Language Lab 1ST ANNUAL FREE VERSE POETRY CONTEST, you give permission for us to print your name, poem, photo, and/or bio on the winner’s page of this website and on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. 
 

REFUNDS

  • No refunds can be issued for any reason. Before paying and uploading your poem, please be sure you have read and followed the rules and guidelines. The document you upload should include only three things: PayPal Transaction ID#, poem title, and poem. Do not include your name or other identifying information on your document.

 

DISQUALIFICATIONS

The following events will cause an entry to be disqualified:

  • The entry fee was not paid.
  • The poem is written for the adult market.
  • The poem is written in free verse or another format that is not rhymed verse. 
  • The poem has no title or is titled “Untitled.”
  • The uploaded poem document does not include the PayPal Transaction ID# and/or the title of the poem.
  • The poem is not written in English.
  • The poem exceeds the 16-line limit.
  • The poem was previously published (other than on a personal blog).
  • The poem is not the author’s own work.
  • The poem was generated by AI.
  • Entrants will not be notified if their entry is disqualified.

RENÉE M. LATULIPPE

Founder of Lyrical Language Lab, poet, teacher

LEARN MORE

MICHELLE HEIDENRICH BARNES

Poet, Today’s Little Ditty anthologist, teacher

LEARN MORE

SUZY LEVINSON

Poet, picture book author, LLL co-teacher

LEARN MORE

LOU PICCOLO

Poet, kidlit developmental editor, LLL co-teacher

LEARN MORE

the contest is now closed!

Stay tuned for the following announcements!

 Longlist posted: December 13, 2024

Shortlist posted: December 15, 2024

Winners announced: December 17, 2024

 

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Here are two samples of rhyming verse with a winter nature theme. 

poem-sample_Suzy-walk-in-winter