~ As always, we're looking for works with some sort of fantastical / magical / surreal elements. That doesn't mean that every poem in the chapbook needs to fall into this category, but the overall chapbook should have those elements present.

~ Otherwise, there is no specific theme for the content. We will consider all types and styles from all walks of life and perspectives.

~ Poems may be any style / form / type, including prose poems.

~ Chapbooks should be NO MORE THAN 40 pages of poetry, regardless of the number of poems.

~ Physical printing size and style may vary depending on length and content. For shorter chapbooks, they may be handmade. Longer chapbooks may be outsourced for printing.

~ While individual poems can be previously published, the chapbook as a whole should not have been published / distributed elsewhere.

~ Along those lines, we will consider chapbooks with poems currently being submitted elsewhere.

~ Please submit your chapbook as single document, as either a Word doc or PDF.

~ If you need a hardship waiver of the fee, please reach out via email: chrisatquarterpress (at) gmail (dot) com .

~ EARLY BIRD Submissions (through September 30) cost $8.

~ Submissions made from Oct. 1 - 31 cost $12.

~ Or submit with $15 and pick your choice of a Quarter Press book!

~ Chapbooks can be ANY LENGTH up to 40 pages of poems.

~ Please do not submit more than two chapbooks to the contest.

~ Previous winners and authors who have published book-length works with Quarter Press will not be eligible to submit.

~ Sept. 1 - 30 - Early Bird Submissions Open

~ Oct. 1 - 31 - Regular Submissions Open

~ Nov. 31, or before -- All participants will be notified when the Short List is announced.

~ Dec. 31, or before -- Winner will be declared.

Most of the contest will be overseen by Quarter Press (so, Chris); however, the contest has a special Guest Judge that will join the reading when a Long List is created.

In short, Chris will read ALL the subs and create a Long List. From there, the guest judge will take over to create a Short List, and the two of them will choose the Winner(s)!

2025’s Guest Judge!

Natalie Young is an art director for an ad agency based out of Salt Lake City. She is also a founding and managing editor of the award-winning poetry magazine Sugar House Review. Natalie is a member of the Utah Arts Advisory Board, as well as the board of Lightscatter Press.

She is the author of the poetry book All of This Was Once Under Water , available from Quarter Press. Her poems have been published in Los Angeles Times, Rattle, Tampa Review, South Dakota Review, Green Mountains Review and elsewhere.

Natalie is half Puerto Rican and half Brigham Young. She's left-handed and a fan of Dolly Parton and green olives.

~ 88 Total Submissions

~ 1 Winner of $250 and 5 Copies

~ 2 Runners-Up Received $50 and 5 Copies

~ 16 Submissions had previously unpublished poems picked up for publication in The Quarter(ly)

Costs

~ 7 - 10% of all submissions go to transaction / processing fees

~ $6 of every “Submission with Book” goes to shipping / material costs

Prizes

~ $250 to Winner

~ $100 to Judge (+ Bonus if large influx of subs)

~ $50 - 150 for possible Runners-Up

~ $90 - $150 to Short-Listed Authors (if 100 submissions are reached)

Remaining Funds

will go to the continued operation of Quarter Press like website, Submittable, CLMP membership, future author advances, etc.

While Quarter Press as a whole is a business, the Press portion (books, chapbooks, and The Quarter(ly)) is a labor of love, and—currently—has much of its operating / production costs offset by QP’s other merch (pins, tarot, games, etc.).