CutBank is the proud sponsor of a variety of contests encouraging (and rewarding) fine writing in all genres, with opportunities including the Montana Prize in Fiction, the Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction, the Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry, the Big Sky, Small Prose Flash Contest, as well as our annual CutBank Chapbook Contest.
We're looking for work that showcases an authentic voice, an original perspective, and a willingness to push against the boundaries of form.
Big Sky, Small Prose: Flash Contest
Submissions Open: September 15 - October 15
Award: $500 first place prize and publication in CutBank 102. Two runners-up will be awarded $50 and publication in CutBank 102. All other submissions will be considered with submissions for the print edition of CutBank. Dinty W. Moore will judge the 2024 contest.
What We're Looking For: Interesting, compelling fiction and nonfiction prose in 750 words or fewer. Lyric essays, prose poems, short essays, vignettes — send us your best, most dazzling short form prose.
Submission Guidelines:
Submissions will be accepted through the Submittable submission manager. Print or email submissions will not be considered. Please include a brief cover letter, biography and contact information in the form provided. Please do not include identifying information in the body of your submission.
Submissions must be previously unpublished.
Simultaneous submissions are certainly welcome, provided that you withdraw your CutBank submission immediately via Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere.
Submissions should be double spaced, no more than 750 words.
Submission fee of $7 includes consideration for CutBank's $500 flash prose prize and publication in the annual winter/spring issue of CutBank. Two runners-up will be awarded $50 and publication in the winter/spring issue of CutBank. All other submissions will be considered with submissions for the print edition of CutBank literary magazine.
The CutBank Chapbook Contest
Submissions Open: January 1 - May 31
Award: The winning author receives a $1000 honorarium plus 25 copies of the published book. Two runners-up will be chosen for publication as well and also receive a cash prize ($250 each) along with 25 copies of their published book.
Check out the latest winners!
Eligibility:
The CutBank Chapbook Contest honors a book of original poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction by a single author; translations are not eligible for this award. While previously published stand-alone pieces or excerpts may be included in a manuscript, the manuscript as a whole must be an unpublished work. Translations and previously self-published collections are ineligible.
Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. Please note that reading fees are non-refundable, and you must withdraw the manuscript immediately via Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere.
Please do not include cover artwork with your submission; black and white illustrations are acceptable so long as you’ve obtained the rights.
Reading Fee: $20. Includes consideration and a copy of the summer print issue of CutBank upon its release. (International applicants must send a SASE to receive a copy of the issue, or email editor.cutbank@gmail.com to coordinate shipping as we are no longer able to ship internationally.)
What We’re Looking For:
Startling, compelling, and beautiful original work. We’re interested in both prose and poetry – and particularly work that straddles the lines between genres, in a fresh, powerful manuscript. Perhaps yours will overtake us quietly, gracefully defy genres, or satisfyingly subvert our expectations. Maybe it will punch us in the mouth page in and page out.
Manuscripts should be cohesive and coherent; in other words, your manuscript should resonate and make sense as a book.
Guidelines for Electronic Submissions:
We only accept submissions electronically. The submission period runs January 1 through May 31. Entries must be received no later than midnight MST on May 31 via Submittable.
Manuscripts should be 25-40 typed pages in length of poetry (a cohesive poetry manuscript), fiction (either a short fiction collection or novella), or creative nonfiction (one long essay or a collection of short essays).
.DOC/.DOCX/PDF formats are acceptable.
For poetry and short prose, please include no more than one piece per page.
Include page numbers, table of contents, and, if applicable, an acknowledgments page addressing where sections have been previously published. The manuscript as a whole must be an unpublished work.
Submissions should include two cover pages as the first two pages of the document: one with the manuscript’s title, the other with the title, author’s name, address, and e-mail address. The author’s name should not appear anywhere else in the manuscript.
Additional Notes:
The winner and runners-up will be announced by CutBank and featured on the CutBank website, and we’ll do our best to distribute to regional independent bookstores.
The contest will be judged by the CutBank editorial staff.
Manuscript revisions are not permitted during the contest.
Multiple entries are fine as long as each is accompanied by a submission fee (in which case you will receive an additional copy of CutBank).
The author must not have a close personal or professional relationship with any current or previous CutBank staff members.
Results will be announced via e-mail and posted on the CutBank website in mid-September.
The CutBank Genre Contests
Genre contest submissions accepted December 1 - February 1
Submissions Open: December 1 - February 1
Award: One winner from each genre, chosen by our guest judges, will be featured in CutBank’s fall/summer issue along with a $500 prize.
2023-34 Contest Judges:
Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry: Christina Olson (https://thedrevlow-olsonshow.com/olson)
Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction: Toni Jensen (https://www.tonijensen.com/)
Montana Prize in Fiction: Christine Byl (http://www.christinebyl.com/)
Genre Contest Submission Guidelines
Genre contest submissions are accepted through our online submission manager only. Please follow the guidelines closely. The $20 contest entry fee includes a one-year subscription to CutBank and covers the reading of a single submission in a single genre.
For fiction and nonfiction, please send only a single work of no greater than 35 pages. For poetry, submit up to five poems. Please submit only once per genre, though writers are permitted to submit in multiple genres.
Include a short cover letter that mentions your address (where your subscription will be sent), phone number, and email address, as well as the title of your work. Please include the author's name on the manuscript—names will be removed from the pool of submissions that goes before our contest judges.
Current subscribers must submit the same $20 fee, and their CutBank subscriptions will be extended by one year.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please withdraw your submission via Submittable immediately should it be accepted elsewhere. We are unable to offer refunds.
One winner in each genre, as chosen by our guest judges, will receive a $500 award and publication in the summer/fall print issue of CutBank.
All manuscripts are considered for publication in CutBank.
All rights to selected manuscripts revert to the author upon publication. The author grants their permission to have their work electronically archived as part of CutBank in EBSCO International's subscription-based research database.
Current University of Montana students and faculty and former CutBank staff are not eligible for the awards.
Entrants will be notified of their submission status no later than April 1.
The CLMP Code of Ethics: CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines -- defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage. It is truly an honor to read your work. We wish you the best of luck!