Colorado Prize for Poetry
Center for Literary Publishing, Colorado State University · terms quoted from the contest's own page
Deadline, in the contest's own words
Manuscripts will be accepted between October 1, 2026, and the postmark deadline of January 14, 2027 (note that we observe a five-day grace period for both paper and online submissions).
The deadline quote prints a date only, so no closing time or time zone is shown. Our check read the page on October 31, 2026; confirm on the contest's page before entering.
Our guidance written by Tale of the Muse
Manuscripts of 48 to 100 pages are accepted from October 1, 2026 to a postmark deadline of January 14, 2027, and the page notes a five-day grace period. The fee is $28 for online entries, and the page also lists a $25 fee paid by check; both include a subscription to the journal, and a limited number of fee waivers is offered for financial hardship. Entrants must be 18 or older. Translations, the judge's friends and students, and the university's employees, students and alumni are excluded, and the page bars manuscripts made with AI.
Our explanation of what the quoted terms mean for an entrant. It adds no facts of its own and is not advice about whether to enter.
The terms, quoted
| Deadline and submission period, as printed | Manuscripts will be accepted between October 1, 2026, and the postmark deadline of January 14, 2027 (note that we observe a five-day grace period for both paper and online submissions). |
|---|---|
| Entry fee | There is a $28 online entry fee , which includes a one-year subscription to Colorado Review. There is a $25 entry fee , which includes a one-year subscription to Colorado Review. Make checks payable to Colorado Review. |
| Fee waivers | We have a limited number of fee waivers for writers experiencing financial hardship this year. Please email us at creview@colostate.edu to request a waiver if you need one. |
| Prize | The winning book-length collection of poems will be published by the Center for Literary Publishing and distributed by the University Press of Colorado in the fall of 2027. The author receives a $2,500 honorarium . |
| Judge | The final judge is Juliana Spahr . |
| Eligibility and limits | Friends and students (current & former) of the final judge are not eligible to compete , nor are Colorado State University employees, students, and alumni . Entrants must be at least 18 years old. Translations are not eligible for the Colorado Prize for Poetry. |
| Submission requirements | Manuscripts must be at least 48 pages but no more than 100 pages . AI policy: Do not submit manuscripts that have made use of AI to generate, revise, or edit |
| Rights terms (copyright, first publication, reproduction) | No rights statement on the pages we quote |
| How results are announced | Poets who submit online will receive contest results via e-mail by May 2027. |
Sources
- Colorado Prize for Poetry (Center for Literary Publishing, Colorado State University). Our check: October 31, 2026.
The contest's own page is the authority; if it differs from this page, it is right. Report a difference.