The Helena Whitehill Book Award
Tupelo Press · terms quoted from the contest's own page
Deadline, in the contest's own words
All entries must be postmarked or certified by Subfolio by midnight (EST) of October 31st, 2026
The deadline quote prints a time and a time zone; both are the page's own. 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
Tupelo's page sets the deadline as midnight (EST) on October 31st, 2026, by postmark or Subfolio certification, with a $30 reading fee. The award takes poetry, chapbook or full length, and creative non-fiction, with no page limit. Excluded are translations, books already self-published, Tupelo's own employees and authors Tupelo has published. A manuscript may go to other publishers at the same time, provided Tupelo hears promptly of an acceptance elsewhere.
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 | All entries must be postmarked or certified by Subfolio by midnight (EST) of October 31st, 2026 Submission period: August 15th - October 31st |
|---|---|
| Entry fee | A reading fee of $30 (U.S.) must accompany each submission. |
| Fee waivers | No separate fee-waiver statement on the pages we quote; any free category appears under Entry fee |
| Prize | The Helena Whitehill Book Award includes a cash award of $1,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, a book launch, national and international distribution by the University of Chicago Press, a one-week residence at Gentle House on the Olympic Peninsula |
| Judge | Final Judge: Christopher Kempf |
| Eligibility and limits | Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books. Employees of Tupelo Press and authors with books previously published by Tupelo Press are not eligible. |
| Submission requirements | open to submissions of poetry, chapbook or full length, no page limit, and also open to creative non-fiction, no page limit. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers or contests are permitted, as long as you notify Tupelo Press promptly if a manuscript is accepted elsewhere. |
| Rights terms (copyright, first publication, reproduction) | No rights statement on the pages we quote |
| How results are announced | Results will be announced in Spring. |
About the contest
Established in 2002, the Prize has drawn submissions from around the country
Sources
- The Helena Whitehill Award (Tupelo Press). 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.