The entry period runs from May 1st to July 31st.

The Washburn Chapbook Prize is named after the poet and professor Laura Lee Washburn whose dedication to teaching, mentoring, and the writing careers of her students is unparalleled. This prize is named after her in the spirit of further promoting the diversity of voices from women writers.

The prize is awarded once a year to a woman or non-binary writer for a micro chapbook, which Harbor Review will publish digitally on our website. Our definition of woman includes all women, including transgender and all female-identifying individuals. Women of color and queer women are encouraged to apply.

Micro chapbooks should be exactly 10 poems long. Manuscripts over 10 poems will not be read.

Manuscripts should include a title page, table of contents, and use 12 point font. Books centered around a unifying theme will be given preference.

Individual poems from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines but not books or chapbooks. The collection as a whole must be unpublished.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Please let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted by another publisher while under our consideration.

We do not accept translations.

Current students, former students, former classmates, or friends of Harbor Review staff or of the final judge are disqualified from entering the contest.

All entries will be read by Harbor Review staff.

A selection of finalists will be judged anonymously by Laura Lee Washburn.

The submission fee is $10 to cover submission management. All fees are waived for BIPOC identifying writers.

Include in your cover letter your name, contact information, a brief bio, and a list of acknowledgments for previously published chapbook poems.

Please use the title of your micro chapbook as your document name.

The winner will receive $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. All rights revert to the author after publication.

All entrants will be notified about the status of their submission after the submission period.

You should hear a response within 6 months of the submission period closing date.