Driftwood Press | Chapbook Contest

The 2026 Adrift Chapbook Contest

Timeline

Submissions are open from March 1st until July 15th.
Finalists and winner will be announced by Driftwood editors in November 2026.
The winning chapbook(s) will be published in 2027.

Guidelines

Original poetry only. Prose poetry, experimental poetry, and poetry with a visual component (color images accepted) are all welcome. We do not accept written or visual works that are AI generated or plagiarized.
15-40 pages of poetry (this does not include title, section break, or acknowledgement pages). We won't turn you away if you are a few pages over or under, but please stay close to that limit.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please update your submission to "withdrawn" within Submittable if your work is accepted elsewhere.
A standard, 12-point font is preferred.
Poems may have been published individually, but not as a part or whole of a collection. Please include an acknowledgements page listing all previously published poems.
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please let us know immediately if the collection has been accepted elsewhere.
Submit works written in English only, no translations.
Please submit your manuscript in a .doc, .docx, or PDF format.
We read submissions blind, so please do not include your name, email, or any identifying characteristics on the manuscript itself.
Submission fee is $25.00 USD. Each submitter will receive a free copy of a Driftwood Press poetry chapbook of their choosing in the mail.

Awards

The winner will receive $750 dollars and 20 copies of their chapbook.
A print run of the winning chapbook will be sold on our website, through affiliate bookstores, and will be nationally and internationally distributed by Ingram & Asterism.
The winner will also have the opportunity to be interviewed about their work; the interview will be published in the chapbook following the poems.
The managing poetry editor may offer a runner-up full publication. If a runner-up is chosen, they will be awarded $350, 20 contributor copies, and the same level of marketing and distribution.

Guest Judge

Diamond Forde is the author of two poetry collections, Mother Body (Saturnalia Books, 2021), a Kate Tufts Discovery award nominee, and The Book of Alice (Scribner Books, 2026), winner of the Academy of American Poets' James Laughlin Award.

SUBMIT

In-House Publicity

For authors who are unable to afford a traditional publicist, Driftwood Press is proud to offer our authors an in-house publicity option, something that not every small press is able to do.

You can reach our Publicist, Olivia, at publicity@driftwoodpress.net if you have any questions or if you are an outlet and would like to query us regarding features, interviews, author contact requests, or collaborations. We look forward to hearing from you!

WHAT WE OFFER AUTHORS

Driftwood’s newsletter reaches 20,000+ writers & readers; we’ll share cover announcements, excerpts, and blurbs a few times before release within these newsletters.
We prepare Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) for Asterism’s ARC Boxes which are sent nationally to U.S. book stores.
Driftwood will email Digital ARCs to our list of 200+ freelance reviewers.
Driftwood will email Digital ARCs to review outlets, podcasts, influencers, and radio stations; this usually amounts to well over 70 contacts for your book. This includes submission for review consideration from Publishers Weekly, Shelf Awareness, Foreword Reviews, Bookforum, ALA Booklist, Library Journal, and Book Page just to name a few!
Social media posts featuring your title pre-release and post-release to our 40k+ followers across all of our social media platforms.
Assistance in scheduling in-person readings, signings, open mics, or other author events.
All of our books are distributed by both Asterism & Ingram, so bookstores will be able to order your book.

Past Contest Winners

[2019 Contest]