Submit your full-length poetry collection in English (50–150 pages) for the Memoir in Verse Award, celebrating BIPOC and underrepresented poets whose thematic collections capture a personal journey or season of life. Individual poems may have been self-published or published by Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc.; however, all other previously published works are ineligible.
Selected poets will receive a $1,500 cash licensing award and publication with Kinsman Avenue Publishing, Inc.
Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026
Submission Fee: $22
(Free for active Priority Members only. No other fee waivers will be provided.)
Those Eligible
- individuals 18+ years old
- individuals of a BIPOC or underrepresented community (preferred)
- individuals able to receive cash licensing awards through PayPal, Wise, Venmo, Zelle, or Payoneer
Submission Package should include a single MS Word document or pdf, titled as such TITLE_AUTHOR-NAME. Include the following items in clearly labeled sections in order:
1. Query Letter
- Limit to 1 page, including your chapbook's theme, word count. and what makes your chapbook unique
2. Author Bio
- One paragraph in 150 words or less
- Include a professional headshot at the top of the page
3. Book Description
- Write a dust jacket copy description suitable for a book's back cover in 100-300 words
4. Table of Contents
- Create a table of contents or your individual poems and their page numbers
5. The Poetry Collection
- Submit the full manuscript as an MS Word or pdf document
- Include a title page with name and contact information
- Number pages of the manuscript (upper, right preferred)
- 12-point Times New Roman font
- SINGLE-spaced text with 1-inch margins
- Do not add images. Do not use other fonts or font sizes anywhere in the document.
Be sure that each individual poem is eligible for publication. Retracting individual poems from your original collection after submission will not be allowed. Entries that do not meet the required criteria may be dismissed without notice. YOU MAY SUBMIT ONE FILE WITH REQUIRED QUERY MATERIALS, USING THE PROPER UPLOAD FORM BELOW.