Acrostic Poetry Contest 2026, Enter Online
Quick answer: Enter Writory's monthly acrostic poetry contest. Hidden word poems win cash prizes, every poet gets a certificate, and each entry earns a five part score.
An acrostic hides a word in plain sight and builds a whole poem around it, and when it is done well the reader feels the click of both poems at once. Writory's monthly international poetry contest welcomes acrostic poetry as real craft, not a classroom exercise. Entries open on the 1st and close on the 25th of every month, results arrive on the 30th, winners earn cash prizes, and every entrant receives a participation certificate.
Your work is scored in the open. Every poet sees a five criteria breakdown in their profile covering creativity, emotion, structure, language, and impact and resonance. Name acrostics, double acrostics, and abecedarian poems all compete alongside poets from 40 countries.
Writory's monthly poetry contest welcomes acrostic and abecedarian poems, with cash prizes, certificates for all, and a transparent five criteria score.
Why enter
- Acrostics are judged as serious constraint poetry, on how the hidden word deepens the poem
- A fresh contest every month gives you twelve chances a year
- No theme restrictions, hide any word and write toward any subject
- Constraint forms are welcome by name, including the acrostic, double acrostic, telestich, and abecedarian
- An international stage with poets from 40 countries
What winners and entrants receive
- Cash prizes for the monthly winners
- Winners receive free entry into the next contest
- A participation certificate for every entrant
- Top 10 poems displayed on the leaderboard
Acrostics, double acrostics, telestichs, and abecedarian poems are all welcome, along with any constraint form you can invent.
Key facts
- Entries open the 1st, close the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, results on the 30th.
- One poem costs $5, two $8 and five $15. In India: Rs 150, Rs 220 and Rs 450. Optional add-ons are shown separately before payment.
- Every poem scored by human judges on five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance.
- A participation certificate for every entrant, not only winners, and the score is visible in your profile.
- Cash prizes for winners, free entry the following month for winners, open worldwide from age 13, any language.
Questions
Are acrostic poems accepted, or are they seen as too simple?
Acrostics are fully accepted and judged on merit. Writory welcomes any style and any theme, and a skilful acrostic where the hidden word genuinely charges the poem can absolutely win. The constraint is a feature, not a handicap.
How is an acrostic judged fairly against free verse?
Every poem receives the same five criteria score covering creativity, emotion, structure, language, and impact and resonance, shown in your profile. A well executed constraint scores strongly under structure and creativity, so the form works in your favor when handled well.
How much is the entry fee?
The fee is small and shown in your local currency on the submit page before payment. Winners enter the next month for free, and three consecutive months of participation also earns a free entry.
When are the results published?
Entries open on the 1st and close on the 25th each month, with results announced on the 30th. Your five criteria score appears in your profile at the same time.
By the Writory editorial team. Updated September 2026.
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