How to Enter Poetry Contests (and Whether They Are Worth It)
Quick answer: To enter a poetry contest: read the rules first, pick one finished poem rather than your newest one, follow the formatting exactly, pay the entry fee if there is one, and submit before the deadline in the organiser’s time zone. A serious contest states its prize, fee, deadline and judges plainly. Writory’s own contest runs monthly: entries close on the 25th, results arrive on the 30th, and every entrant receives a judged score out of 100 plus a certificate.
Key facts
- Read the rules before anything else: line limits, language, previously published work, and who may enter.
- A fair contest publishes its prize and fee side by side. Walk away when the fee is large and the prize is a certificate or an anthology you must buy.
- Contests are worth entering when you get something back at every outcome. Most send silence unless you win; Writory returns a five criteria score and a certificate to every single entrant.
- Deadlines are in the organiser’s time zone. Writory closes on the 25th of every month at 11:59 PM India Standard Time.
- Keep a simple log of what you sent where, so a poem is never entered twice into contests that forbid it.
Questions
How do I enter a poetry contest?
Choose a finished poem, read the contest rules end to end, format the file the way the rules ask, pay the entry fee if one applies, and submit before the deadline. On Writory the whole flow is one page: upload or paste the poem, pay, done.
Are poetry contests worth it?
They are worth it when the contest gives you something at every outcome, not only if you win. A judged score tells you where your writing stands; a certificate is a line for a CV or college application. They are not worth it when a large fee buys silence.
How do I know a poetry contest is legitimate?
Check for a published prize amount, a stated entry fee, a real deadline, named organisers you can write to, and past winners you can actually read. Writory publishes its winners, its leaderboard and every rule openly.
What does it cost to enter the Writory contest?
One poem costs Rs 150 in India or $5 elsewhere, two poems Rs 220 or $8, five poems Rs 450 or $15. Winners take cash prizes and enter the next month free, and submitting three months in a row earns a free entry.
By the Writory editorial team. Updated July 2026.
Enter the September contest · Read the winning poems · Refund policy · How to Enter Poetry Contests (and Whether They Are Worth It)