Can You Submit the Same Poem to Two Contests?
Quick answer: Can you submit the same poem to two contests? Usually yes, if both allow simultaneous submissions, but you must withdraw it the moment it wins anywhere.
Usually yes: you can enter the same poem in two contests at once, provided both contests permit simultaneous submissions and the poem remains unpublished. The obligation that comes with it is absolute, though: the moment the poem wins or gets accepted anywhere, you must withdraw it from everywhere else, immediately and in writing.
The real answer therefore lives in each contest's rules, and they vary more than journal guidelines do. Some competitions explicitly welcome simultaneous entries, some ban them outright, and some are silent, which is where entrants get into trouble. Two minutes reading the terms before you pay an entry fee saves genuine embarrassment later.
Why some contests forbid it
A contest's prize usually buys something: typically first publication rights to the winning poem. If your poem wins two contests in the same month, both organisers believe they own its debut, and you have created a conflict that cannot be resolved politely. That risk is why competitions with significant prizes and publication attached often require exclusivity for the judging period.
Smaller and faster contests are more relaxed because their judging windows are short. A monthly contest that opens on the 1st, closes on the 25th, and announces on the 30th, which is how Writory runs, ties your poem up for weeks rather than the better part of a year.
The etiquette when you do enter twice
Keep records: note each contest's name, deadline, results date, and whether it allows simultaneous entries. If the poem wins contest A while still under consideration at contest B, email B's organisers that day, name the poem, and withdraw it. Most contests cannot refund an entry fee after withdrawal, and you should not ask; that fee was the cost of the gamble.
Never quietly let a poem ride after it has won elsewhere in the hope of a double prize. Poetry is a small world, winning poems get published and indexed, and organisers do search. Disqualification and a quiet reputation mark are the usual price.
The publication trap
The subtler danger is not the second contest but publication status. Most contests require poems to be previously unpublished, and a win at contest A, once posted on their website, makes the poem published. So even where simultaneous entry is allowed, sequencing matters: two contests whose result dates fall months apart can leave your poem ineligible at the second before it is even judged.
The clean strategy for a poem you believe in is one big exclusive contest at a time, or several fast ones with compatible rules and close result dates. Read the fine print on publication rights too; you want to know whether a win grants the organiser first rights, non-exclusive rights, or nothing.
What poets can take from this
- Check both contests' rules for the phrase 'simultaneous submissions' before entering.
- Keep a spreadsheet of deadlines, result dates, and withdrawal contacts for every entry.
- Withdraw in writing on the day a poem wins or is accepted anywhere else.
- Prefer contests with short judging windows when you want to enter widely.
- Treat lost entry fees on withdrawn poems as the cost of playing multiple tables.
Try it yourself
Write a poem about a promise made to two people at once. Somewhere in it, use the language of small print: terms, conditions, notice given in writing.
Questions
Can I enter a poem in a contest and submit it to a magazine at the same time?
Only if both allow simultaneous submissions, and many contests do not, since prizes often include first publication. When permitted, the same rule applies: an acceptance or win anywhere triggers immediate withdrawal everywhere else.
What happens if the same poem wins two contests?
You will likely be disqualified from at least one, may forfeit the prize, and both organisers will remember. If it ever happens by accident, tell both immediately; honesty at speed is the only good move left.
Can I reuse a losing contest poem?
Yes, freely. A poem that did not place remains unpublished and fully yours, and resubmitting it elsewhere is normal practice. Many poems place somewhere on their fourth or fifth outing.
By the Writory editorial team, reviewed by working poets. Updated July 2026.
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