What Is Blind Judging in Poetry Contests?
Quick answer: Blind judging in poetry contests means judges read poems with no names attached, scoring the work itself. Learn how it works and how to format for it.
Blind judging means the judges read every poem with the poet's name and details removed, so the work is scored purely on its own merits. Nobody on the panel knows whether an entry came from a first time writer or a poet with three collections, which is the whole point: reputation cannot tip the scales.
In practice, an administrator strips identifying information before poems reach the judges, or the entry system stores names separately from manuscripts. It is the closest thing contests have to a fair start line, though as we will see, it has limits worth understanding.
How the process works behind the scenes
When you enter a blind judged contest, your poem and your personal details travel separately. The entry platform, or a coordinator who never judges, assigns each poem a number. Judges receive numbered manuscripts, score or rank them, and only after decisions are final does anyone match numbers back to names.
This is why blind contests are strict about formatting. If your name, email, or website sits in a header, a footer, or the file name, the anonymity is broken. Many contests disqualify such entries automatically rather than edit them, because editing a thousand files is not feasible.
What blind judging can and cannot remove
Blind judging removes name recognition, personal connections, and any bias tied to who you are. It cannot remove taste. Judges still bring their own reading histories, and a poem's style can hint at its author's influences even without a byline. A distinctive dialect, a named home town, or a dedication can also quietly identify a poet, which is why some contests ask you to avoid self identifying content in the poem itself, or warn that it weakens anonymity.
It also cannot guarantee your poem is read slowly. First round readers often handle high volumes, so a poem that only works on a third reading is taking a risk in any contest, blind or not. Clarity in the opening lines is not a compromise; it is strategy.
Why poets should prefer blind contests
For a poet without publications, blind judging is the fairest room you will ever enter. Your poem competes on creativity, emotion, structure, language, and theme, not on your bio. Those five criteria are, incidentally, exactly what Writory's judges score each month, and every entrant sees their breakdown, which turns even a losing entry into feedback.
A useful habit: when researching a contest, look for the words 'judged anonymously' or 'blind judging' in the rules. Their presence, along with named judges and clear prize terms, is a mark of a contest run seriously.
What poets can take from this
- Save your contest file as the poem's title only, never as yourname-poem.doc.
- Check headers, footers, and document properties for your name before uploading.
- Write an opening line that lands on first read; blind judges read in volume.
- Prefer contests that state their judging process openly in the rules.
- Keep your cover letter details in the form fields, never in the manuscript.
Try it yourself
Write a poem you would be proud to see win with no name attached: no autobiography, no home town, just an experience rendered so precisely that any reader could claim it.
Questions
How do I format a poem for blind judging?
Put only the poem's title and text in the document, with no name, contact details, or personal information anywhere, including the file name. Enter your identity only in the entry form fields.
Are all poetry contests judged blind?
No. Many are, especially larger ones, but some smaller contests and magazine prizes judge with names visible. The rules page will usually say; if it does not, you can ask the organiser.
Does blind judging mean feedback is impossible?
Not at all. Judges can score and comment on numbered entries, and the organiser matches feedback to poets afterwards. Writory does this monthly, giving every entrant a five criteria score.
By the Writory editorial team, reviewed by working poets. Updated July 2026.
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