Institute of Children's Literature presents
RHYMING ANIMAL POETRY CONTEST
A CONTEST FOR CHILDREN'S WRITERS
Calling all rhyming poets!
Kids love rhyme and kids love animals. So, we're combining the two for this fun poetry contest!
This contest is your chance to show us your rhyming poetry skills! The subject of your poem should be an animal (or animals) and should be suitable for publication in children's magazines, such as Spider or Highlights.
Your rhyming poem must be aimed at 6-9-year-olds for your chance to win! Entries must be no more than 110 words. Submissions must be previously unpublished and not under contract.
We can't wait to read your poems!
DEADLINE: MARCH 15, 2024
Here's what our judge will be looking for:
- Child appeal for the 6-9 age group.
- Sound appeal when the poem is read aloud.
- Vivid imagery.
- Creative word choices, not just predictable rhymes such as "run" "sun" and "fun" or "way" and "day."
- Word choices, presentation, and tone reflect the subject matter.
- Rhymes should be exact, not just "close."
- Avoid contorted sentence construction in order to force a rhyme.
- Strive for a smooth meter so the reader would not have to speed up or slow down in an unnatural way to make the beats come in the right places.
- Fresh idea, clever twist, or other "wow" factor.
- Content offers a takeaway for children, such as laughter, curiosity, delight, amazement, learning something new, fun with words, feelings of warmth and connection, a surprise twist, or an "aha!" moment.
Why Enter an ICL Writing Contest?
$1,300 Cash Prizes
- 1st prize = $650
- 2nd prize = $350
- 3rd prize = $100
- 4th prize = $100
- 5th prize = $100
Online Workshop
All entrants are invited to a FREE instructional online workshop with our esteemed judge where we'll announce the winners and provide tips for writing in this genre.
Free Critique
Winning entries will be workshopped by our judge to help writers understand what worked and what could be improved to make it submission-ready.
Here's what you need to know...
- This contest is to write a rhyming animal poem for 6-9 year olds.
- Entries must be no more than 110 words
- Entries must rhyme and include an animal or animals.
- Entries must be unpublished and not under contract.
- Do not submit illustrations or photographs with your entry. This contest is for text only.
- Proofread your entry to ensure it matches the industry standard manuscript format (double spacing, clear contact information, no creative use of fonts).
- Entries must follow manuscript submission guidelines as stated on our Contest Rules page HERE.
- Entries must be submitted via our online form by midnight Pacific Time on March 15, 2024.
- There is a $19 reading fee per manuscript to enter the contest.
- You may enter more than one manuscript but each entry requires a $19 reading fee.
- Add our email address (learn@instituteforwriters.com) to your list of contacts and/or safe senders so you can receive the email with the free entry information to our online workshop where we announce the winners. (Non-entrants pay $7.)
- The minimum age to enter the contest is 18 years of age.
Submissions will be judged on clarity, originality, how well they adhere to the theme, potential in the market, and appropriateness for the age range.
The winning entries in the ICL Rhyming Animal Poetry Contest will be announced at a live online workshop within 90 days after the contest closes. All contest entrants will be notified of the event details by email and be invited free of charge. (Non-entrants may attend for a nominal fee of $7.)
This is a great opportunity to build your writing and submitting skills!
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