Now in its 20th year, this contest seeks today's best humor poems. No fee to enter. Submit published or unpublished work. $3,500 in prizes.

Please submit once during

August 15, 2020-April 1, 2021

Prizes:

No fee to enter. Judge: Jendi Reiter, assisted by Lauren Singer Ledoux. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. No restriction on age of author. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English. Inspired gibberish is also accepted (example). Please click the button below to submit. Read the winning poems from our 19th contest. The results of our 20th contest will be announced on August 15, 2021.

Supplemental contest information (copyright, privacy, special assistance, etc.)

What to Submit

Submit one humor poem. This poem should be your own original work. You may submit the same poem simultaneously to this contest and to others, and you may submit a poem that has been published or won prizes elsewhere. (However, please do not submit a poem that has previously received recognition at Winning Writers.)



Prizes and Publication

First Prize, $2,000 cash plus a two-year gift certificate from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value)

Second Prize, $500 cash

Ten Honorable Mentions, $100 cash each



All entries that win cash prizes will be published on the Winning Writers website and announced in the Winning Writers Newsletter (circulation 50,000+).



Length Limit

Your poem should not exceed 250 lines in length. Exclude the title and blank lines from your count.



Most Countries Eligible; English Language

Due to US government restrictions, we regret we are unable to accept entries from authors in Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Crimea. Authors from all other countries are eligible. The poem you submit should be in English. If you have written a work in another language, you may submit an English translation (made by you). Inspired gibberish is also accepted.



Anonymous Judging

Entries are judged anonymously. Please omit your name and all identifying information from your entry. Do not include a cover letter. Please also omit any publishing credits from your entry. All the information we need is collected on our online entry form.



No Age Restriction

Poets of all ages may enter.



Privacy

Your privacy is assured. We will not rent your information to third parties.



Copyright

If your entry wins any cash prize, you agree to give Winning Writers a nonexclusive license to publish your work online. This includes possible publication in one or more ebooks, with attribution. From time to time, selected winning entries may also be published in printed collections. If you win a prize, we may ask you for permission to include your entry in one of these books. You may accept or decline this invitation as you choose. Your entry will not be published in print without your consent, and you retain all other rights. You are free, for example, to publish your work in print or online elsewhere, and to enter it into other contests, whether or not you win a prize in this contest.



Who Is Wergle Flomp?

Wergle Flomp is a creation of poet David Taub. Mr. Taub submitted "Flubblebop" to poetry.com's former (and not very selective) contest to see what would happen.



Assistance

If you have questions, please email the contest administrator at adam@winningwriters.com.