2026 New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition
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Finishing Line Press
2026 New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition
A prize of $1,500 and publication by Finishing Line Press is given annually for a poetry chapbook written by writers who identify as women who have not published a full-length collection. Manuscripts written in a language other than English are accepted when accompanied by an English translation. Hybrid manuscripts (e.g., prose poetry or formal verse) are welcome, and art may also be included.
In addition to the winner, 10 manuscripts will be accepted for the New Women's Voices Chapbook Series. This series is in its 28 year.
Submit a manuscript of 16 to 34 pages, a brief bio, acknowledgments, and a cover letter with a $20 entry fee. Please do not include your name on the manuscript. The bio should be included on the cover letter only.
We do allow hybrid manuscripts in addition to traditional poetry manuscripts: prose poetry or formal verse.
We do allow art to be included with the manuscript. Please follow page count guidelines. One page of art is equal to one page of poetry.
All entries are considered for publication.
Deadline: October 15, 2026
Final Judge: Molly Fisk
FLP strongly encourages submission via our submittable page: http://finishinglinepress.submittable.com/submit
These are the complete guidelines.
A word about the judge:
Poet and essayist Molly Fisk is the author of 10 books, most recently Walking Wheel, a novel-in-verse (Red Hen Press, 2026). She sent poets into schools state-wide and edited California Fire & Water, A Climate Crisis Anthology with a Poets Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets and has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Fisk lives in the Sierra foothills.
To send a paper manuscript instead: Finishing Line Press, 2026 New Women's Voices Chapbook Competition, P.O. Box 1626, Georgetown, KY 40324.
Chris Kincaid, Director and Senior Editor. finishingbooks@aol.com finishinglinepress.com