Nine Syllables Press Chapbook Contest

The Nine Syllables Press Chapbook Contest is an annual competition run by Nine Syllables Press, a student-involved small press affiliated with Smith College. The contest invites submissions of original, unpublished poetry chapbooks and is judged in a two-stage anonymous process: students enrolled in Smith College’s chapbook publishing courses provide initial reads before passing finalists to a named guest judge.

Eligibility is restricted by gender: the contest is open to trans and nonbinary poets of all genders, and to cis women poets, with particular encouragement for trans/LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC poets. Poets may have previously published full collections, but the submitted manuscript must be unpublished as a whole; individual poems may have prior publication credits.

The 2026 guest judge is poet Nicole Sealey.

Is this event legit?YES! – Based on our research this event is legitimate and the organizer is well established. However, as with any opportunity, please remember to do your own research before submitting your work. Check the organizer’s website and carefully read the terms and conditions!

Subscribe to Writing Deadlines
Never miss a deadline again. The Writing Deadlines newsletter delivers curated, verified writing competitions, prizes, and open calls straight to your inbox — subscribe here.

Could your writing use a second pair of eyes?
ProWritingAid combines deep grammar and style checks with genre-specific reports on pacing, repetition, and readability, helping you self-edit like a pro before you submit your work. Get started here —  it’s free to try!