Adirondack Review
eZine

GUIDELINES
POETRY FICTION

Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. If you do decide to send work elsewhere, please say so in your cover letter. Notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere so that we may remove it from consideration. We do not consider previously published work. At present we consider previously published work from featured poets only.

TAR acquires first rights for publication. Rights revert to author/artist upon publication. We reserve the right to reprint the work in the event of a print-based anthology at a later date. TAR will remain archived on-line until further notice.

POETRY: Poetry should be neither exceptionally long nor very short. Any length will be considered; nevertheless we generally prefer poems between 8 and 80 lines. Please keep in mind that this is only a guideline; we will look at all work. We like serious poetry that is well-crafted and full of imagery. We do not want to see anything blatantly sentimental or extremely pornographic. Poetry about poetry is generally not considered. No poetry without proper capitalization of the first person singular pronoun. Rhymed poetry will not likely be at home in (unless you happen to write anything like Robert Klein Engler). Any subject matter is considered. Treatment is what is most important in the end. We are not impressed by name or reputation only; the quality of the work is what matters. We are open to new poets whose work is excellent. We like many styles, including some experimental. Since we are primarily a free verse journal, we expect highly musical, tight poems.

Submit 2-7 single-spaced poems: fewer for longer poems, more for shorter poems if desired. Since we are selective, please send only your best work. The editors read brief bios with interest. List past publication experience, if any, and if you wish. If you have never had work published before, don't hesitate to let us know. Please tell us about your interests, hobbies, and what it is that you do for your day job. If your work is accepted for publication, your bio will be highlighted with your work.

FICTION: We prefer edgier fiction strong on plot and/or convincing dialogue. Some favorite writers of the editors include Margaret Atwood, Heinrich Bˆll, John Cheever,William Faulkner, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, O. Henry, Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie, Dan Simmons, John Steinbeck, and Kurt Vonnegut. Modern tales appeal to us, but they should also have a timeless quality about them. People should be able to read these stories fifty or a hundred years from now and still be affected in the same way. In short, we want stories that leave the reader thinking about them for a long time after the reading. Realistic dialogue is also very important. We want characters that are alive. We are not looking for sentimental stories or over-the-top romance features. Sexuality is fine; please do not send anything pornographic in nature, however. Subject material is wide open in this category; feel free to send your best work on anything.

We tend to accept a very small percentage of fiction submissions received; however, we are always excited to receive new work, and encourage both established writers and those whose work has never been published to submit engaging short stories for consideration. For samples of stories we have published, see our fiction page.

To indicate italics in your submission, please surround the selected text with asterisks, *like this.*

Use your best judgment as to what is appropriate in terms of word length.
See above for policies regarding simultaneous submissions, previously published work, etc.

The St. Lawrence Book Award

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The St. Lawrence Book Award for a first collection of poems or short stories. Entrants must not have had a full-length book published before and must come from the United States or Canada. Chapbooks do not count as full-length books, so writers who have published or will have published chapbooks of poems or short stories are not disqualified. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, ten copies of the book, and an interview in The Adirondack Review. Prizes awarded on publication.

All finalists will be considered for publication. In addition to last year's winner, Black Lawrence Press has offered standard publication to one other finalist, and may consider others.

Simultaneous submissions are fine, but you must notify Black Lawrence Press immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere for publication.

To enter, submit complete manuscript of poems or short stories using the guidelines to the right, along with a $25.00 entry fee. Checks should be made payable to Black Lawrence Press. Money orders are also acceptable. The previous year's contest finalists are exempt from paying the entry fee for the following year's contest.

Contest deadline: August 31.


The Ontario Prize
POETRY
ANNUAL

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Ontario Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or short stories. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, ten copies of the book, and an interview in The Adirondack Review. Prizes awarded on publication.

To enter, submit complete manuscript of poems or short stories using the guidelines to the right, along with a $25.00 entry fee.

No electronic submissions, please. No exceptions. Please include a table of contents page and make sure that each page of your manuscript is numbered. Make checks payable to Black Lawrence Press. Please do not include a manuscript-sized SASE; all manuscripts will be recycled. Include a valid e-mail address so that we may contact you with a decision, or send a business-sized SASE for decision only.

Finalists will be notified and asked to submit another copy of the manuscript for final judging. A list of finalists will be posted on the Black Lawrence Press website as soon as it is available.

Finalists for the previous year are eligible to enter the following year's contest with entry fee waived and will receive a copy of the winning book. Semi-finalists will receive a copy of the winning book.

All finalists will be considered for publication. In addition to this year's winner, Black Lawrence Press will offer standard publication to one other finalist, and may consider others.

Simultaneous submissions are fine, but you must notify Black Lawrence Press immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere for publication.

Deadline: April 30 of each year.

Black River Chapbook Competition

Finalists will be selected by Black Lawrence Press and Adirondack Review staff.

Entry fee: $15.00. The prize is $300 and publication, with 25 copies going to the winner. The postmark deadline for entries to the Black River Chapbook Competition is December 31 of each year.

To enter, submit manuscript of 16-40 pages of poetry or short fiction using the guidelines to the right, along with a $15.00 entry fee for each manuscript entered. Multiple submissions are acceptable. Entry fees are non-refundable.

Contest deadline: December 31 of each year.