Cider Press Review, a journal of contemporary poetry, seeks to discover and publish the best of new poetry written in English. CPR actively seeks new original work and translations into English from both established and emerging poets. Our only criterion is excellence.
Results from the 2023 CPR Book Award.
We are delighted to announce the winner of the 2023 Cider Press Review Book Award.
Jo Brachman of Pine Lake, Georgia, won the 2023 Cider Press Review Book Award for Prayers to a Small Stone. She received $1,500, publication of her book by Cider Press Review, and 25 author copies. Requiem in Wide-Open Minor, by Justin Hunt was the Runner-up. Judge Jayne Marek remarks, “I found my heart moving back and forth among several manuscripts, over time, which is a delightful challenge (e.g., it reminded me that any result will be good). I like Prayers to a Small Stone best of all, for its combination of polished, well-shaped pieces and its imaginative range. The runner-up is Requiem in Wide-Open Minor for its sensitive and interesting handling of history and emotions.”
The final results were as follows:
Winner: Prayer to a Small Stone, by Jo Brachman
Runner-Up: Requiem in Wide-Open Minor, by Justin Hunt
Finalist: Brush Bristle Love, by William Snyder
Finalist: Flowers on a Train, by Laurel Benjamin
Finalist: Glint & Swerve, by Veronica Patterson
Finalist: Ravel, by Jen Stewart
Finalist: Reckless Shelter, by Karen Holmberg
Finalist: Salt and Ambrosia, by Jennifer Louvet
Prayers to a Small Stone will be released in January, 2025.
Book Awards
CPR offers two (2) book awards each calendar year, the Editors’ Prize in spring and the Cider Press Review Book Award in fall. Both contests judge manuscripts blindly. Authors are requested to remove all contact information from their manuscript submissions. Any author failing to remove contact information from their manuscripts forfeits their anonymity but is otherwise judged identically to any other entrant.
Autumn:
The annual Cider Press Review Book Award offers a $1,500 prize, publication, and 25 author’s copies of a book length collection of poetry. Author receives a standard publishing contract. Initial print run is 1,000 copies. Cider Press accepts submissions for the Book Award between September 1 and November 30 annually.
Judge for the 2023 CPR Book Award is Jayne Marek. See a list of present and past judges here.
Spring:
The annual Cider Press Review Editors’ Prize offers a $1,000 prize, publication, and 25 author’s copies of a book length collection of poetry. No First- or Second book requirement. Author receives a standard publishing contract. Initial print run is not less than 1,000 copies. Cider Press accepts submissions for the Editors Prize between April 1 and June 30 annually.
The winner is selected by the editors of Cider Press Review.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions through Submittable only: ciderpressreview.com/submissions/. An entry fee of $27.00 is required, and can be paid through Submittable.
ELIGIBILITY
- Submitters must be 18+ years of age.
- Family members and close friends, and current or former students of the final judge or CPR staff are not eligible for book awards.
- Former winners of CPR book awards are not eligible for five (5) years after publication date.
Submit 48-80 pages of original poetry in English not previously published in book form (individual poems may have been previously published in journals, anthologies, and chapbooks). All manuscripts should be typed, single-spaced, and paginated, and must include a title page listing ONLY the name of the manuscript. Manuscripts must include a table of contents page(s), and an acknowledgments page listing previous publication credits. We strongly suggest authors place the manuscript name and page number in the header or footer of each page. Both contests judge manuscripts blindly. Authors are requested to remove all contact information from their manuscript submissions. Authors who fail to remove contact information from their manuscripts forfeit their anonymity, but are otherwise evaluated equally with other manuscripts.
All entrants receive a copy of the winning book. Entrants from countries outside of the United States will be asked to pay an additional postage surcharge at the time finished books are mailed out.
BY SUBMITTING A MANUSCRIPT TO THE CIDER PRESS REVIEW BOOK AWARD AND REMITTING THE ENTRY FEE, THE AUTHOR AGREES TO BE BOUND BY OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
We subscribe to the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) Contest Code of Ethics:
“CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.”