Contest Dates
The Young Writers of America contest is a bi-annual state and/or regional contest. Please check our website for upcoming contest dates and places.
Fees
There are NO entry fees. There is NO purchase necessary. Once selected, publication itself is free of charge. Award-book purchase is optional. Parents do not need to purchase a book to have their child published.
The nominal price of the award-book pays for manufacturing (printing/binding) and contest organization (advertising, promotion, prizes, etc.). As current and former school teachers, we simply can not afford to run this contest without charging for the award-book. Additional proceeds, if any, are donated to disadvantaged youth programs. Free award-books are available for students with financial hardships (while supplies last).
Format
Entries may be handwritten or typed. Pleace include an original title and check for spelling errors.
It is recommended that poems not exceed 30 lines. However, we understand that some poems may need to extend beyond this recommendation. All entries must address one of the two given prompts/themes, and have the student's name, grade level, school name, and teacher's name attached in order to qualify. Only 1 entry is allowed per student per contestant. Submissions from students who have worked collaboratively with other students on a single poem are not accepted.
Selection
Poems are reviewed by experienced public school teachers. Entries are judged based on creativity, artistic quality, artistic expression, and originality. All decisions are final.
Poems that greatly exceed the 30 line recommendation or that do not have the student's name, grade level, school name, and teacher's name attached to the entry may be disqualified.
Copyrights
The author retains all copyrights to the submitted poem. A select number of poems, approximately 20%, will be published in our featured anthology titled Award-Winning Young Writers of America.
If an entrant's poem is selected for publicatin they will be notified via a "congratulations letter" sent to their teacher and/or school.
All entrants will have the opportunity to opt out of being published in the award-book. Please note that publication itself is free of charge.
Rights to individual poems reside with the artists themselves.
All entrants confirm that the submitted work is their original creation. To the publisher's knowledge the submitted poems were written by those who submitted the poems. Young Writers of America does not guarantee or assume responsibility for verifying the authorship of each work. However, as an additional measure of authenticity, Young Writers of America utilizes plagiarism software titled DupliChecker.
Books are only for sale to the authors, their family members, and winning teachers. Books are not for sale in bookstores.
Prizes
There is one Grand Prize student winner. The Grand Prize winner is awarded with an iPod Touch, XBox 360, Nintendo Wii, or cash prize (student's choice). The Grand Prize winner also receives a free copy of Award-Winning Young Writers of America in which their poem is featured and an award-certificate.
There are four divisions for this contest: Division I - Grade 3, Division II - Grade 4, Division III - Grade 5, Division IV - Grade 6. Each division winner will receive a gift certificate, award certificate, and a free copy of Award-Winning Young Writers of America in which their poem is featured.
There are six honorable mention winners. Each honorable mention winner is awarded with a free copy of Award-Winning Young Writers of America in which their poem is featured and an award-certificate.
Teachers who enter 10 or more students in the contest will be entered into a drawing for $150. All entries must include all necessary information to qualify: student name, grade level, school name, and teacher name.
Notification
All students selected for publication and prize winners are notified directly through mail. All winning notifications are sent to the teacher and/or school of the entrant. Names of each winner, their teacher's name, their school name, and their poem may appear on this website.
Removal of Entry
Parents of students may choose to withdraw their child's entry from publication by notifying Young Writers of America through e-mail at: YWAContest@gmail.com, or by mail at Young Writers of America, 13954 W. Waddell Rd, Suite 103-495, Surprise, AZ 85379, by the date stated in the student's congratulations letter.
If the parent would like their child's entry removed but misses the deadline for removal, they may still request to have their child's entry removed from all further editions.
Financial Hardship
If parents cannot afford a copy of the book they may request a free copy through e-mail or mail. Copies will be donated based on supply.
Editing Disclaimer
It is understood that from time to time simple spelling and grammar errors may occur. Minor editing of simple spelling errors and grammar mistakes may take place by one or more of our teachers.
Privacy Policy
All information submitted is kept completely confidential. Young Writers of America does not lease, lend, sell, or share personal information. Void where prohibited.
Books are only for sale to the authors, their family members, and winning teachers. Books are not for sale in bookstores. Free books are available for students with financial hardships (while supplies last).
