Vern Rutsala Book Prize

Cloudbank’s Vern Rutsala 2025 Book Contest is closed for submissions.

A prize of $1,000 is awarded, plus publication of the manuscript and 50 free books.

Submit 60 to 90 pages of poetry and/or flash fiction, including a Table of Contents and Acknowledgments page. Reading fee is $25.

  • Submissions are accepted from around the world with no citizenship limitations.
  • The first 50 writers submitting to the contest receive a Cloudbank book or journal.
  • To submit electronically through our submissions manager click here.
  • Submissions should include two title pages, one with title only, one with title and author name.
  • Cloudbank editors appreciate a wide range of styles, approaches, forms, and aesthetics; we welcome prose poems and flash fiction.