This contest is named in honor of Catherine Case Lubbe, 10th President of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) from 1974—1976, a lovely woman who embodied the spirit and mission of The Poetry Society of Texas.

2024 Rules and Requirements

Prize: The winning entrant will receive a cash prize of $100 and fifty copies of a market-ready, 6 by 9 inch soft-cover book. Includes editing, cover design, pricing, and ISBN registration. The winner may assume the cost of additional copies.

Who may enter: The competition is open to all active dues-paid and Life Members of PST, writing in English. The manuscript must be original work by a single author. The winner must agree to three public readings from the book: (1) a reading for a PST monthly meeting; (2) a reading at the annual summer conference, following the announcement in November; (3) a third reading will be arranged by the author. Entry acknowledges agreement with these stipulations. The winner of this prize and Eakin winners will be eligible to enter again in the eighth year after their winning. PST will select a judge whose name will be announced when the winner is announced. All rights revert to the winner after publication.

Deadline: (1) Manuscripts must be postmarked between June 1 and August 1, 2024. (2) Electronic copies must be submitted at the same time as the physical mailing. Format: Send an electronic copy of your manuscript as an attachment. Word format is preferred to: richardkdpa@gmail.com. The subject line must identify Lubbe, Manuscript title, and Author.

Previously published material: The manuscript may include unpublished poems and poems published in journals and anthologies (not to exceed 25 percent of the whole submission). Poems from chapbooks published by an entity other than the author are allowed. The manuscript may not include poems from poet’s other books and from self-published chap books, print or electronic. The submitter must have rights to previously published poems at the time of submission.

Entry fee: $10 payable by check to Poetry Society of Texas for each submitted manuscript. Multiple entries are allowed with separate fees.

Length: The submitted manuscript should contain between 45 and 60 pages of poetry, one poem per page, not including other written matter.

Format: (1) Submit a single print copy of the manuscript. (2) No line of poetry should contain more than 60 characters (letters, spaces, and punctuation). (3) The manuscript must have a title page without author identification. (4) The pages must be numbered. (5) It must include a table of contents. (6) It must be bound in some manner (manuscript clip preferred). (7) No identification should appear on the manuscript. (8) Manuscripts with poems that contain explicit sexual language or expletives will not be considered. (9) Do not send your only copy of manuscript. (10) Manuscripts will not be returned. (11) See the statement above for the format of electronic submissions.

Include these items separate from the manuscript: (1) Title page with your name, address, phone number, and email address. (2) Single copy of a poem from the manuscript. (If your manuscript wins, this poem will be printed in A Book of the Year and read at the November awards banquet). This copy should have author identification and a note that it is part of your Lubbe manuscript. (3) List of acknowledgements for previously published poems (not to exceed 25 percent of the whole). (4) Check for $10.00 payable to PST for each manuscript entry.

Send print copy to: Richard Kushmaul at 9612 Sandlewood Drive, Denton, Texas 76207.

Send electronic copy to richardkdpa@gmail.com.

The judge and winner will be announced at the annual PST awards banquet in November.

Past winners include Diane Glancy, Charlotte Renk, Lynn Lewis, Budd Powell Mahan, Terry Jude Miller, Susan Maxwell Campbell, Michael Minassian, Christine Irving, and Robert Schinzel.