# Moonstone Arts Center — Moonstone Annual Chapbook Contest 2026, deadline Nov 14, 2026

> Moonstone Arts Center lists “Moonstone Annual Chapbook Contest 2026” for writing. The deadline is November 14, 2026.

Canonical: https://www.usemissa.com/opportunities/moonstone-arts-center-moonstone-annual-chapbook-contest-2026
Last updated: 2026-10-13

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| --- | --- |
| Organizer | Moonstone Arts Center |
| Type | Contest |
| Deadline | Deadline Nov 14, 2026 |
| Fee | Fee $20 |
| Open to | Individual poems may have been previously published, but the work as a whole must be new. |
| Length | Up to 35 pages |
| Prize or pay | $500 cash prize |
| Judge | the Editorial Committee at Moonstone Press and our final judge (TBD) \* additional copies will be available for purchase |

Official guidelines: [Moonstone Arts Center](https://moonstoneartscenter.com/)

## About this call

Moonstone Arts Center, a longstanding presence in Philadelphia's literary community, administers its Annual Chapbook Contest 2026 as a competition with concrete material outcomes rather than an honorific alone. Submissions open June 7, 2026, and close November 14, 2026, under a $20 entry fee. The winning poet receives a $500 cash prize, publication of the chapbook, twenty-five copies of the book, promotion on the Moonstone website, and a reading at one of the organization's Philadelphia venues or a virtual reading at the poet's preference. The call specifies a manuscript of approximately thirty-five pages of poetry. Its central requirement concerns the integrity of the collection: individual poems may have appeared previously in other venues, but the manuscript as a whole must be new. This distinction places the emphasis on the book as a unified artistic object rather than an assemblage of published work, asking the poet to consider sequence, arc, and internal coherence as primary considerations. Moonstone permits simultaneous submissions to other publishers. The contest's structure is clear and its obligations transparent, which allows a serious applicant to assess fit on the merits of the work itself. The chapbook form, at this length, rewards compression, a sustained governing idea, and attention to how individual poems accumulate meaning across the whole.

## What to send

- **Biography**: May be included in the Submittable form
- **Cover page**: Manuscript title and all contact information
- **Table of contents**: Required
- **Dedication**: Required
- **Acknowledgments**: For any previous publications
- **Inside title page**: Required

Check the organizer's own page before you apply. It has the final say on dates, fees and rules.

## Related

- [Moonstone Arts Center](https://www.usemissa.com/org/moonstone-arts-center)
- [All open calls](https://www.usemissa.com/opportunities)