Transparency & Fairness

We take contest ethics seriously. All judging is blind, and every poem is read by multiple readers. Final decisions are made with care.

We also maintain a strict conflict of interest policy: our editors and readers do not consider work from close friends, students, or colleagues.

All winning and finalist poems are published in ONLY POEMS, and prize amounts are paid promptly upon publication. All our winners (& often finalists) are also nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best Spiritual Literature, or Best New Poets.

We believe contests should sustain a magazine, not exploit its writers. As an independent, ad-free, reader-supported publication, entry fees are one of the ways we fund our prizes and cover the costs of paying contributors, keeping the website and our newsletters alive, and supporting the editorial labor that makes the magazine possible. That said, we’re poets ourselves, and we know how tough fees can feel, and accessibility matters.

On that note, here’s how we handle fee waivers: generous entrants sometimes choose to cover the cost of another poet’s entry. Those sponsored spots go into a small pool of waivers. If you’re in real financial need, you’re welcome to email us to ask if one is available. If it is, we’ll happily honor it; if not, we’ll be transparent that the pool has run dry until more support comes in.

If you’re in a position to sponsor another poet’s entry, please consider it. This collective approach allows us to extend waivers where they’re most needed while still keeping the magazine sustainable.

And thanks to Chill Subs’ Contest Transparency Partnership, we’re able to give each submitter one-month free of Chill Subs Best. We also include a one-month ONLY POEMS Membership. Submitting should connect you with resources and community, not just the contest. After you submit, we’ll send you details on how to activate both.

All our winners & finalists receive a year of Chill Subs Best.