Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award
Ends on
Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927–1999), this award is for a previously unpublished (including self-published works) original collection of poetry. Awarded collection is selected through an annual competition which is open to all poets.
This year’s final judge will be Brenda Cárdenas.
Deadline: October 31, 2025.
Award is $3,000 and publication of the awarded manuscript by Red Hen Press.
Entry fee is $25.00. 48 page minimum, 96 page maximum. (sized on 8.5"x11" sheet, 1" margin, 12 pt. Times New Roman)
The award is open to all writers with the following exceptions:
1. Authors who have had a full-length work published by Red Hen Press, or a full-length work currently under consideration by Red Hen Press;
2. Employees, interns, or contractors of Red Hen Press;
3. Relatives of employees or members of the executive board of directors;
4. Relatives or individuals having a personal or professional relationship with any of the final judges where they have taken any part whatsoever in shaping the manuscript, or where, for whatever reason, selecting a particular manuscript might have the appearance of impropriety.
Procedures and Ethical Considerations
To be certain that every manuscript finalist receives the fairest evaluation, all manuscripts shall be submitted to the judges without any identifying material. Bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material shall be removed from judged manuscripts until the conclusion of the competition.
Please remove all names, bios, acknowledgments, and other identifying material from the submitted manuscript, and include only your name and contact information in the cover letter field of Submittable.
Red Hen Press is committed to maintaining the utmost integrity of our awards. Judges shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript where they recognize the work. In the event of recusal, a manuscript score previously assigned by the managing editor of the press will be substituted.
Entries will be accepted via Submittable only.