Category Archives: Contest

Any contests Accents Publishing runs, whether it’s to publish new chapbooks or book giveaways.

Results from 2023 Local Accents Contest

Dear Poets,

First, thank you to everyone who submitted poems to the 2023 Local Accent Contest.

Second, please accept our deepest apologies for taking us three extra months to announce the results.

Third, to say that it was difficult to decide on a winner and finalists would be an understatement. Amazing poems landed in the Accents’ inbox and we delighted in the talent and craft of the work we considered.

We’re happy with our choices and thrilled to announce that Lexington-based poet Renee Rigdon‘s poem “Thoughts &” won the Local Accent Contest.

The finalists, in alphabetical order by last name:

“On Burning the Hijab” by Sylvia Ahrens
“Jones Women” by Libby Falk Jones
“clean (n.)” by Jay McCoy
“The Lie” by Leslie Moise
“Broken Ghazal for a Yet-Unbroken Porch Lamp, Purchased Fall 2019” by Jason McKinley Williams
“Will Heaven Heal My Broken Heart or Do They Just Administer Local Anesthesia?” by Mike Wilson

Watch our blog and YouTube for an interview with Renee and for a post with the winning poem!

Yours,

Katerina

2023 Local Accent Poetry Contest

Local Accent Poetry Contest

Prize

The winner will receive $150.00. The winning poem will be published on the Accents Publishing Blog and the author will be interviewed on the Accents YouTube channel. A list of the finalists may be posted and celebrated, as well.

Eligibility

Kentucky residents and those with strong ties to the state are welcome to submit.

Price for participation

None.

How to submit

Email one unpublished poem of any length or style along with a bio of fifty words to accents.publishing@gmail.com. Note that only the winner and the finalists will be contacted about the results.

Deadline

Poems must be received by the 30th of April, the end of National Poetry Month.

Judging and results

Judging will be performed by the Accents Publishing staff and the results will be announced in May.

Results from the Inaugural Local Accent Poetry Contest

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Accents Publishing is happy to share that the winning poem is “American Politeness” by Lennie Hay

Finalists:

“Downloadable Caffeine” by Tom C. Hunley

“Honeymoon” by Marianne Peel

“crematorium” by Claudia Love Mair

“Two Days After Returning Home from Teaching Poetry and Literature for Five Weeks in Istanbul” by Libby Falk Jones

Lennie Hay will be interviewed for the Accents Publishing Youtube channel on June 7th and her poem will be posted at that time.

Additionally, a celebratory reading of all participants is forthcoming, as well. Stay tuned!

Announcing the Inaugural Local Accent Poetry Contest

Announcing the Inaugural Local Accent Poetry Contest

Prize

The winner will receive $100.00. The winning poem will be published on the Accents Publishing Blog and the author will be interviewed on the Accents YouTube channel. A list of the finalists may be posted and celebrated, as well.

Eligibility

Kentucky residents and those with strong ties to the state are welcome to submit.

Price for participation

None.

How to submit

Email one unpublished poem of any length or style along with a bio of fifty words to accents.publishing@gmail.com. Note that only the winner and the finalists will be contacted about the results.

Deadline

Poems must be received by the 30th of April, the end of National Poetry Month.

Judging and results

Judging will be performed by the Accents Publishing staff and the results will be announced in May.

Updates and Announcements from Accents Publishing

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Dear Friends and Fans of Accents Publishing,

Happy Spring! In Kentucky we’re starting to see new leaves on trees. We spent a busy and productive winter and can’t wait to tell you about our latest accomplishments, opportunities and announcements. Please, read on.

 

New Book

Novella Contest Results

Literary Accents Update

Poetry Class and Manuscript Analysis Workshop

 

New Book

We’re very excited to present Christopher McCurry’s first full-length poetry collection, Open Burning.  It’s a gorgeous hardcover volume, and the poems detail the fallout of a young couple’s divorce. Click on the title to read a sample poem and to learn more about the book and the author. To browse our catalog, please click here.

 

Novella Contest Results

Accents Publishing is proud to announce the results of its Inaugural Novella Competition!

The winning novella is Homegoing, by Toni Ann Johnson!

Toni Ann Johnson will receive the $500.00 award and publication of her manuscript in a separate book volume. Those who have purchased in advance a copy of the winning novella will receive it as soon as the book is out.

We read many wonderful submissions and selected the following manuscripts as finalists:

Under the Seal, by Carol Mauriello

A Hollow, Muscular Organ, by Meg Files

Cheeseburgers, by Dean Crawford

City of Foam, by Ryan Slater

Moonlit Landing, by Ari McKenna

Things Are Not So Ill as They Might Have Been, by Scott Winokur

Accents Publishing is offering publication to the first three of these finalists.

Tremendous gratitude to everyone who sent manuscripts for consideration. We appreciate your trust and support. Please keep in touch. We hope to read your work again in the future.

 

Literary Accents Call for submissions

We’re still finishing up Issue #3 of Literary Accents. We hope to be able to send it to the printer within weeks.

We’re still reading submissions for Issue #4. The theme of Issue #4 is “breakup and heartbreak”. Send 3 – 5 poems to accents.publishing@gmail.com by April 30th. We look forward to reading your work.

 

Poetry Class

Katerina Stoykova (Owner and Senior Editor of Accents Publishing) is seeking eight to ten committed poets for a fast-paced six-week writing class in person or online. In each session, the poets will workshop a poem, then listen to a craft lecture and/or participate in a writing exercise. March 26th to April 23rd. Thursdays, 6 – 8 pm at The Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center. Price for the six-week class: $120. To reserve your space in the class, write to accents.publishing@gmail.com. Deadline to apply: March 16th

 

Manuscript Analysis Workshop and a Poetry Class

Looking for 4 – 5 poets with nearly-ready book-length manuscripts for a weekend-long manuscript analysis workshop lead by Katerina Stoykova (Owner and Senior Editor of Accents). You can participate in person or remotely via Skype. Price: $250. For more information or to reserve your spot, please write to accents.publishing@gmail.com. Exact dates TBD based on participant availability.  Deadline to apply: March 31st

 

Thank you, everyone, for reading to the very end of this email. We appreciate you! Best wishes from the team at Accents Publishing.

 

2014 Poetry Chapbook Contest Results

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Accents Publishing is proud to announce the results of its 2014 Poetry Chapbook Contest. The two winners are as follows:
 
Mother Loose, by Brandel France de Bravo, was selected by judge Patty Paine.
– and – 
Your Life as It Is, by A. Molotkov, was selected by Accents Publishing Senior Editor Katerina Stoykova-Klemer.
 
Both of these entries will be published as perfect-bound chapbooks, and each author will receive 30 copies of his or her chapbook, along with a $300 prize.
 
The contest brought a great number of outstanding submissions. In addition to the winning manuscripts, Accents Publishing has decided to accept five other entries for publication, listed below in alphabetical order:
 
Black Achilles, by Curtis Crisler
Deflection, by Roberta Beary
How I Became an Angry Woman, by Bianca Bargo
respites/revelations, by Jay McCoy
The Fourth Casket, by Barbara Goldberg

Additionally, Accents Publishing would like to recognize the following finalists with an honorable mention:

Character Acting, by Cathy Allman
Comfort Dogs, by Michael Santora
Crossing the Days, by James Scruton
Crossing the Knik, by Abby Murray
Escenas, by Leah Zazulyer
Hyena Dreams, by Gail Langstroth
Love in a Time of Cauliflower, by Sean Johnson
My Father’s Bargain, by Jessica Cuello
O, by Dennis Caswell
Pastiche, by Susan Gubernat
Shipwrecked, by Sarah Hall
The Bad Guys, by Paul Hostovsky
The Mayberry Chronicles, by Gustavo Pérez Firmat
the miscarriage, by Jeffrey Ethan Lee
Wellspring, by Karen George
 
Accents Publishing would like to thank everyone who submitted a manuscript to the contest. The release dates for the new books will be announced in the near future.
 
Please visit the Accents Publishing website at accents-publishing.com to find out more about the press and its available titles.
 
With Gratitude,
Katerina Stoykova-Klemer and the team of Accents Publishing

Accents Publishing 2014 Chapbook Contest

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The Sounding Machine

Patty Paine—author of our 2011 International Poetry Book Contest—will be a guest judge this year.

As a reminder, our 2014 Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open. The deadline is April 30th (the end of National Poetry Month), but it never hurts to get an early start!

Below is Katerina’s original announcement.

Accents Publishing is happy to announce its 2014 Poetry Chapbook Contest.Two winners will be selected – one by an independent judge, Patty Paine, and one by the Senior Editor and founder of Accents Publishing, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer. Each winner will have his/her submission published and will receive a $300 cash prize and 30 perfect-bound copies.

All contest entries will be considered for regular publication with Accents Publishing, as well.

We will accept submissions that are entered through Submittable or postmarked on or before April 30th. Winners will be announced in June. The contest is open to any poet writing in English. Employees of Accents or family members of judges are ineligible to participate. Simultaneous submissions will be accepted, but please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere.

Manuscripts should conform to the following guidelines:

  • 16 to 36 pages of poetry
  • Table of contents
  • Single spaced
  • Numbered pages
  • 11 pt font minimum

Your name should not appear anywhere within the manuscript. Please do not send the only copy of your work, as manuscripts will be recycled.

The entry fee is $15.00. Multiple submissions are allowed, but each requires a separate entry fee.

To enter, you may either submit your manuscript electronically through Submittable or mail a printed manuscript to Accents Publishing.

If you are submitting electronically, please follow the instructions here. You will be prompted to upload your manuscript and pay the entry fee during the submission process.

If you are submitting a printed copy through the mail, be sure to include a cover page with your name, the title of your manuscript, and your contact information (address, phone, and email). Please send your complete submission, along with a check or money order for $15.00 (payable to Accents Publishing) to:

Accents Publishing
Attn: Katerina Stoykova-Klemer
P.O. Box 910456
Lexington, KY 40591-0456
U.S.A.

Thank You and Good Luck!

Katerina Stoykova-Klemer and the team at Accents Publishing