Black Lawrence Press
Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The St. Lawrence Book Award for an unpublished collection of poems or short stories. The St. Lawrence Book Award is open to any writer who has not yet published a full-length collection of short stories or poems. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication.

To enter, please refer to the guidelines below.

See FAQ for more details.
2009 winner: Brad Ricca (poetry)
2008 winner: Yelizaveta P. Renfro (fiction)
2007 winner: Fred McGavran (fiction)
2006 winner: Jason Tandon (poetry)
2005 winner: Stefi Weisburd (poetry)
2004 winner: Marcel Jolley (fiction)
Contemporary Literature & Non-Fiction
The St. Lawrence Book Award

CONTEST GUIDELINES

How to submit:

In order to reduce the costs of printing and postage and in the spirit of being a bit greener, Black Lawrence Press now accepts electronic submissions rather than hard copies for our contests.

Please include the following in your electronic submission:
-A cover letter with brief bio and contact information including your e-mail address(es)
-A .rtf, .doc, or .pdf attachment including a title page, an acknowledgments page, a table of contents, and your manuscript with numbered pages.

Email your submission to editors@blacklawrencepress.com.

Please submit your $25 entry fee via Paypal.

Deadline:

The annual deadline for the prize is August 31.

About the judges:

Black Lawrence Press does not use interns to screen entries. All entries are judged by the editors.

Notification:

Because of the high volume of entries received, all finalists and semi-finalists will be announced
on the Black Lawrence Press website. All finalists will be announced on or before October 31 of each year. The winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

Other Notes:

We may request hard copies of manuscripts that make it to the finalist round and are being seriously considered for the prize.

Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but you must notify Black Lawrence Press immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere for publication.

All finalists will be considered for standard publication. In addition to each year's winner, Black Lawrence Press often offers standard publication to one or more other finalists.

Thank you for your interest in Black Lawrence Press.
Interested in reading St. Lawrence Book Award-winning titles?
You can order copies right here.
2009 Winner Brad Ricca
NEITHER HERE NOR THERE
Marcel Jolley
Winner of the 2004 St. Lawrence Book Award: Fiction

“[T]he music and promise of the narrative…is simply captivating… attentive and muscular prose.”
— Ilya Kaminsky
NEITHER HERE NOR THERE: Stories by Marcel Jolley
ISBN 978-0-9768993-8-9      $16.00
THE WIND-UP GODS
Stefi Weisburd
Winner of the 2005 St. Lawrence Book Award: Poetry

“[T]hat rare book unafraid of ambitions and ideas... ”
— Paul Guest
ISBN 978-0-9768993-5-3       $14.00
NEITHER HERE NOR THERE: Stories by Marcel Jolley
ST. LAWRENCE BOOK AWARD  BUNDLE

Get all four St. Lawrence Book Award-winning titles at a discounted rate.
    
            $45.00

Click on this button to submit your entry fee via paypal.
Click on this button to submit your entry fee via paypal.
GIVE OVER THE HECKLER AND EVERYONE GETS HURT
Jason Tandon
Winner of the 2006 St. Lawrence Book Award: Poetry

In this book you can find the fingerprints of the trickster, the pilgrim, the lover, the philosopher. I urge you to buy it. You'll be reading it for years.
—Mekeel McBride
   ISBN 978-1-934703-59-5    $14.00
ISBN 978-0-9815899-5-4      $16.00
THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR
Fred McGavran
Winner of the 2007 St. Lawrence Book Award: Fiction

"Fred McGavran’s The Butterfly Collector is sardonic, erudite, and unexpectedly frightening.  He will leave you wanting more."
—P.F. Kluge