The 2025 River Heron Poetry Prize

Contest Guidelines:

• Submissions open March 1, 2025 through May 31, 2025. 
• Initial judging will be done by the editors of River Heron Review.
• Final judging will be done by Jed Myers, winner of the 2024 River Heron Poetry Prize.
• The winning poem and four finalists' poems will be announced in late July.
• The winning poem and four finalists' poems will be published in the River Heron Poetry Prize contest issue on August 1, 2025. 
• There is a $15 submission fee. 
• Poets may submit up to 3 poems, 5 pages maximum.
• Multiple submissions require an additional form and fee.
• Previously published poems are not eligible.
• Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Let us know immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere by sending us a note through Submittable. 
• Your name or initials should not appear on any part of your poetry document. We ask that your poetry remain anonymous so that we may make our selections based on the quality of your writing, not your background or previous publications. Your submission will be assigned an auto-generated number by Submittable. Submissions not adhering to this guideline will be declined.
• Poets should refrain from entering the contest if their relationship with any of the judges constitutes a conflict of interest. Close personal friends and current RHR associates are not eligible. Please see our statement at the bottom of this listing regarding the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) Contests Code of Ethics. Any questions may be directed to editors@riverheronreview.com.
• All submissions through Submittable.

Council of Literary Magazines and Presses Contests Code of Ethics

CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.