The Maureen Seaton Book Prize for LGBTQIA+ Emerging Writers

Final Judge: Denise Duhamel
6/10/26 – 7/10/26

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The Maureen Seaton Book Prize for LGBTQIA+ Emerging Writers (Seaton Book Prize) honors the life and legacy of Maureen Seaton (1947–2024), whose poetry illuminated queer experience, and life in general, with wit, ferocity, and tenderness across more than three decades of publishing. The author of more than two dozen books of poetry and a memoir, Maureen's solo collections include Fear of Subways (winner of the Eighth Mountain Poetry Prize), Furious Cooking (winner of the Iowa Poetry Prize and a Lambda Literary Award), Venus Examines Her Breast (winner of the Publishing Triangle's Audre Lorde Award), and Sweet World (first place, Florida Book Award), among many others. Her memoir Sex Talks to Girls earned her a second Lambda Literary Award. A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, a Pushcart Prize contributor, and Miami's Best Poet (Miami New Times, 2020), Maureen was also a celebrated collaborator who championed other writers throughout her career. This prize is dedicated to continuing that work — discovering and amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices at the beginning of their literary lives.

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Eligibility
The Seaton Book Prize is open to LGBTQIA+ writers who have published no more than two full-length poetry collections at the time of submission. Chapbooks do not count toward this limit.
Submissions are welcome from writers at any career stage who meet the above criteria. We strongly encourage submissions from writers who are also BIPOC, disabled, or otherwise from communities historically underrepresented in publishing.
Current students, former students, former classmates, or friends of the final judge should refrain from entering the contest.

Manuscript Guidelines
Full-length manuscripts should be between 50–80 pages. Manuscripts must include a title page, table of contents, and a list of acknowledgments for any previously published poems. Collections centered around a unifying theme will be given preference.
Individual poems from the manuscript may have been published previously in magazines or chapbooks, but not in full-length collections. The collection as a whole must be unpublished.

Simultaneous Submissions
Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere while under our consideration.

How to Submit
Include in your cover letter your name, contact information, a brief bio (max of 100 words), and a statement of eligibility (confirming that you identify as LGBTQIA+ and have published no more than two full-length poetry collections). Attach your manuscript as a Word or PDF file. Please use the title of your manuscript as your document name. Do not include your name or identifying information anywhere in the manuscript itself.
The submission fee is $15.  This reduced full-length submission fee is made possible by the generosity of our donors in honor of Maureen's deep commitment to accessibility.