Looking for somewhere to publish your poems or show your art?

Submit your work to NTM.

Email yours today!

Deadline for 2021 is Friday, March 5. Send your work today!

In print for over 20 years, we accept submissions from teens from around the world. Each year we publish the best of all entries received.

If your work is selected, you will receive a free copy of the book.

Published annually by Adonis Designs Press in partnership with Springfield Poets and Writers, a nonprofit literary organization located in Illinois, the paperback book is approximately 100 pages. Of artwork submitted, one piece is chosen for a cover each year.

NTM History

In 1997, the Poets and Writers Literary Forum of Springfield, Illinois, board was approached by member Anita Stienstra with an idea for a teen anthology. All agreed to the project, and the first book was published in 1999. In addition to the annual book, contributors were invited to a poetry reading and reception held at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, and later at the Hoogland Center for the Arts and Illinois State Museum. Sponsors have always made this program possible and have included The Vachel Lindsay Association and numerous other private donors. If you would like to help, see below.

Thanks to our 2011-2014, 2018 sponsor:

The Vachel Lindsay Association

Poet, artist and visionary, Vachel Lindsay was born and lived most of his life in Springfield, Illinois. In 1971 his home was declared a National Historic Landmark. It sits directly south of the Illinois Executive Mansion and is open for tours if you travel to our fair city. Visit The Vachel Lindsay Association's website to learn about this 20th century Illinois poet and artist.

A Note about Donations

If you would like to join The Vachel Lindsay Association, Adonis Designs Press, and others in support of this international literary program to inspire young poets and artists, mail donations to: SPW, P.0. Box 5357, Springfield, IL 62701. Money orders or checks should be made out to SPW. All donations will be used for the NTM program. We appreciate your consideration.

Guidelines

• Open to teens in sixth-12th grade
• Send one-three poems or pictures
• Enter by email
• Free to enter
• Include: name, age, grade, address and email address if possible. (A teacher's name and school address may be substituted for your own with teacher's permission.)
• Deadline is the last week in February OR the first week in March each year
• We do not accept simultaneous submissions.
• Submissions accepted year round*

Email to:mazepoetrybook@gmail.comType NTM in the subject line.

Mailing Address: We no longer accept mailed entries unless you are a teacher who has previously submitted work via mail. Email us and we'll send our address. Thanks!

* If you send us a submission, we will acknowledge receiving it immediately. Then in March or April, we will let you know if it is accepted for publication in the book that year.

Other Helpful Information:

-Typed poems in 10 pt. Garamond are helpful, but we will accept other fonts and sizes.

-Emailed poems attached as Word documents are appreciated. This is our preferred way to receive poems. (We discourage poem submissions using Google Drive/Docs, or Pages. Thank you.)

-Artwork should include the title of each piece and what media and surface was used. For example: "The Willow Tree," pencil on paper.

-Artwork should be in .tif or .jpeg format at 300 dpi resolution or higher.

A Note to English and Art Teachers

Several English teachers incorporate entry to NTM as a final project after their yearly poetry lesson plans. You may email your class entries to us. We appreciate entries attached in one Word document. If you ask students to email their poems individually, please send us an email listing their names, your name and school name and address.

Teachers who would like to mail their students' poems to us, please send an email request.

Teachers who enter their students' work and have a student(s) selected to be published in the book, will receive two free books, one for their classroom and one for their school library.

If you will not be sending in your students' work, consider encouraging those students who have a passion for the written word or art to enter this contest on their own. Please remember to tell them to include your full name, school, and school address so you can receive two free books: one for your classroom and one for the school library. Thank you.