Okay, it's officially December, which means November 2008 is a thing of the past. Meaning hooray! We've completed (or nearly completed) the November PAD Chapbook Challenge!

Sooooooooooo, now what? (Twiddling thumbs.)

Well, now, it's time to put that chapbook together. Do you remember what other poets said made a great chapbook on October 30? (If not, click here.) Use that information--as well as your own gut feeling--to put together a 10- to 20- page chapbook (single-spaced) of material you wrote during November for the challenge.

Here's what I want from you:

* Cover page with your name, e-mail address, physical address, manuscript title, theme
* Table of Contents (or TOC) page that lists the poem titles
* 10-20 pages of poems (not including the Cover and TOC pages)
* Submit via e-mail to robert.brewer@fwmedia.com with a subject line that reads: November PAD Chapbook Submission
* Submit as either a .txt or .doc (NOT .docx) attachment
* Submissions must be received by midnight EST on January 5 to be eligible

Who can compete?

Anyone who claims to have participated in the November PAD Chapbook Challenge, whether you posted your poems on the blog or not. I'm going to use the honor system here, but I know that many poets write poems from the Poetic Asides prompts who don't post to the blog--so I want to keep this open to as many people who follow along as possible.

What if a poem is longer than one page?

No problem. That's why I'm asking for 10-20 pages of poems, instead of 10-20 poems. It's possible, though not likely, that you could submit an entire chapbook manuscript that consists of one long poem that runs 10-20 pages in length.

Can I include illustrations with my submission?

No. Just words please.

Can poems be revised?

Yes! In fact, I encourage poets to use December as a month to revise, organize, and even fill in any gaps that will help put your collection over the top. (And remember: Longer does NOT always mean better. A 10-page collection that is super tight will most likely look better to Tammy and I than a 20-page collection that is uneven in spots.)

Who judges the competition?

The competition will be judged by my wife (and published poet) Tammy and myself. If you're into Googling your judges, you can find samples of my poems under Robert Lee Brewer and samples of Tammy's poems under Tammy Trendle. However, it should be noted that we both are well-read and enjoy poetry from several different schools--so you really shouldn't try to write to our styles as much as writing to your own style.

What does the winner receive?

Well, at the moment, I'm only going to promise bragging rights. But there's always the possibility that if an amazing manuscript comes through (and I'm able to find the time) that I'll work to get it published, either through myself or trying to get another publisher on board. However, I think bragging rights should be a pretty big incentive, considering how many people visit Poetic Asides every day. Plus, I'll interview the winner for the blog, which will help bring the winner fortune and glory.

When is the winner announced?

February 2, 2009 is the target date. If that changes, there will be an announcement on the blog.

Any other questions can be asked in the comments below this post, and I'll try to answer as best I can.