APR/Honickman First Book Prize

ABOUT

Founded in 1998 as a joint venture between The American Poetry Review and the Honickman Foundation, the APR/Honickman First Book Prize is one of the more prestigious American debut-poetry awards. The winning manuscript is published by Copper Canyon Press, which gives it wider trade distribution than most first-book prizes secure — a meaningful advantage in a landscape where debut collections often disappear quickly. A different established poet judges the prize each cycle (Terrance Hayes was named judge for the 2027 award), and past winners have gone on to build significant careers, reinforcing the prize's reputation as a launching pad rather than a vanity credential.

Submissions are handled through Submittable (americanpoetryreview.submittable.com), the same portal APR uses for its general magazine submissions, so poets should watch for the specific Honickman Prize submission window rather than the year-round magazine queue. The contest runs on an annual cycle: manuscripts are typically read over the fall and winter, with the winner announced in February and the winning book appearing the following year from Copper Canyon Press. As with most prizes of this caliber, expect a reading fee (amount not listed on the main site — check the Submittable listing directly) and a wait of several months to a year for a decision. The prize's chief value proposition is publication plus distribution, not a fast turnaround.