Two Sylvias Press

04/07/2026

Results of the Two Sylvias Press 2025 Wilder Prize!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest--so many strong manuscripts! Congratulations to Sinéad and Michelle and to all of the Finalists!

Winner:
Sinéad McClure for her manuscript Ash & Rising (Sinéad is from County Sligo in Ireland and is our first international winner!)

Runner Up:
Michelle Patton

Finalists:
Tiffany Baker
Ayesha Chatterjee
Linda Cooper
Leisha Douglas
Kirun Kapur
Jourdan Keith
Nancy Kricorian
Betty Miller
Kate Northrop
Jessica Purdy
Kelly Samuels
Alix Anne Shaw

About the Winner: Sinéad McClure was highly commended in the 2024 Patrick Kavanagh Awards and 2nd runner up in the 2025 Mairtín Crawford Poetry Award. She has published two chapbooks, The Word According to Crow (Calendar Road Press) and The songs I sing are sisters a collaborative work with the Scottish poet Cáit O' Neill McCullagh (Dreich Press). Publishing credits include: Southword, The Stinging Fly, The Honest Ulsterman, Channel Magazine, The Poetry Bus and Live Encounters. Sinéad is a recipient of an Arts Council of Ireland Literature Bursary.

03/19/2026

✨ National Poetry Month is almost here, and the editors of Two Sylvias Press have created something to spark not just your April—but your entire writing year! ✨

Every Sunday morning, we send out The Weekly Muse, a Substack designed to keep your writing life inspired, prioritized and organized! Each week, you receive poetry prompts & writing exercises, a list of places to submit both your poems AND manuscripts, residency opportunities, creativity tips, interviews, and ProTips on publishing, submitting your work, as well as the craft of poetry—written by poets FOR poets.

➡️ Subscribe here: https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

And to say THANK YOU for becoming a paid subscriber, we’ve added something we love: a growing series of Zoom poetry classes, talks, and events—all included at NO extra cost. Think of it as your own ongoing mini-residency, without leaving home and this year we've got incredible poets including Gabrielle Calvocoressi AND Mark Doty!

And if you become a paid subscriber TODAY and we’ll immediately send you our exclusive class with Marie Howe along with a link to register for our upcoming Zoom event with Elena Karina Byrne.

All of this for $18.99/month or $198/year (that’s about $4 a week to stay connected to your writing life and with an amazing community of poets and editors).

Just become a paid subscriber, and you’re in!
➡️ Subscribe here: https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

✨
And don't just take our word for it, this is from one of our wonderful Weekly Muse subscribers--

“I signed up thinking I’d get a few good prompts—and instead, I found a creative home. The Weekly Muse keeps me writing even on the days I think I have nothing to say and the community reminds me I’m not doing this alone. It’s the one email I never ignore. And it's worth the price just for *one* class alone! Thank you, Annette, Kelli, and Two Sylvias for creating this. I've had more publications and poems since signing up for the Weekly Muse—I only wish I had joined earlier! ” ~ Emily R.

02/22/2026

✨ POETS—Let the CHAPBOOK PRIZE Begin! ✨📚🔥

We are thrilled to announce that this year’s Two Sylvias Chapbook Prize will be judged by Kim Addonizio! 🏆💥

🎉 We’ve increased the prize to $1,000! 🎉

But that’s not all—the winner also receives:
🏆 A one-of-a-kind trophy (yours to keep!)
📦 20 author copies
🖨️ Print publication by Two Sylvias Press
🌍 Open to ALL poets—U.S. & international! 🌍

We also welcome collaborative work, hybrid chapbooks, and chapbooks that include your own artwork or photographs (rights must be held by the author).

📄 Submit 17–24 pages of your best poems!

✨ All submissions are also considered for publication with Two Sylvias Press under a standard royalty contract (20% royalties + 20 author copies; additional copies available at an author discount).

🚀 Don’t miss out—submit today! We can’t wait to read your work!

Full guidelines here:

Winner receives $1000 Chapbook published as print book 20 author copies An amethyst depression glass trophy ​ ​ ​ 2025 Winner: Benjamin S. Grossberg for DETAIL FROM AN...

01/30/2026

💘 Want to read and write love poems with Traci Brimhall? We’ve got you!

As part of our Two Sylvias Weekly Muse, Traci will be visiting on Zoom February 12 at 4 pm PST / 7 pm EST

Here’s the class:

🌶️🍓 SWEET & SPICY: Poems of Love and Desire
Love and longing are famous subjects of poetry but if they’re such popular topics, how do we write them in ways that feel fresh and new? What forms and vocabulary keep poems of happy, contented love from tipping into sentimentality? What sound elements and metaphors can be used in erotic poems that walk the line of tantalizing but private? And how do we write about love of friends or love of the self in a genre that so often leans romantic? We’ll read love poems together and start several poems that might become Valentine’s Day gifts or delicious secrets in our diaries

✨ Want to be part of this class (and other classes like it with poets like Gabrielle Carvocoressi, Kelli Russell Agodon, Lauren Davis, Elena Karina Byrne, Mark Doty, Erin J. Murphy, and more!), become a monthly ($18.99 or yearly subscriber $198) to our Weekly Muse: https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

The registration link for Traci's class comes IMMEDIATELY in your Welcome Letter. PLUS, we'll also send you a recording of our last inspiring class with Marie Howe at NO extra cost.

To get weekly poetry prompts, places to submit your work, craft tips, writing exercises, AND all the Zoom classes are included!

https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

The Weekly Muse is the ultimate resource to help poets write & publish more poems. Weekly prompts, writing exercises, publishing opportunities, insider tips from editors, & more! Includes FREE Zoom classes with award-winning poets with paid subscription! Click to read Two Sylvias Press' Weekly Muse,...

01/08/2026

⭐ Do you want to write and publish more poems in 2026? We want that for you too! ⭐

You may not know this, but Two Sylvias Press writes a WEEKLY newsletter on Substack filled with inspiration and resources for poets? And it's called (appropriately!) the Weekly Muse!

Each issue includes:
✍️ Poetry prompts and writing exercises to spark your creativity
📬 A curated list of places to submit your work
🎤 Interviews with our favorite poets & Weekly Muse subscribers
📚 Literary trivia and insights
🎉 Plus we share YOUR successes—from publications and new books to chapbooks and more—celebrated with our community every week!
✍️ Plus a private online community!

⭐ But that’s not all! We also to say thank you to our readers, we now include a year of free Zoom sessions with favorite poets including Marie Howe, Traci Brimhall, Gabrielle Carvocoressi, Mark Doty, Kelli Russell Agodon, Lauren Davis, Elena Karina Byrne, and Erin J. Murphy! And they’re all recorded to watch later. ⭐

You can also join us directly here: https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

Commitment worries? --Try at no risk as one-click & you're out!

We do think you and your poetry life will benefit from the Weekly Muse though!

The Weekly Muse is the ultimate resource to help poets write & publish more poems. Weekly prompts, writing exercises, publishing opportunities, insider tips from editors, & more! Includes FREE Zoom classes with award-winning poets with paid subscription! Click to read Two Sylvias Press' Weekly Muse,...

12/27/2025

🌟 🌟 🌟 Poets— Make 2026 your best year yet!

Join The Weekly Muse! 🌟 🌟 🌟 and get a YEAR of free ZOOM POETRY CLASSES taught by our favorite award-winning poets!
ONLY $198 a year (for the best price) or $18.99 a month!

📩 You'll also receive the Weekly Muse arrives in your inbox EVERY Sunday morning full of poetry prompts, places to submit your work, creativity ideas, and so much more to help you organize, prioritize, and simplify your writing week!

Sign up here: https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe
____________________________________________________________________

💫 If you don't sign up for the Weekly Muse, here’s what you'll be missing out on in 2026:

✨ 10 poetry Zoom classes with some of the biggest names in poetry such as Marie Howe, Traci Brimhall, Gabrielle Carvocoressi, Mark Doty, Kelli Russell Agodon, Lauren Davis, Elena Karina Byrne, Erin Murphy and surprise poets to be announced for FALL! (This alone is a $2,600+ value!)

📩 Weekly writing prompts and exercises delivered straight to your inbox every Sunday morning to help you start your day right! 🖋️☕
📜 Curated (and lesser known) submission opportunities to help get your work published.
📩 Free promo of YOUR poetry news, publications, successes, and books SHARED with our Muse community.
🤔 Your poetry questions answered by Two Sylvias editors. 💡
🌟 A private online and nurturing community of poets and editors!
📚 Insider publishing tips, interviews, journaling questions, literary trivia, and more! ✨

Again, all of this PLUS free Zoom events by our favorite poets all for just $198 a year ($4 a week for all this!) 💰—or choose our flexible monthly payment plan! Either way, it's under $20 a month 🗓️ https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

📺 Can’t make a live Zoom class? No problem—all sessions are recorded for you to watch anytime!

🎉 PLUS, sign up now and IMMEDIATELY receive one of our most inspiring Zoom sessions with Ellen Bass sent to you in your welcome letter AND a Zoom registration link for MARIE HOWE's upcoming Zoom class!

2026 is your year to invest in your poetry life. What's stopping you from making this year your best yet?

And don't just take our word for it, here's testimonials from our subscribers:

"Subscribing the Weekly Muse turned my writing around--more poems written, more published! It's the best investment I've made for my poetry!" - Sam K., Poet

"Switching from a monthly to a yearly subscription was a no-brainer after attending the Zoom event with Ellen Bass. That single experience was worth the annual fee alone. Everything else I receive now just feels like an added bonus!"
~ Riley M., Poet, Educator, and Muse Subscriber

The Weekly Muse is written by poets FOR poets and was created to help you prioritize, simplify, and organize your writing life. We look forward to helping you reach your goals and fulfill your New Year's Resolutions as a poet too! Don't miss out any longer: https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

And commitment worries? No problem! With just one click, you can cancel anytime—no hassle, no strings attached. ✨ We make it easy to try, so you can focus on what matters most: your writing. 🖋️

➡️ Join what hundreds of poets have already been benefitting from: https://twosylviaspress.substack.com/subscribe

12/23/2025

We're looking for FULL-LENGTH Manuscripts of POEMS by Women over 50!

📢 It's the FINAL WEEK to submit your full-length manuscript for the Annual WILDER Poetry Prize!

💫 Here's what you win:
🏆 $1,000 prize
📚 Print publication of your manuscript by Two Sylvias Press
📦 20 author copies of your book
🌟 Entry into book awards like the IPPYs, Foreword INDIES, and other regional or local prizes!

And yes, international submissions are welcome!

We also welcome hybrid work, collaborations, and poetry with artwork or photographs.

Send us 48 - 80 pages of poems (note: that's a guideline, you *can* submit more pages if needed) by DECEMBER 31, 2025!

👉 Learn more and submit here: https://www.twosylviaspress.com/wilder-series-poetry-book-prize.html

Don't miss out! This could be your year!

2025 Wilder Series Poetry Book Prize : A Poetry Contest for Women Over Age 50 Deadline: Dec. 31, 2025 Judges: The Editors of Two Sylvias Press: Kelli Russell Agodon & Annette Spaulding-Convy...

12/04/2025

ENDING SOON!! ✨ WOMEN POETS over 50! ✨

Just a reminder from us-- you have just under ONE MONTH left to send us your full-length poetry manuscripts (48–80 pages) for the Two Sylvias Wilder Prize for Women 50 and over!

We welcome all subjects, styles, and forms of poetry, including hybrid collections and collaborative work. International submissions are also welcome!

Prize: $1,000 • 20 author copies • publication with Two Sylvias Press • and a discount for all author copies
Deadline: December 31, 2025

Note: All manuscripts submitted are considered for publication with our standard royalty contract of 20%, author copies, and author discount.

We look forward to reading your work!

Guidelines here: https://twosylviaspress.com/wilder-series-poetry-book-prize.html
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✨ About us: Two Sylvias Press, founded in 2010, is an indie, women-run press based in the Seattle area and built on the belief that great writing is good for the world. ✍

2025 Wilder Series Poetry Book Prize : A Poetry Contest for Women Over Age 50 Deadline: Dec. 31, 2025 Judges: The Editors of Two Sylvias Press: Kelli Russell Agodon & Annette Spaulding-Convy...

11/25/2025

✨ POETS--Last Chance! ✨

There's only ONE WEEK left to get your December Online Advent Calendar of Poetry Prompts 🎁🖊️

End 2025 with 31 new poems!

How It Works: Each morning in December, you’ll click open a new, inspiring poetry prompt—perfect as a personal treat for yourself or a thoughtful gift for any poets in your life.

Miss a day? No stress. 💛
Every opened prompt stays available through January, so you can write at your own pace.

Give yourself (and a poet you love!) a month of inspiration:
👉 https://twosylviaspress.com/advent-calendar-prompts.html

📬 Access codes arrive in late November, and your first prompt unlocks on December 1st.

Let the writing magic begin! ✨📝

IT'S BACK! ​ The Two Sylvias Press Advent Calendar is filled with surprise prompts to help you write 31 new poems in December! Our online virtual Advent Calendar is easy to use--simply click on...

11/19/2025

✨ WOMEN POETS over 50! ✨

A little reminder from us, your friends at Two Sylvias Press: there are just six weeks left to send us your full-length poetry manuscripts (48–80 pages) for the Two Sylvias Wilder Prize!

If you’ve been thinking this might be my year, we’d love to read your work.

Prize: $1,000 • 20 author copies • publication with Two Sylvias Press
Deadline: December 31, 2025

We look forward to reading your work!

Guidelines here ⬇️

2025 Wilder Series Poetry Book Prize : A Poetry Contest for Women Over Age 50 Deadline: Dec. 31, 2025 Judges: The Editors of Two Sylvias Press: Kelli Russell Agodon & Annette Spaulding-Convy...

10/28/2025

✨Our Virtual Poetry Prompt Advent Calendar is BACK!✨

A favorite seasonal tradition for poets (and anyone who wants to end the year with creativity and joy)!

From December 1–31, unlock a new poetry prompt each day—just click your calendar and let the writing begin.

🎁 Oh, and yes—you can give it as a gift!

To learn more, go to:
https://www.twosylviaspress.com/advent-calendar-prompts.html

IT'S BACK! ​ The Two Sylvias Press Advent Calendar is filled with surprise prompts to help you write 31 new poems in December! Our online virtual Advent Calendar is easy to use--simply click on...

09/08/2025

Announcing the 2025 Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize Winner!

Our contest judge, Ellen Bass, has chosen "Detail from an Illustration of Paradise" by BENJAMIN S. GROSSBERG as the winner of the 2025 Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize!

The runner-up is "Man Without a Skirt" by José Enrique Medina.

Here is the full list of the Finalists:
José A. Alcántara
Gayle Brandeis
Fleda Brown
Allison Burris
Tyler Dunston
Carlos Andrés Gómez
Andrea L. Hackbarth
Julie Kane
Susan L. Leary
Brooke Sahni
Laura Theis
Anna Ellyn Wagner
Zachariah Claypole White
Jeff Whitney

Congratulations to Benjamin, José, and to all of the Finalists!

Benjamin S. Grossberg’s latest collection, "My Husband Would" (University of Tampa, 2020), won the 2021 Connecticut Book Award. His earlier books include "Sweet Core Orchard" (University of Tampa, 2009), winner of a Lambda Literary Award. He also wrote the novel, "The Spring before Obergefell" (University of Nebraska Press, 2024), which was selected by Percival Everett for the AWP Award Series James Alan McPherson Prize.

Benjamin's chapbook "Detail from an Illustration of Paradise" will be published in Fall of 2026.