Gasher is looking for work that surprises us with its language, voice, and authenticity. We are excited by work that is deeply engaged in the nuances of craft, uniquely original in voice, and pushes creative boundaries. We are less interested in what’s currently “fashionable” and/or fits within the predictable mold of what makes writing “publishable.” While we welcome poetry that works in traditional forms, we believe in poetry that makes sense of and achieves its form (or lack thereof) as opposed to the poems’ forms existing for artifice’s sake. Similarly, we appreciate approaches to project that are driven by curiosity, leading language into unexpected corridors of thought, opposed to the project working as a shell for language to play within. We are unamused by cleverness, vulgarity, hate, and/or violence. 

To ensure ethical reading practices, we request that all identifying material be removed from the manuscript such as the author’s name, email/physical address, etc. An acknowledgments section, located at the end of the manuscript, detailing where poems have been previously published is okay but not required. We ask that you submit a book synopsis and statement of craft interest in lieu of an author’s bio. This update to our submissions screening guidelines aims to protect writers from the pressures to flatten real, lived experiences into a series of codification and/or unconscious biases that may arise on the part of screeners.

• Please submit manuscripts, ideally, between 20-37pgs, excluding front/back matter, though you may exceed this page number as long as the manuscript remains under 48pgs.
• We accept simultaneous submissions. Please, withdraw your submission immediately if accepted elsewhere.
• Manuscripts must be submitted as either .pdf or .docx
• We currently seek work strictly from those residing in the United States, regardless of citizenship status. 
• We do not accept works composed, either in part or entirely, with the use of Artificial Intelligence.
• We do not accept manuscripts that have been previously published in their entirety, though individual poems or smaller works from the manuscript may be previously published. We consider self-published collections as published. 
• Manuscripts must include a table of contents.
• Please do not include any preambles in the manuscript.
• Do not include an author bio anywhere in your submission, including in the sections reserved for the book synopsis and craft statement.
• Please do not submit updates, either of the manuscript, individual poems, or acknowledgements once you have submitted your work. 

*We reserve the right to not select any work during open-reading periods if we do not find work(s) that fit our needs.

Gasher is looking for work that surprises us with its language, voice, and authenticity. We are excited by work that is deeply engaged in the nuances of craft, uniquely original in voice, and pushes creative boundaries. We are less interested in what’s currently “fashionable” and/or fits within the predictable mold of what makes poems “publishable.” While we welcome poetry that works in traditional forms, we believe in poetry that makes sense of and achieves its form (or lack thereof) as opposed to the poems’ forms existing for artifice’s sake. Similarly, we appreciate approaches to projects that are driven by a curiosity that leads language into unexpected corridors of thought, opposed to the project working as a shell for language to play within. We are unamused by cleverness, vulgarity, hate, and/or violence. 

The Final Judge for 2026 is Sandra Simonds. 

Sandra Simonds, an award-winning writer and professor, is the author of ten books. She is the author of nine collections of poetry, including Burning Oracle, forthcoming from Wesleyan University Press in 2026. She is also the author of Triptychs (Wave Books, November 2022), which was a 2022 New York Times selection. Her first novel, Assia (Noemi Press, 2023), based on the life of Assia Wevill, won the 2023 Vermont Book Award in Fiction and was shortlisted for the Dzanc Fiction Prize. 

To ensure ethical reading practices, we request that all identifying material be removed from the manuscript such as the author’s name, email/physical address, etc. An acknowledgments section, located at the end of the manuscript, detailing where poems have been previously published is okay but not required. We ask that you submit a book synopsis and statement of craft interest in lieu of an author’s bio. This update to our submissions screening guidelines aims to protect writers from the pressures to flatten real, lived experiences into a series of codification and/or unconscious biases that may arise on the part of screeners.

• We currently seek work strictly from those residing in the United States. 
• We do not accept works composed, in part of entirely, with the use of Artificial Intelligence.
• We do not accept manuscripts that have been previously published in its entirety, though individual poems or smaller works are acceptable. We consider self-published collections as published. 
• We accept poetry (hybrid works are welcome) books between 48-90pgs, excluding front and back matter.
• Do not include an author bio anywhere in your submission, including in the sections reserved for the book synopsis and craft statement.
• Manuscripts must include a table of contents.
• Submissions must be anonymous. Please remove any inclusions of the author's name, acknwoledgements, addresses/email, bios, or other identifiying material from your submissions. Submissions that do not comply will be disqalified. 
• Please do not include any preambles in the manuscript.
• Simultaneous submissions are okay. Please withdraw your work immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.
• Please do not submit updates, either of the manuscript, individual poems, or acknowledgements once you have submitted your work. 

*We respect the final judge’s right to not select a winner for the prize. 

This submission form is for current Gasher Press authors ONLY. If you are not currently an author or forthcoming author of Gasher Press, please visit our other submission forms. Non-Gasher Press authors that submit to this form will not be considered.