Unsent is one of twenty-five categories in the writing room. Write in it before September 5 and you are entered. There is no form and no sign-up. Publishing is the entry.
Three given fathoms, one per line. That is the whole rule.
Go to the room. Choose Unsent. You will be given three fathoms — one of them something you almost sent: the draft, the three dots, the last message. Put one word in each line and publish. Anything published in Unsent between now and 11:59pm on September 5 is an entry. Entries must be signed. Put a name or a handle in the optional field when you publish — anonymous poems are welcome on the wall but are not entered in the prize.
Not the saddest one and not the cleverest one. The one where the fathom does the work. Three lines, three given fathoms, one each. Anything else is yours.
First: $300, chosen by us. Second: $200, the Community Prize — the poem in Unsent with the most votes when entries close. Ten honourable mentions at $10 each. Every winner is published on the site, credited however you signed it.
Prizes are paid by PayPal. Winners are contacted at the email on their account, or the one given when they published. If we cannot reach a winner within 30 days, the prize passes to the next entry.
We choose first place and the honourable mentions. The Community Prize is decided entirely by votes on the published page. Send people to vote for yours.
Closes 11:59pm on 5 September 2026. Winners announced 12 September.
The byline is optional and it is free text — use a name, a handle, or nothing. If you win under a handle, we announce it and you claim it by email.
Publish as many as you like; one entry per person is judged. English. Your own words.
Open worldwide to anyone eighteen or older. If you are under eighteen, you are welcome to write in the room, but you cannot enter the prize. Void where prohibited by law. You are responsible for any taxes on what you win.
This prize is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram, TikTok, or any other platform.
We can disqualify any entry that breaks these rules or the site terms.