Rubber Side Down, a phrase those who ride motorcycles use to wish other riders a safe trip. So, are there a lot of poets out there who ride motorcycles? We don’t know. With this anthology, we hope to find out.

But a poet doesn’t have to be a rider or a hard corps biker to write a poem about traveling on a motorcycle. We all muse about something. If we’re staring at an attractive individual, don’t we fantasize about them to some degree? Don’t we observe weather patterns, stars at night, the moon and write about them? Have you ever been to the moon? Does that mean you can’t write about it, imagine what it’s like to stand there looking back at the Earth?

That’s part of what we’re looking for. Yes, we want to read riders’ experience, but what about the rider wannabes, the passengers, the folks who have met riders on the road? Don’t they have a story to tell also?

Show us what you got.

Guidelines:

• Submission period will open April 1, 2027 and end July 1, 2027
• Include a cover letter with the author’s name, contact information, and a list of the titles entered. No names should appear on the entry files and no bio on the cover letter. Stories will be judged blindly.
• Reading fee: $5/for 3 poems
• Length: Submit up to 3 poems, all in single WORD file, no more than 60 lines per poem (including title and stanza breaks)–No PDFs.
• Format: 12pt Times New Roman (or similar–no San Serifs), single space, lines no longer than 4.5 inches, include no images.
• Previously published will be considered but aren’t eligible for prize money. Authors MUST inform us at the time of submission if a poem was previously published. When it comes to final selection, preference will be given to new work first.
• No AI generated work.
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Please withdraw if accepted elsewhere.
• Prizes will be awarded for the best poems that have NOT been previously published. To be considered for these awards, authors must identify whether their work has been previously unpublished in their cover letter. Award amounts: $150/$75/$50 for First through Third Place, Honorable Mentions receive $25/each.
• All contributors will receive one free copy.

Also looking for art and photos. No fee for submission. Please send no more than 3 images in PDF or JPG format to EditorMSR@Outlook.com. An image used on cover will pay $100. All others will receive a free copy of the anthology.

Questions regarding this anthology should be directed to EditorMSR@Outlook.com.
Submittable will manage the submission portal. They accept credit/debit cards and ACH payments.