An advisory board of award-winning poets and editors will promote the prize and provide helpful perspectives and feedback on the jurying process, impact, and goals of the annual publication. Each prize cycle, three or four members of the advisory board will serve as jurists and participate in selecting the winning manuscript. Professor Major Jackson serves as general editor of the prize and chair of the advisory board.
Screened entries will be equally divided between jurists, who will then select up to five semifinalists from their batch. The general editor will award a winning manuscript from among the semifinalists and identify honorable mentions.