Publishing a poem is a distinct journey from other forms of writing, demanding patience, refinement, and strategic research. Unlike prose, poetry often finds its initial home in literary journals before potentially building toward a larger collection. The path to seeing your work in print or online is less about a single, grand submission and more about a sustained campaign of targeted efforts. This process requires the writer to move beyond the creative act into the professional realm of editing, formatting, and understanding the literary marketplace.
Preparing Your Poem for Publication
The preparation phase focuses on elevating the poem’s quality before submission. Rigorous editing and revision are foundational steps, moving past simple proofreading to scrutinize every word choice, line break, and stanza structure. This ensures the poem’s form serves its content and that every element is intentional.
Seeking external perspectives is necessary for readying your work for public view. Engaging with trusted critique groups or formal writing workshops provides objective feedback that can reveal blind spots in the revision process. A fresh pair of eyes can identify where the poem’s internal logic falters or where the language is unintentionally dense. Only after multiple rounds of revision and proofreading is a poem considered “ready,” demonstrating a level of polish that respects the editor’s time and reflects the writer’s seriousness.
Identifying the Right Venue for Your Work
Successful publishing depends on matching your poem’s style and subject matter to the appropriate publication. The literary landscape is diverse, encompassing various types of publishers, each with a distinct aesthetic. Literary magazines and journals are the primary initial venue for individual poems, ranging from established quarterlies to smaller, independent online publications.
University and independent presses often publish full-length poetry collections, but they sometimes sponsor contests for individual poems or chapbooks. Research must go beyond finding a publisher’s name to reading several samples of their published work. This helps determine if your voice resonates with the type of poetry they champion (whether it is formal, experimental, narrative, or lyrical). Submitting to a venue whose style aligns with your own signals a professional understanding of the market and increases the likelihood of acceptance.
The Submission Process for Literary Journals
Submitting to literary journals requires meticulous attention to detail and adherence to specific guidelines. Most journals use an online submission manager, which streamlines the process but demands precision from the writer. The majority of publications ask for poems that have not been previously published (original work).
Formatting and Submission Guidelines
Standard formatting for poetry submissions typically involves using a clean, readable font such as Times New Roman or Garamond in a 12-point size. Poems should be single-spaced, with double-spacing used only to delineate stanzas. It is standard practice to begin each poem on a new page, often using a page break function. While some journals request a PDF to preserve precise line breaks, most accept a Word document format, which should include your contact information on the first page of the document.
Writing a Professional Cover Letter
A cover letter serves as a brief, professional introduction and should be succinct, limited to three or four short paragraphs. Begin by politely addressing the poetry editor by name, if possible, and clearly state the titles of the poems you are submitting. The letter should contain a short, third-person bio (50 to 100 words) that mentions any previous publication credits or relevant writing achievements. Avoid lengthy explanations of the poems’ meaning or overly effusive praise of the journal; the work should speak for itself.
Using Submission Managers (e.g., Submittable)
Many journals utilize online platforms like Submittable to manage submissions, creating a centralized dashboard for the writer. After creating an account, you can upload files and enter your cover letter directly into the provided text box. Some publications charge a small reading fee, often ranging from $3 to $5, to offset administrative costs. The submission manager allows you to track the status of your work in real-time, moving from “Received” to “In-Progress” as editors review the queue.
Moving to a Full Poetry Collection
Publishing a full-length poetry collection (50 or more pages) requires shifting focus from individual poems to a cohesive manuscript. The manuscript must be assembled with a clear structure, often dividing the poems into titled sections that create an intentional arc or narrative. The ordering of the poems is deliberate, ensuring each piece contributes to the overall thematic or stylistic unity of the collection.
Collections are often handled by university presses, independent presses, or specialized book contests. Many presses have open submission periods for manuscripts, which may occur only once a year. Alternatively, many collections are published after winning a book prize, where the press reviews manuscripts anonymously in exchange for a contest entry fee. If a press does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, the poet may need a literary agent to query the work, though agents for poetry are less common than for fiction or non-fiction. The manuscript should be formatted with a title page, a table of contents, and a separate acknowledgments page listing all previous journal publications.
Alternatives: Contests and Anthologies
Specialized contests and anthologies offer distinct opportunities beyond the regular journal submission track. Poetry contests are a common route to publication and often come with a monetary prize, but they almost always require a reading fee higher than a standard journal submission fee. While contests offer significant recognition and large prizes, the fees can accumulate quickly.
Anthologies are collections of work centered around a specific theme, subject, or form, and they accept submissions only when they issue a specific call. Submitting to an anthology requires the poet to ensure their work fits the stated theme precisely, unlike the broader aesthetic considerations of a literary journal. These avenues are supplemental and allow the poet to target niche audiences or gain publication in a high-profile volume.
Navigating Acceptance and Rejection
Rejection is a common experience in the publishing world, and managing this professionally is necessary. It is important to maintain a detailed spreadsheet or use a platform’s tracking features to log every submission, including the date, venue, and outcome. Simultaneously submitting the same poem to multiple journals is acceptable, but ethical practice demands immediate withdrawal from all other venues upon acceptance.
When a poem is accepted, the publication sends a contract outlining the terms. This typically grants them First North American Serial Rights (FNASR), meaning they have the right to be the first to publish the poem. The contract specifies payment, which may range from a small honorarium (often around $25) to contributor copies, or sometimes no payment at all. Reviewing the final proofs is the last step, ensuring the text, formatting, and line breaks are exactly as intended before the work goes to print.