Oct 06 2008
Poetry Submission Guidelines
One of the most important aspects of submitting to poetry markets is reading and understanding submission guidelines. Most publications state their guidelines either online or within the pages of their magazine. Following those guidelines are essential in determining whether or not a publication will accept your work. It’s also important to read the publication before you submit to them. Most magazines have an online presence these days so it’s easy to check out their zine and see what type of poetry they accept. Basically do your homework before you submit your poetry to anyone. And, never submit poetry to poetry.com If you do, your poetry is not considered published. They are a business, not a magazine. Also, when finding ads on ad sites such as Craigslist do not submit your poetry to anyone unless they have an online presence where you can check out their website. If they do not then request a copy of their magazine before you submit anything. Do not submit your poetry blindly.Most guidelines have a standard submission process with tweaks for specific wants and needs. I’ll list some of them here.
1. Number of poems to submit - Normally they will specify how many poems they want. If they do not specify, the norm is three. If you submit more, they probably will not be read. Editors normally don’t have the time to read dozens of poems by one poet. They can get an idea of your writing style by reading three at the most.
2. Styles and themes - Some publications will specify a particular theme and style. When they do make sure not to submit poetry which does not fit their style. In other words if they want a sestina about love, don’t send them free verse about something other than love. If they don’t specify themes and styles then you can send what you want provided it is your best work.
3. Previously published poems - Some publications accept them and some don’t. Previously published is exactly what it sounds like. Any work published either in a hard-copy magazine, or online - which includes blogs, websites etc… If they do accept previously published work you should always state with your submission where the poem was last published.
4. Simultaneous submissions - Meaning poetry that is sent to different publications at the same time. Again, some do and some do not accept them. If the publication allows simultaneous submissions then you must keep track of where you sent your poetry so if you are accepted by one of the markets you would then have to notify the others of the acceptance. As a general rule, in my opinion it’s not either necessary or a good idea to simultaneous submit.
4. Cover letters - If the publication wants a cover letter then do send one. If they do not then don’t. If it is not mentioned in their guidelines then send a very brief one. I will get more into cover letters in a separate blog post.
5. Also make sure to read whether or not they want their submissions by snail mail or email. If the publication is strictly an ezine do not send snail mail submissions unless asked by the magazine. When submitting by snail mail it is imperative to include a SASE or IRC if you are overseas. Editors will trash and not even read submissions without a SASE.
The rule of thumb here is to follow the guidelines. Not following them, excuse my language here will just piss off the editor and your submission won’t be read. Be nice to editors and they will in return appreciate and respect you as a poet.
More to come regarding submissions.
