As for a lot of writers, there seems to be a constant pressure to be constantly submitting your work to as many publications as possible, while also consistently writing and perfecting your craft, in an attempt to open up as many writing opportunities as possible.
I thought I would share some tips for submitting your poetry, as well as some publications who are currently open for submissions this month, to save you the researching time and mean you have more time to focus on what you love: the writing.
Tips for Submitting Poetry to Publications.
It can be disheartening when you receive yet another ‘unsuccessful’ email after what feels like endlessly submitting new writing to many journals and publications. We all receive plenty of those dreaded messages, so please know that you are not alone.
From a young poet and writer who has been perpetually submitting her work to journals etc for nearly three years, let these tips help you to feel as prepared as possible for submitting your work, and allow any outcome be a lesson and opportunity for creative growth.
Without further ado, here you can find some tips that I have practiced while in the process of submitting poetry to small presses, magazines, and big publications.
1: Utilise Online Resources.
To save you the time Googling the reading periods as many publications as you can think of, make use of websites such as Poets & Writers, who compile the open and reading periods of a whole range of small presses and magazines.
2: Review Submission Themes and Guidelines.
It may sound obvious, but having a good read of what each journal / publication is looking for in submissions before submitting your writing is key. Establish what the entity is looking for and whether your work could fit these themes and guidelines. Does what you enjoy writing fall under these themes? Do you feel a call to write from the themes set out by this publication? Establish what you can write from what the publication is already giving you in terms of themes and messages.
3: Write what feels good to you.
There’s nothing quite as painful for a writer as feeling you’re forcing what you’re trying to write. Find qualities in publications that fit with what you enjoy writing, the type of writing that feels easy for you: themes, messages, callings that you resonate with. If you’re struggling to write a new piece based on what a publication has set out in it’s submission guidelines, let it go. Or, come back to it at a later point and edit it so the words in front of you feel like yours, something you can be proud of. Write what feels good to you.
4: Read.
Arguably the most important step. Reading will help broaden your vocabulary and improve the quality of your writing. Reading well and a variety of genres will show in your writing, trust me. Be intentional about what you choose to read. And it will show.
5: Confidence and Persistence is Key.
Have confidence in your writing ability and in selling yourself and your writing. Be consistent with submitting your work to different small presses, journals, and publications. Those ‘unsuccessful’ emails come far more often than the ‘successful’ ones as the market is competitive. So, logically, the more you work on your craft (following some of the tips above), the more you submit your work, the more confident you are in yourself and ability, the more likely you are to eventually receive that much anticipated positive email.
Fill up your creative well with plenty of creative juice. Leap and the net will appear.
So, for my fellow poets, here are a few publications you may choose to submit your poetry to this March.
Poetry, Essays, Fiction, Songs, Creative Non-Fiction.
Reading Period: no deadline.
No reading fee.
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction.
Reading Period: March 1st to April 30th.
No reading fee.
Poetry, Fiction.
Reading Period: March 2nd to June 2nd.
Charges a reading fee.
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction.
Reading Period: February 1st to March 31st.
Charges a reading fee.
Poetry.
Reading Period: February 1st to March 31st.
Charges a reading fee.
In case you missed it…
Here are a few more recent editions of Write Me Some Poetry, on poetry, life, and living, that you may have missed.
A note from the author (me):
Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter of Write Me Some Poetry. I am so happy to have you here. I share new insights and thoughts on poetry/writing, life, and living every Monday. I would love for you to share more of this journey with me. I would sincerely appreciate it if you consider subscribing to Write Me Some Poetry if you aren’t already, and to consider pledging a monthly amount if you are already subscribed. Help keep a writer’s dream of become a full time writer alive.
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As a fellow writer, I found this post super helpful!! Thank you for sharing it!! 💚💚
I did it! Roughly half a 45 year body of work, half having appeared in journals. There were 4 loyal publishers who stood by me and supported me. They're the secret of my my success. It's come down to my book Seasons of the Soul available on http://Amazon.com you'd have to subscribe free to my page and you can read quite a bit. Thanks for letting me say that
But I don't take rejections personally. I always figure someone will want them and a rejection only means they're available to submit elsewhere. Read the guidelines carefully before you submit and know which journals aren't for you. Good luck!