Publishing poetry may be an intimidating but rewarding venture for many aspiring poets. Navigating the avenues for publishing your work can be daunting, but with the right understanding of where to submit poetry for publication, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Submitting your poems for publication is an essential part of getting your work read. To help you take the first step, this article outlines the various outlets to explore when looking to submit poetry for publication.
Traditional Publishing
Submitting poetry to traditional magazines, journals, anthologies and book publishers is the most well-known way of publishing. Such avenues offer publication opportunities to poets of various levels – whether you’re looking to take your first step into the world of publication or are a seasoned veteran. Established publications tend to be more selective as they are known for maintaining a certain type of quality and aesthetic. However, they offer a platform to expose your work to an established audience.
One way to get your work published in traditional outlets is to research magazines, journals, and book publishers. When researching potential outlets for publication, consider their considered their themes, submission guidelines, and publication fees. Additionally, submitting your work to literary competitions and open submissions offered by traditional publishing houses, magazines, and journals are other potential options to explore.
Online Journals
Considering the rapid rise of digital media, many poetry journals have emerged online. These online journals provide a platform for poets, both unpublished and established, to share their work with a wider audience. While these journals are typically open to submissions, it is important to research their publication guidelines prior to submitting your work.
A great resource to use when looking to find online journals to submit to is Poets & Writers. This website provides information about various online journals, their submission guidelines, and more. Plus, many online journals include a fee-waiver for financially disadvantaged writers, allowing all poets to participate in the submission process.
Publish Your Own
If you are looking for a bit of creative control, self-publishing is always an option. Self-publishing has become an increasingly popular platform to showcase one’s work while having full creative autonomy. You’ll essentially be your own editor, promoter, publisher, and editor, as well as the author. This choice gives you the freedom to create whatever you want, without any restrictions.
Self-publishing has been made easier with platforms like Amazon Kindle and print on demand services like KDP Print, which allow you to print your work with no upfront costs. Other platforms such as Patreon, Medium, and Instagram additionally let you easily share your work with a broad audience.
Podcasts
In the rise of digital media, podcasting has become yet another popular platform for poets and outlets to share their works with a broader audience. If you’re looking for a platform to air your work, you may consider looking into the variety of literary podcasts that are accepting works from poets of all levels.
Several established podcast platforms like Poetry Unbound and Poet in Iowa provide opportunities for poets to submit their works to their shows. Additionally, there are a variety of smaller poetic platforms that may be a better fit for certain works. Many of these podcasts are open to submissions and offer diverse editorial angles.
Social Media
Social media has become a great resource for poets to post their works and connect with other writers and readers. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are the perfect place to share your work with a bigger audience. Most of these platforms have features allowing you to reach out to a broader audience, or even directly to editors and publishers.
Moreover, many established magazines and journals have an online presence, making it easy for a wider range of potential readers and publishers to discover your works. Despite the abundance of talent on social media, it is important to ensure you remain diligent and respectful when engaging with readers and other poets.
Local Opportunities
Engaging with local outlets is another great way to get your work heard. With live performance becoming increasingly popular, you may consider performing your work at local readings, gathering feedback from a broader audience. Additionally, you may apply for local poet-in-residence programs, or collaborative writing centers.
Moreover, partnering with local literary magazines and journals is an excellent way to get your works published. Many of these outlets may be willing to work with anyone in their community, regardless of experience. This provides a great place to start your journey as a poet.
Publishing Poetry Books
Publishing poetry books is the peak experience for many aspiring poets, as it marks an important milestone in the career. It’s a great way to compile your various works into a single volume, allowing you to create a poetry collection. Additionally, publishing a book gives you control in the marketing and promotion of your book.
In terms of publishing a poetry book, you may consider submitting your works to a mainstream publisher. While it is hard to compete with more established authors, there are a variety of independent presses and self-publishing services available. Services like Amazon Kindle, KDP Print and IngramSpark provide an easy and affordable way to create and publish your book.
Internet Magazines
Apart from local, online, and traditional outlets, purchasing a domain name and starting an internet magazine can be a good option. Being your own editor, curator and marketer, this venture gives you total creative freedom in terms of what you post, when and how. This is also an excellent way to provide a platform for other poets.
Additionally, several web hosting services come with built-in tools to set up a website conveniently with services like WordPress. You may additionally consider blogging or self-publishing e-books. Internet magazines are a great way to share and promote your works, while connecting with other publishers, editors and poets.
Submitting To Contests and Awards
The literary world is filled with competition, with plenty of awards and contests available for poets to unleash their potential. By participating in these events, you are increasing your potential for timely success – though submitting to awards does take more effort and research than a regular publication.
Major awards such as Pulitzer Prize and the Griffin Poetry Prize provide a high-profile platform for poets to showcase their works with established outlets. Additionally, there are numerous contests, prizes and fellowships available with valuable rewards, such as fellowships, book-publishing contracts, and more. The submission process for awards can be overwhelming, but it is worth it when your work is short-listed.
Indie Magazines
Independent magazines are great for submitting your poetry works for publication. They provide an outlet for emerging and established poets to get their works noticed. These magazines are typically managed for a small fee and have few restrictions. Furthermore, writers may retain the rights of their works, a feature that is often lacking from mainstream publications.
One way to get your work published in independent magazines is to research and become familiar with their themes. Additionally, submitting your work to open-submissions and literary competitions offered by independent publishers, magazines and journals are other potential options to consider. Indie magazines are a great way to start the journey of exposing your works to the public at large.
Collaborative Poetry Projects
In recent years, digital media has opened the door to some new forms of poetry publishing. One of the newest and most exciting is the collaboratively written digital poetry collections. Here, a group of poets write and publish their works as a collective piece. These projects are often featured on dedicated websites and social media outlets.
Additionally, some websites such as Wordhaus facilitate collaborative writing processes – allowing poets to come together and post their own contributions, in addition to commenting and critiquing each other’s work.
Moreover, there are also a variety of independent literary magazines and platforms that accept and publish collaborative works. Collaborative projects are an exciting new way for poets to connect and spread their word in an interactive and inspiring way.
