Delving into the pages of Poet’s Market implies a commitment—you’ve decided to take that big step and begin submitting your poems for publication. How do you really begin, though? Here are eight quick tips to help make sense of the marketing/submission process:
1. BE AN AVID READER. The best way to hone your writing skills (besides writing) is to immerse yourself in poetry of all kinds. It’s essential to study the masters; however, from a marketing standpoint, it’s equally vital to read what your contemporaries are writing and publishing. Read journals and magazines, chapbooks and collections, anthologies for a variety of voices; scope out the many poetry sites on the Internet. Develop an eye for quality, and then use that eye to assess your own work. Don’t try to publish until you know you’re writing the best poetry you’re capable of producing.
2. KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE TO WRITE—AND WHAT YOU WRITE BEST. Ideally, you should be experimenting with all kinds of poetic forms, from free verse to villanelles. However, there’s sure to be a certain style with which you feel most comfortable, that conveys your true “voice.” Whether you favor more formal, traditional verse or avant-garde poetry that breaks all the rules, you should identify which markets publish work similar to yours. Those are the magazines and presses you should target to give your submissions the best chance of being read favorably—and accepted.
3. LEARN THE “BUSINESS” OF POETRY PUBLISHING. Poetry may not be a high-paying writing market, but there’s still a right way to go about the “business” of submitting and publishing poems. Learn all you can by reading writing-related books and magazines. Read the articles in this book for plenty of helpful advice. Surf the Internet for a wealth of sites filled with writing advice, market news and informative links.
4. RESEARCH THE MARKETS. Study the listings in Poet’s Market thoroughly; these present submission guidelines, editorial preferences and editors’ comments as well as contact information (names, postal and e-mail addresses, and website URLs). In addition, the indexes in the back of this book provide insights into what an editor or publisher may be looking for.
However, studying market listings alone won’t cut it. The best way to gauge the kinds of poetry a market publishes is to read several issues of a magazine/journal or several of a press’s books to get a feel for the style and content of each. Websites may include poetry samples, reviews, archives of past issues, exclusive content, and especially submission guidelines. (If the market is an online publication, the current issue will be available in its entirety.) Submission guidelines are pure gold for the specific information they provide. However you acquire them—by SASE or e-mail, online, or in a magazine itself—make them an integral part of your market research.
5. START SLOWLY. It may be tempting to send your work directly to The New Yorker or Poetry, but try sending your work to less competitive markets as well. As you gain confidence and experience (and increased skill in your writing), you can move on to more recognized markets. Although it may tax your patience, slow and steady progress is a proven route to success.
6. BE PROFESSIONAL. Professionalism is not something you should “work up to.” Make it show in your first submission, from the way you prepare your manuscript to the attitude you project in your communications with editors.
Follow those guidelines. Submit a polished manuscript. Choose poems carefully with the editor’s needs in mind. Such practices show respect for the editor, the publication and the process; and they reflect your self-respect and the fact that you take your work seriously. Editors love that; and even if your work is rejected, you’ve made a good first impression that could help your chances with your next submission.
7. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SUBMISSIONS. First, do not send out the only copies of your work. There are no guarantees your submission won’t get lost in the mail, misplaced in a busy editorial office, or vanish into a black hole if the publication or press closes down. Create a special file folder for poems you’re submitting. Even if you use a word processing program and store your manuscripts digitally, keep a hard copy file as well (and be sure to back up your electronic files).
Second, establish a tracking system so you always know which poems are where. This can be extremely simple: index cards, a chart created with word processing or database software, or even a simple notebook used as a log. (You can enlarge and photocopy the Submission Tracker in this book or use it as a model to design your own version.) Note the titles of the poems submitted (or the title of the collection if you’re submitting a book/chapbook manuscript); the name of the publication, press, or contest; date sent; estimated response time; and date returned or date accepted. Additional information you may want to log: the name of the editor/contact, date the accepted piece is published and/or issue number of the magazine, type/amount of pay received, rights acquired by the publication or press, and any pertinent comments.
Without a tracking system, you risk forgetting where and when manuscripts were submitted. This is even more problematic if you simultaneously send the same manuscripts to different magazines, presses or contests. And if you learn of an acceptance by one magazine or publisher, you must notify the others that the poem or collection you sent them is no longer available. You run a bigger chance of overlooking someone without an organized approach. This causes hard feelings among editors you may have inconvenienced, hurting your chances with these markets in the future.
8. DON’T FEAR REJECTION. LEARN FROM IT. No one enjoys rejection, but every writer faces it. The best way to turn a negative into a positive is to learn as much as you can from your rejections. Don’t let them get you down. A rejection slip isn’t a permission slip to doubt yourself, condemn your poetry or give up.
Look over the rejection. Did the editor provide any comments about your work or reasons why your poems were rejected? Probably he or she didn’t. Editors are extremely busy and don’t necessarily have time to comment on rejections. If that’s the case, move on to the next magazine or publisher you’ve targeted and send your work out again.
If, however, the editor has commented on your work, pay attention. It counts for something that the editor took the time and trouble to say anything, however brief, good or bad. And consider any remark or suggestion with an open mind. You don’t have to agree, but you shouldn’t automatically disregard the feedback, either. Tell your ego to sit down and be quiet, then use the editor’s comments to review your work from a new perspective. You might be surprised by how much you’ll learn from a single scribbled word in the margin—or how encouraged you’ll feel from a simple “Try again!” written on the rejection slip.
 | market does not accept unsolicited submissions |
 | Canadian market |
 | market located outside of the U.S. and Canada |
 | market pays |
 | tips to break into a specific market |
 | market welcomes submissions from beginning poets |
 | market prefers submissions from skilled, experienced poets; will consider work from beginning poets |
 | market prefers submissions from poets with a high degree of skill and experience |
 | market has a specialized focus |
