Publishing Your Poetry
If you are serious about seeing your work published by reputable publishers, there are a few points you should consider. Firstly and most obviously, you need to determine if you have poetry worth publishing. This assessment can be done by doing something that will not only help you gauge the competitiveness of your poetry, but will give you some viable options for publishing it. Subscribe to literary journals and buy books of poetry. If you do this, what you are doing is searching out the market place. Read the types of poetry that many publishers are publishing and see if the quality of these poems surpasses or is on par with the quality of your own poems.
Read Literary Journals and Poetry Books
Not all literary journals are going to publish the same type of poetry. Some journals will only publish poetry that rhymes, most will not publish poetry that rhymes, and some journals will focus on specific themes such as humanity, nature, or locality. After having perused your bookstores and the many available literary journals, you will more than likely find a publisher who publishes poetry that your very own poetry would compliment. You can find reputable literary publishers by doing a search online, by reading the biographies of respected poets, and by checking out your local universities and colleges. When you find these publishers, write down the name, the address and keep a log, because these are going to be your potential publishers.
Improve Your Chances
The next vital aspect of publishing that you will need to consider is the actual process of getting your works accepted by the publishers. Each publisher will have very specific guidelines for submissions. Read these guidelines carefully and be sure to follow them precisely. Some online publishers will accept submissions via attachments while others frown upon attachments. Following the guidelines is crucial because whether your poetry is Pulitzer Prize quality or not, if you do not follow these guidelines, there is a good chance that your submissions will never even get read.
Be Savvy
Also, do a little research before submitting your work to a publisher. Invest in resource materials for poets such as The Poet's Market. The better educated you are with regard to the publishing industry, the better your chances of avoiding the hassle of fighting scams and vanity presses. Because poetry is a hard market to sell, most publishers are struggling to stay afoot. Since there is such a small market for those seeking to buy poetry, vanity presses capitalize on the overwhelming desire of the public to become published.
Cover Letters
Aside from researching the market, you should sharpen your skills at writing cover letters with the same intensity that you sharpen your skills at writing poetry. You can search online workshops and information sites about poetry, or you can refer to The Poet's Market for more information on writing cover letters. Not all publishers will necessitate cover letters, but a good cover letter will improve the chances of the editors actually reading your poetry.
Expect Rejections
Finally, expect a few rejections. As I previously mentioned, there is an overwhelming imbalance between the number of people who are looking to buy literary journals and books as compared to those who wish to publish it. Do not be discouraged if your work is rejected. Try revising it and sending it out to another publisher. Also, despite the fact that a rejection can make you want to send out your piece to several different publishers at once, you should never send your work to multiple publishers.
When a publisher accepts your work, enjoy the pride that comes along with such esteem. You will be on your way to building a portfolio. Getting your poetry published by various publishers is sometimes a slow and arduous adventure, but it is well worth the time and work.
Devrie Paradowski has been published by several literary journals such as Adagio Verse Quarterly, Eclips e-zine and Meeting of the Minds Journal. She has also published articles with Poetry Renewal Magazine. She is the editor of LE Quarterly: http://www.literaryescape.com/journal/
MORE RESOURCES:
 BBC News | Turkey restores citizenship of celebrated poet The Associated Press - He wrote some of his best poetry in prison, including his epic masterpiece, "Human Landscapes." Poetry written in prison was smuggled abroad, bringing him ... Turkey rehabilitates poet Hikmet Turkey's Poet Hikmet to Have Citizenship Restored Turkish minister says Cabinet will restore citizenship of ... |
 Boston Globe | A look at a life, a war, and poetry under fire Boston Globe, United States - Whitman was also trying to convert horror into poetry. But as Roper points out, making sense of war is daunting work. Whitman's efforts are collected in ... |
Crossing sings poetry set to music Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - By David Patrick Stearns The ever-ambitious modern-music choir the Crossing entered a particularly enterprising phase with its winter concert at ... |
Five Poetry and Prose Contests at WinningWriters.com Will Award ... PR Web (press release), WA - Five poetry and prose contests now open at WinningWriters.com will award over $24000 in cash. The contests include the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story ... |
Peter Bennet on his latest poetry Journal Live, UK - Shortlisted for poetry’s most prestigious award, Peter Bennet’s latest collection invokes a world of mysteries, spirits and alchmey. ... |
Poetry champ to be crowned Bethany Beach Wave, DE - By Susan Canfora • January 6, 2009 Poetry, wrote philosopher and poet Kahlil Gibran, "is not an opinion expressed. It is a song that rises from a bleeding ... |
AMERICAN LIFE IN POETRY: Warm, gooey and fun Grand Forks Herald, ND - American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the ... An Interview with Mark Irwin |
Poetry contest deadline Wicked Local Middleton, MA - By Staff reports The deadline for the annual Naomi Cherkofsky Memorial Poetry contest, sponsored by the North Shore Poets’ Forum, is March 10, 2009. ... |
Poetry: Repetition can be an intense experience The Evening Sun, PA - Indeed, there are many legitimate forms of poetry whose guidelines dictate that whole lines be repeated in a patterned way to demonstrate an implicit sense ... |
Poetry, Buffet Style: Locating DC's Popular Open Mics NBC Washington, DC - Like the book, the DC poetry scene is a smorgasbord of Webster’s finest, and if you are lucky, by the time you get to Saturday you will be full and ready to ... |
A Happiness Poem
If a happiness poem could bring forth a smile, Then my face would always dress in style.If my ears could hear my computer screen,From one to another, they, too, would grin.
New Poetic Work By Ethiopian Immigrant Promotes Respect, Courage And Cultural Sensitivity
McLean, VA - "The Healing Conscious" tells the story of an Ethiopian immigrant boy on his fascinating journey to America and adulthood. Author Kifle Bantayehu, a 23 year-old second-generation Ethiopian immigrant, recounts this poignant tale in poetic format.
The Poets Corner [Three Poems with a review]
The Poet's Corner[Three poem/ see review of poetry under the poems]The Poets CondorThe condor fly'sAmongst the hillsIn open skiesOf San Jerrónimo,Near Huancayo?Forbidding anyTo near his path-Lest he dareTo risk a attack,Near Huancayo!..
Live For Today...
Isn't that what they say?But what does that mean?There's no definition that mayanswer that question..
The Cat
Truth is stranger than fiction according to many people who have seen what happens around me and to them, on many occasions. Sometimes I have had others affect me in the same way.
Learn About Love From Poet Rumi
Learn about love by reading poetry by a long dead poet named Rumi. No need to look for ancient texts hidden in caves.
Learn About Love From Poet Rumi
In this modern age of technology, busy lifestyles, and obsession with consumerism have taken a lot of the romance and love out of our lives. The Internet has become a medium to connect with people as everyone is finding it a lot harder to meet one another in the 'real' world.
Review Of Stephen B. Wileys First Book Of Poetry: HERO ISLAND
Poet Stephen B. Wiley's first book of poetry, Hero Island, reflects tender snapshots and reminiscent overviews of various stages of his life as a youngster working on a farm in New Jersey, summer vacations spent with his family in Northern Vermont, and his positive stance on life.
The Gaul of La Laguna de Paca
Part OneI tell you a legend of long agoOf the sunken city of La Laguna de Paca,(Where I had met a lingering ghost)Within this region of Huancayo--Peru;Truth lies, but only the soul knows.Part TwoSo the legend goes, of long ago:During the rising of the full moonThe Mermaid of La Laguna de Paca, appearsAnd to the nearby towns folks, she echoes.
Eds Poem
Ed Gallagher Dec. 11, 1907 - Sept.
Anne Bradstreet, To My Dear and Loving Husband, A Discussion
"To My Dear and Loving Husband" was written by America's first female poet, the Puritan, Anne Bradstreet. In fact, Anne Bradstreet is one of only a handful of female American poets during the first 200 years of America's history.
I Hate The Wait (Weight)
I get up in the morningAnd want to stay in bedOh, so nice and warmLike fresh from the oven bread.My day is oh so busyI wish that I could stayIn the quiet of my houseIf only I could play.
Three Poems: Dona Leonors Revenge; The Old Moon; Common Sides [All in Spanish/all in English]
1) Doña Leonor's Revenge [1627 AD]Rafael Ortiz's fateWas on the plateOf Doña Leonor'sWhen she arrivedIn Lima, Peru;To taste revengeFor the beheadingOf her husband.And so the plot?was now played out(in an alleyway)As she gutted her trout!In SpanishTranslated by Nancy PenalozaLa leyenda de:La venganza de doña Leonor(1627 después de cristo)El destino de Rafael Ortiz Estaba sobre el platoDe doña Leonor.
Lifes Too Short
Time goes by to quicklyto hold your feelings insideEspecially when their so strongeven if they don't abide..
Poetry in Turbulence
To many non-specialists of literature, poetry is deeply unsatisfying. There are several reasons for this, but two in particular come to mind.
Expressing an Emotion - The Art of Writing Poetry
Writing poetry is an art, a way of expression, finding meaning in few words. A melody of passion flowing out onto the pages, words that flow into each other and yet express the inner most thoughts and feelings of those who read the words.
Stone Beds [A Poem and an Advance]
Stone Beds[Pompeii's surge]Advance: after the great eruption of Pompeii's nearby volcano, Vesuvius, some two-thousand years ago in the heyday of the Roman Empire, what was left of the city were mostly ashes of stone from an unleashing furnace; it is hard to imagine what the people went through (none, not one person survived). I can only guess from the looks of the city today, and in its early excavations, its people were baked alive or asleep, like pottery.
Here And There
My eyes opened. I am still alive;Living on planet earth.
Africa - Wheres The Profit?
A poetic comment that just welled up inside my head - why cant we just do something - before many more are dead?How pious those politicians are,When up there on T.V.
Lima, City with the Stretched out Wings [In English and Spanish]
Lima, City with the Stretched out WingsIt's an ink-black night: no stars: a moon in sightJust dots of: red, green and white-white lightsAs the plane descends, descends, slides down On the long-drawn-out-spun-out lingering city of lights Uneven as a crumbled cake, lit up like a Christmas tree-The sleepless city, with its stretched out wingsStretching from the mountains to the sea-Winding through the valley's, forests, and streams Stretches, stretches its naked wings-endlesslyAs,I'm descending, down, over and around the city(descending, descending, and sliding to the ground)The city with stretched out wings-and endless lightsDown, behind, around, the ground, it's immune to meI'm just part of its evening, a baptism in its inky seaInvisible people: cats, dogs, birds, and rats-infiniteUncountable: dots; streams of lit dots, dot-lights;People: walking, talking, sleeping, eating by the dotsPeople: waiting, killing, robbing, praying, by the dotsFor tomorrow, tomorrow and another tomorrowThey say-:you are ruthless, and I know this to be trueAnd they tell me you have thieves and murders-And this, I dare say-but shall-is also true, very trueBut show me a city to the contrary of eight-million-? I shake my fist and say: '?show me! But no one does'So alive, so brave, with strong and hungry hearts;I say, show me one that sings in poverty and smilesProve me one that celebrates year-round of its heroesShow me painters that are as good-that sell on streets-As good as: Picasso, Dali, Rembrandt, and Yang YangAnd that welcomes the world with stretched out arms-Show me all this, or some of this, and I will say no moreWith this,I descend to its streets, its crowed winding streetsAs well as, to its neighborhoods with dust and soiled air,And hear the laughs of the children; the dogs on roofsSights of the shoe-shiners: men and boys, in the parksAnd the numerous food carts; -- musicians, paper sellersAnd with its naked featherless wings, covering all-My Lima, Peru with its renowned Cathedral:Golden yellow with towering crowns, andWithin its plaza-square, a water fountain-celebrated.Under its sins, with its wrinkled aged men, lovely women,They all stand tall and bow to its Inca history, its glory-Its world that once ruled all, like the Roman Empire,Like the American Dream, they were the noble, the kingsAnd now, from drudgery and toil, sweat and strive, all, all Grinding, grinding away, each and everyday, lover of the, King of Kings: Jesus Christ-this is the Lima I know today; a mighty ship that has already sailed the seven seas, now resting!?Spanish VersionLima,La ciudad con las alas extendidasTranslated by Rosa PeñalozaEsta es una noche oscura: no estrellas, ni luna a la vistaSolo puntos: rojo, verde y blanco-luces blancasMientras que el avión desciende, desciende, bajandoA la larga-extendida-plana persistente ciudad de luces Plana como un panqueque, encendida como un árbol de navidad-La despierta ciudad, con sus alas extendidasExtendidas desde las montañas hacia el océanoZigzagueante a través de los valles, bosques y riachuelosEstirando, estirando sus alas desnudas-interminablesMientras,Voy descendiendo, abajo, por encima y alrededor de la ciudad(Descendiendo, descendiendo, y deslizándose a la tierra)La ciudad con las alas extendidas-y luces interminablesAbajo, Abajo, detrás, alrededor, la tierra, es inmune a míSólo soy parte de esta noche, un bautizado en su oscuro océanoInvisible: gente, gatos, perros, pájaros, y ratas, infinidadIncontables: puntos, riachuelos de luz, puntos de luz; Gente: caminando, conversando, durmiendo, comiendo bajo los puntos de luzGente: esperando, matando, robando, rezando bajo los puntos de luzPor mañana, mañana y otro mañanaEllos dicen--:Tu eres implacable, y yo se que esto es verdadY ellos me dicen tú tienes ladrones, y muertes-Y esto, me atrevo a decir, que esto también es cierto, muy ciertoPero muéstrame una ciudad de ocho millones contraria --?Sacudo mis puños y digo: "?muéstrame," pero nadie lo haceTan viva, tan valerosa, con corazones fuertes y hambrientos:Digo, muéstrame una que canta en pobreza, y sonríePruébame una como esa, que celebra alrededor del año a sus héroesMuéstrame pintores tan buenos-que venden en las calles-Tan buenos como: Picasso, Dali, Rembrant y Yang YangY que recibe al mundo con extendidos brazosMuéstrame todo esto, o algo de esto, y no diré masCon esto,Desciendo a sus calles, atiborrada, zigzagueantes callesAsí como su raro vecindario con polvo en el aireY oigo la risa de los niños, los perros en los techosVista de los lustrabotas, hombres y muchachos, en los parquesY los numerosos carros de comida, músicos y vendedores de periódicosY con su desnuda y desplumadas alas, cubriendo todo-Mi Lima, Perú, con su renombrada catedral:Amarilla dorada con su coronadas torres, yDentro de su plaza cuadrada, una celebrada piletaBajo su piel, con sus arrugados ancianos, tiernas mujeres,Todos ellos parados altos, y reverenciando a su historia inca, sugloria-Su mundo que una vez gobernó todo, como el Imperio RomanoComo el sueño de América, ellos fueron los nobles, los reyesY ahora de pesadez, y esfuerzo, sudor, lucha, todos, todos extenuados, fatigados, este y cada día, amantes delRey de los Reyes: Jesucristo-esta es la Lima que conozco, hoy; un poderoso barco que ya navegó los siete mares, ahora descansando?Author/Poet Dennis Siluk, web site: http://dennissiluk.
