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We want to read your best, weird & wild!
GENERAL GUIDELINES
These guidelines are not specific to any one category (you’ll find those below), but overall submission guidelines for what we expect from the work we receive. Please ensure that you follow these when submitting to any of our open categories.
We only accept previously uncurated work. This means that yes — you can submit poems that have previously appeared across social media, blog posts, Discord channels, scribbled on your foggy bathroom mirror, etc. But if a poem has been published in a magazine or anthology edited by someone who’s not your mom, then no, it's not eligible. (We run a special category on ONLY POEMS DAILY for previously published poems — it's called Best New Poems.)
We love cover letters and enjoy getting to learn more about you. You're welcome to share publication history, if any, however it does not influence our decision. Though please make sure that the document of your poems is stripped of any biographical information—use the cover note field for this.
We encourage simultaneous submissions. Feel free to submit your work to all the wonderful places you think will be a good home for your poems. Except for the Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize, we do not require you to withdraw your poems should they find a home elsewhere — if we like your work, we'll find a way to work with you.
We nominate for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, Best New Poets, Best Spiritual Poetry, Monarch Queer, and Nina Riggs Poetry Awards.
PUBLISHING ETHOS
We publish poets (as opposed to just poems). We like to spend time with your voice and see your range.
We welcome poets from all over the world.
We love prose poems, traditional forms (ghazals, villanelles, sestinas, etc), love poems, sex poems, speculative poems, and all sorts of experimentations, but we are not married to a style or genre.
Send us your most exciting work. We want poems that make us go: “God, I wish I had written this!”
Some poets we love are Agha Shahid Ali, Anne Carson, Victoria Chang, Bob Hicok, Kim Hyesoon, Ilya Kaminsky, Luke Kennard, Li-Young Lee, Fran Lock, Bert Meyers, Kei Miller, Octavio Paz, Fernando Pessoa, Alejandra Pizarnik, Rainer Maria Rilke, Mary Ruefle, Tim Seibles, Jenny Xie, Jane Yeh…
WHICH CATEGORY DO YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT?
Poet of the Week
$10 FAST RESPONSE: ALWAYS OPEN
REGULAR FREE READING PERIODS
WINTER: January 15-31
SUMMER: July 15-31
REGULAR FREE READING PERIODS
WINTER: January 15-31
SUMMER: July 15-31
Send us 5-10 pages of poetry.
We generally respond within 3-4 months. If you submit through
our fast response category, we’ll respond within 2-3 weeks.
our fast response category, we’ll respond within 2-3 weeks.
We offer $100 to all our poets. This is per contribution and
not per piece. We are committed to putting poets first,
so increasing our honorarium is of utmost importance to us!
not per piece. We are committed to putting poets first,
so increasing our honorarium is of utmost importance to us!
Poet of the Week
Poem of the Month
Every month, we open for a free themed contest.
The winning entry is chosen as our Poem of the Month,
accompanied by a contributor’s and an editor’s note.
The winning entry is chosen as our Poem of the Month,
accompanied by a contributor’s and an editor’s note.
You may submit only one poem.
Beyond creating more exciting ways for poetry to shine in
the world, we wish to make the editorial process more transparent.
Why do some poems stand out?
the world, we wish to make the editorial process more transparent.
Why do some poems stand out?
Submission Period: First 7
days of every month
days of every month
We pay $40 for this contribution.
While the submissions for the Poem of the Month category
are free, there are also a tip-jar option and paid editorial
feedback options. These help us sustain the magazine.
While the submissions for the Poem of the Month category
are free, there are also a tip-jar option and paid editorial
feedback options. These help us sustain the magazine.
We respond to all POTM submissions within 3-4 weeks.
Poem of the Month
Contests
We have an annual award, fellowship, and prize.
You can find detailed submission guidelines
for each of these here.
You can find detailed submission guidelines
for each of these here.
We generally respond to contest submissions
within 3 months after the contest closes.
within 3 months after the contest closes.
Contests
Short Poems
This category is part of ONLY POEMS DAILY,
where we publish one short poem every month.
where we publish one short poem every month.
You may submit only one poem.
Submission Period: March 15 - March 31
& Oct 15 - Oct 31
& Oct 15 - Oct 31
We pay $22 for this contribution.
While the submissions for the Short Poem category are free,
there are also tip-jar options and paid editorial feedback options.
These help us sustain the magazine.
While the submissions for the Short Poem category are free,
there are also tip-jar options and paid editorial feedback options.
These help us sustain the magazine.
We generally respond to all
submissions within 3 months.
submissions within 3 months.
Short Poems
Ekphrasis
This category is part of our ONLY POEMS DAILY,
where we publish one ekphrastic poem every month.
where we publish one ekphrastic poem every month.
You may submit only one poem.
Submission Period: Feb 15-Feb 28
& Aug 15-Aug 31
& Aug 15-Aug 31
We pay $22 for this contribution.
While the submissions for the Ekphrasis category are free, there are also tip-
jar options and paid feedback options. These help us sustain the magazine.
While the submissions for the Ekphrasis category are free, there are also tip-
jar options and paid feedback options. These help us sustain the magazine.
We generally respond to all
submissions within 2 months.
submissions within 2 months.
Ekphrasis
Poets Howl
This category is part of ONLY POEMS DAILY,
where we publish one poem every month
that responds to a piece of recent news.
where we publish one poem every month
that responds to a piece of recent news.
You may submit only one poem.
Submission Period: Jan 1 - Jan 15 & Jun 15 - Jun 30
The poet of the selected piece will be offered $22 for this contribution.
While the submissions for the Poets Howl category are free, there are also tip-
jar options and paid feedback options. These help us sustain the magazine.
While the submissions for the Poets Howl category are free, there are also tip-
jar options and paid feedback options. These help us sustain the magazine.
We generally respond to all
submissions within 2 months.
submissions within 2 months.
Poets Howl
Essays
We are always looking for stirring and beautiful
essays of all styles. You’ll find specific
themed and unthemed categories on our
submission portal.
essays of all styles. You’ll find specific
themed and unthemed categories on our
submission portal.
You may submit one piece in any
open nonfiction category.
open nonfiction category.
Submission Period: Always Open
We pay $50 for this contribution.
We generally respond to all
submissions within 3-4 months.
submissions within 3-4 months.
Essays
Book Reviews
We are open to reviews of new poetry collections
as well as older ones that might have slipped past
the radar back in their day!
Flash Reviews are under 300 words
& Long Reviews can be as long as your heart desires.
as well as older ones that might have slipped past
the radar back in their day!
Flash Reviews are under 300 words
& Long Reviews can be as long as your heart desires.
You may submit one book review
at a time.
at a time.
Submission Period:
Always Open
Always Open
At this time, we're unable to offer payment for book reviews.
We generally respond to all
submissions within 3 months.
submissions within 3 months.
Book Reviews
Book Lists
We love reading book recommendations.
Before submitting, please take a look at
what we’ve recently published so your selections
don’t overlap too much with previous lists.
Before submitting, please take a look at
what we’ve recently published so your selections
don’t overlap too much with previous lists.
You may submit one book list
at a time.
at a time.
Submission Period:
Always Open
Always Open
At this time, we're unable to offer payment for book lists.
We generally respond to all
submissions within 6 weeks.
submissions within 6 weeks.
Book Lists