How Do You Publish A Poem?

Here are some tips on how you can to get your poems published. First you need to write and prepare your best possible poetry. This may require you to keep some of your poems aside for a few weeks and review them again. This is important because you may not be able to critique your work when you have just written it. You will have to form a manuscript to submit to your publisher which should be well written and typed. Next you have to decide on the medium for publication including either electronic publications, directory of poetry publishers, literary magazines or newspapers. You have to keep a record of every publisher you have written to and do not forget to enclose a covering letter as well.

The most important thing is not to give up easily, because it usually takes a few goes before a publisher is found.

If you are looking for a magazine that takes contributions from new authors, a good place to start is the poetry society website. There you can find a list of both print and online publications that publish a range of poetry, as well as hints on how to present your work etc.

When choosing some publications to target, there are some key questions to bear in mind such as: Does this journal publish the kind of verse I write (you should have a look first)? Does it pay anything? (sometimes it's easier to get started by contributing something for free.) It can also be worth looking for publications based in your area - some magazines (and local newspapers too) prefer writing from local authors.

Good luck!