General Poetry Submissions
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We have a mission of discovery at Poet Lore. Therefore, every submission is read without regard to reputation by our team of readers and editors.
Poet Lore publishes a range of established and award winning poets such as Erika Meitner, Jose Hernandez Diaz, Sharon Olds, Kim Addonizio, Terrance Hayes, Linda Pastan, Mary Oliver & Carl Philips, who share the space with emerging poets. Someone's first published poem may stand alongside another author's 100th. We nominate select published poems for both the Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets.
We are committed to diversity and inclusivity and highly encourage submissions from marginalized voices. We do not tolerate racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, or any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and viewpoints.
In an effort of featuring a wide variety of voices, please refrain from submitting again until the next cycle if you have been featured in Poet Lore in either of our Volume 118 issues. Thank you!
Poet Lore pays contributors $50 per published poem.
Due to the volume of poems we receive, those submitted during this period will be considered for our Summer/Fall 2025 issue. We currently have about a 6 month response time.
You may submit up to 5 poems (maximum 10 pages).
- Include all poems in 1 single document and please only submit once per submission period.
- Include the titles of all poems in your cover letter (bullet points or numbers are easiest).
- If a poem is more than one page, please indicate if the second page begins with a new stanza.
- We accept simultaneous submissions, however, let us know in your cover letter if poems are simultaneously submitted, and please inform us immediately if a poem is accepted elsewhere.
- We do not accept work that has been previously published. This includes on personal blogs and social media.
- Upon acceptance, we ask for first serial rights, with rights reverting back to the author upon publication.
- To withdraw part of your submission, please send a message via Submittable noting the title(s) of the piece(s) withdrawn.