Getting Your Poetry Published

Getting poetry published can be quite a challenge. There is a limited market for poetry, and there are a lot of people who write poems. The market is stiff. Here are a few tips to improve your chances.

Read poetry. Read a lot of poetry. Read a variety of poets. Read poems in a variety of styles, particularly modern poetry. You'll become a better writer by reading published poetry.

Read things besides poetry. You'll get ideas for poems and your poetry will be richer.

Write, write, and write some more. You'll become a better writer, and you'll have more material to submit.

Take your time with your poems. Don't submit work you dashed off in five minutes. Let the five-minute poem sit for a while, then go back to it later. You'll almost certainly find it can use some revision.

Join a writers' group. You'll get to hear a variety of work by others as well as receive feedback on your own.

Carefully read and follow all guidelines when submitting poetry. If the guidelines say no rhyming poetry, then don't submit rhyming poetry, no matter how good it is. If the guidelines specify poems of no more than thirty lines, don't submit a two-page poem, even if it is brilliant. You will be wasting your time as well as the editors'.

Check your work for spelling or other errors before submitting it. Sloppy work will not get published.

Try submitting work to smaller publications. They usually publish a greater percentage of work received, thus improving your chances. Poet's Market, published yearly by Writers' Digest Books, provides this information about a number of publishers.

Include a clear and concise cover letter with all submissions. Tell the editor something relevant about yourself and include past publication credits, if any. Be brief, though; editors don't need to hear your life story.

Be sure to let editors know if a poem has previously been published elsewhere. Check the publisher's guidelines to make sure previously published work is accepted.

Always include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Submit, submit, submit. The more work you submit, the greater your chances of being published (provided you follow the other tips here).