Chapters
It is said that a good idea becomes a great idea when you let it out!
The same can be said about poetry. A good poem can become a great poem if you share it with others.
Poetry as a way of creative expression can either be something you prefer to keep for yourself or work you wish to share with others. Being able to share your poetry can give your readers the opportunity to connect with your experiences.
In today’s world, it can be quite easy to get your work out to readers. There is a growing community of poets that are eager to hear from new writers. It can be incredibly inspiring to see your poems published alongside other emerging artists, be it online or in a literary magazine.
Submitting to online and print publications can greatly increase your profile as a writer. The more you publish the more recognition you will receive as a poet.
You can find creative ways to get your free verses out into the world. Keep reading to find out where you can share your work for online or print publication, and where you can personally deliver your favorite verses.
Submitting to Poetry Websites
A connected poetry society is on the rise. There are now hundreds of websites that cater to poets with online submission opportunities, editing forums, and even poetry competitions.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to publish your poetry, the following websites are a great option for sharing your work.
Most of these sites also accept submissions for anthologies, short fiction stories, and nonfiction, along with many other types of writing.
The Legendary
The Legendary is a pillar of the online writing community, especially for the more underground type of writing. The site is always open for submissions and features new poets on their platform. They accept both published and unpublished material, as well as simultaneous submissions.
The Legendary's readership is quite broad as they also publish creative nonfiction, contemporary literature, and even chapbooks.
All Poetry
All Poetry is one of the largest collection of poems online. They have over 500,000 members worldwide and are always open to submissions. It is a great place to receive feedback from poetry publishers and where the community comes together to discuss, dissect, and create interesting work.
All Poetry gives you access to contemporary poetry, prose poems, sonnets, and a large variety of other creative writing. Their large database contains poetry collections by American poets and international poetry laureates among many others. Don't forget to check out announcements for their poetry contests.
Hello Poetry
Hello Poetry, in addition to being a great source for poetry classics, the site also provides opportunities for submissions. Their daily blog gives suggestion on topics that they would like to see. If ever you are stuck on deciding a theme, check out what Hello Poetry is looking for on that day!
Their submission process is a little different from the other sites. If you would like to be published on their site, they ask that you send a request for an invite. Your request includes your name email and a poem. They will get back to you in a few days with the rest of the submission process.
Poem Hunter
Poem Hunter accepts all types of poems on their site from members. It is free to sign up and submit your work. You can submit everything from a sonnet to a haiku to an epic poem. The site is all about inclusivity and variety in the work that they publish. Poem Hunter gives you access to an anthology of American and English poetry.
They believe that the best poetry is creative and outside of the box. Members of Poem Hunter are able to comment on other submissions and receive suggestions on edits on their own work. Poem Hunter also sponsors a couple of poetry contests.
In the virtual world, websites dedicated to poetry are not the only places where you will be able to submit your work. There are plenty of social media accounts that love to take submissions of inspiring and exciting new work.
@Poets on Instagram and PoemsWordsQuotes on Tumblr take submission from followers for short verse poems and illustrations. The virtual poetry collection can be quite vast.
You can also find fun and exciting new content to read online with just a click of a button. But if you prefer the feel of a printed book as a source of inspiration for your writing, there are plenty of poetry book collections. Literary magazines and literary journals that focus on poetry are also great resources for high-quality poetry collections.
Submitting to Print Works
What would you think if you saw your free verse on a printed magazine? Seeing your work in a coveted poetry magazine could be very exciting and something you could show off to friends and family.
If you would like to submit your work to print magazines and journals look no further. We have gathered a list of the top journals to submit to.
- Thrush Poetry has an open submission for one-page poems. This is a great place to submit your work if it has strong imagery, emotions, and interesting use of language. After submitting to Thrush, you will receive a response within 10 days, sometimes even with feedback!
- Rust+Moth is both a print and online magazine that publishes your work year around. With their web content and quarterly print magazines, Rust+Moth gives you plenty of options to publish your poetry and prose.
- Yes, Poetry publishes poets’ works alongside an interview of each poet in their quarterly issues. They also publish themed poems on their site on a regular basis.
- Softblow is an international poetry journal that includes a wide variety of work. Their main goal is to feature young writers and get back to each submission within a few weeks.
Submitting and publishing your work to a literary journal can even come with perks. Most of these magazines also offer poetry competitions, where the finalists win cash prizes or opportunities to attend writing retreats.
Sharing Your Work Through Poetry Readings
Apart from poetry contest and sending out submissions of your poetry writing, a great way to send your creativity out into the world is to deliver it yourself.
Have you ever tried performing your poetry on stage? Mixing poetry with public speaking and a little bit of acting can be quite the experience.
There are plenty of opportunities for poetry readings. Maybe your local bookshop has a poet’s night, or a bar downtown might have a slam poetry evening. Regardless of the form, being able to perform your own poetry or even recite classical verses can be great practice. This gives you the opportunity to share your work, get feedback, and meet other local poets in your area.
In order to find places you can perform your verses, you can try asking friends and family for a suggestion of locations that might hold these events. You might also want to try event coordination websites running in your city. Sites like Meetup, Open Mic'ers, and Everbite are all good places to start.
- Meetup is a digital platform that helps online groups meet up and host in-person events. You could join a poetry-reading group or create a group of your own, book a stage, and create your own poetry reading event with local poets and writers.
- Everbite is an event management and ticketing website. They specialize in promoting small and local events. The site is popular across the US and can easily help you find new poetry enthusiasts in your area.
- Open Mic’ers, as apparent in their name, is a database for open mic events happening in major cities around the world. You can search for open mics in your city and even sign up as an open mic’er! The site tells you the time and place of the open mic and if any of the site’s members have performed.
Sharing your work, be it online, in print, or in person, is a great opportunity to be able to share your ideas. Think about all of the poems that inspired you, wouldn't you like to be that same inspiration for someone else?
You can be! It might feel daunting at first, but whichever community of writers and poets you decide to join, make sure to keep an open mind about feedback and suggestions.
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