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. Please send us your best work.
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.
For some insight on what we look for in submissions, check out this interview at Frontier Poetry with our editor, Emily Holland.
We nominate select published poems for both the Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets. We nominate translations for The Best Literary Translations yearly anthology published by Deep Vellum.
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.
Poet Lore pays contributors $50 per published poem. Contributors also receive one copy of their issue, plus a copy of the following printed issue of Poet Lore.
“Poet Lore was the first magazine to ever publish my work way back when I was a college basketball player in South Carolina.”—Terrance Hayes, poet, educator, 2010 winner of the National Book Award for Poetry, and 2014 MacArthur Fellow
General Submissions and Translations
Our general submissions are open April 1st – May 30th and October 1st – November 30th each year. Translation submissions are open year round, but close for the months of December and July.
Guest Edited Submissions
Each issue features a select Guest Editor who will curate a themed folio of work. These submission calls come outside our general windows and are announced about two weeks prior to opening.
Response Time
We are so appreciative of all the submissions we receive. We try to respond to all submissions between 6-8 months. We are a small staff and our readers, editor, and guest editor (when applicable) read every submission thoroughly. Please do not query regarding the status of your submission until 8 months have passed.
A Note on Publication Rights
Poet Lore requires first serial rights. We request (but do not require) the right to publish accepted poems on our website, social media outlets, monthly newsletter, and via our publisher’s (The Writer’s Center) triennial magazine. All other rights revert to the author upon publication; although, Poet Lore expects to be credited when poems are republished.