65 Places to Publish Formal Poetry (Updated for 2023)
I took Trish Hopkinson‘s old list entitled “53 Places to Publish Formal Poetry” which was reposted on Annie Finch‘s website–both sites have excellent poetry resources–and manually checked each entry. Those which no longer functioned have been removed. New entries are added when discovered. We reserve the right to omit or remove publications with discriminatory submissions policies. This list update is an ongoing process: last updated February 10, 2023.
* The curator of this list has personally experienced success with markets bearing the *.
** The curator of this list is the editor of this publication.
32 Poems – $3 fee – no reprints – (32 Poems welcomes unsolicited poetry year-round and accepts simultaneous submissions. We respond quickly though (often within a few weeks) and request that submitters keep that time frame in mind as they submit elsewhere. Poets who have not received a response within 90 days are encouraged to query regarding their manuscript’s status.)
Able Muse General submission reading period open May 1, 2023, to July 15, 2023 (You may only submit unsolicited manuscripts within that time frame. Any manuscript received outside that time frame will be declined unread.)
Alabama Literary Review, The The Alabama Literary Review publishes fiction, poetry, and essays. Pays in copies. Pays honorarium when available. First serial rights returned to the author upon publication. The ALR does not accept electronic submissions.
Amarillo Bay “Except for our dislike of polemical writing, we place no restrictions on subject matter, form, or length. We do prefer poetry that makes effective use of imagery, and we define imagery as appealing to all of the senses. We expect poets to know their craft whether they are writing in traditional forms or free verse. Submit no more than five poems at a time.”
Amethyst Review * Submissions reopen May 1, 2023. Submit up to five poems (of any length). Simultaneous submissions are ok as long as you notify us if a submitted piece is accepted elsewhere. No previously published work at this time please (including on personal or other websites). We ask that your work engages in some way with spirituality or the sacred.
Ancient Paths Online * “a predominantly Christian publication,” payment for publication is $1.25 per work. Payment can only be made by PayPal, but you may choose to waive payment and your work will still appear. Work is published on the Facebook page and archived in the blog.
Asses of Parnassus, The short, witty, formal poems.
Atlantic, The Rated by Duotrope as among the slowest and most unresponsive titles in regards to poetry submissions, you might even have some difficulty figuring out where to submit your work to this publication. With 92% of submissions receiving no response, you definitely will be in a select club if they even give you the time of day.
Autumn Sky Poetry Daily Send ONE poem in the body of an email with SUBMISSION in the subject heading (no cover letter). Read Autumn Sky Poetry DAILY for one week from the date of your submission and you will find out if your poem was chosen for publication when it either does or doesn’t appear online.
Better than Starbucks * We are currently on hiatus (last posted issue was November 2022). We accept previously published work in every genre we publish (all types of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.)
Blue Unicorn Blue Unicorn wants well-crafted poetry of all kinds, in form or free verse, as well as translations. We shun the trite or inane, the soft-centered, the lazy poem. We are known to like pieces other mags reject (and vice versa). Shorter pieces have a slight edge with us because of layout considerations.
Chained Muse, The * Send us your poetry for review or submission. The world is longing for beautiful poetry that stirs the soul and rouses us to seek a better world. Every great new poem breathes new life into this effort.
Christian Century, The We publish shorter poems (fewer than 20 lines) that are grounded in images and that reveal an awareness of the sounds of language and the forms of poetry even when the poems are written in free verse.
Cicada Creative Magazine * Submissions will open in January 2023. We love formal poetry submissions, personally! Our only eligibility requirement is that you are an undergraduate student. If you are a recent graduate, you may submit within one year of your graduation, and you may only submit work that you completed during your undergraduate degree. Submit a maximum of 3 works per issue. Works must be previously unpublished. You may simultaneously submit, but please let us know immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Coastal Shelf Submit 1-2 poems to the free submission portal, or up to 4 poems for the tip jar submission portal. We like prose poems, narrative poems, lyrics poems, erasure poems, hybrids, you name it. There’s definitely a soft spot in our hearts for well-worded narrative poems that teach us something new, whether it’s a cool new word or a fun historical or animal fact or a quote or intriguing idea.
Creativity Webzine, The * We accept submissions all year round and charge no reading fee. We only accept submissions by email. Send all your submissions, double-spaced with your name, address, contacts, and the word count of your piece.
Ekphrastic Review, The * Submissions accepted in September, December, March, and June. “We want nothing less than to grow and expand the art form of literary writing inspired or prompted by visual art.“
Epiphany: a Literary Journal $$ This journal charges a reading fee. “Submissions are currently OPEN for work to be published exclusively online at Epiphany. All digital submissions will also receive a free digital subscription with the code included in our initial response letter.”
Fib Review, The Since 2006 The Fib Review has been an online poetry journal that specializes in only one particular poetry form – the Fibonacci poem. Submissions are carefully selected for publication based on their poetic value and their adherence to the Fibonacci number sequence whether in syllable count, word count or any other experimental genre yet to be created. “Issues will be posted at the end of February, June and October, with submissions closing on 15th of the posted months.”
Grand Little Things * GLT is looking for formal poetry, be it a tried and true form or an invented/nonce form. Blank and free verse will also be considered, assuming there are other aspects of standard versification.
Hopkins Review, The Submit up to five poems of any length. Must be typewritten and include the author’s name and contact information on each poem. List the poems in the cover letter.
Horror Zine, The We like rhymed poetry; however, if you rhyme it, don’t do it rigidly. In other words, do not focus on the rhyme instead of the content or else the poetry will sound forced. Free-form is also good and we like that as well. All poetry must be deliciously dark. Show some emotion.
Hypertexts, The * We do not accept unsolicited submissions, but poets are welcome to query Mike Burch through Facebook (he is the only Mike Burch wearing glasses with round lenses, so he’s easy to spot). Or if you know poets published by THT, you can ask them to introduce you to Mike Burch, via email or snail mail.
Lavender Review: Lesbian Poetry & Art Lavender Review is an international, biannual (June & December) e-zine dedicated to poetry and art by, about, and for lesbians, including whatever LGBTQ might appeal to a lesbian readership. This e-zine is free and open to everyone. Submissions are open year-round, and there is no fee to submit.
Light (“We’re looking for funny, well-crafted poems. Most of the time, this means work that rhymes and/or scans—but we are also open to comic free verse… Please submit only poems that have never been published online.”) They also take poem of the week submissions.)
Lighten Up Online (Acceptance will normally be within two weeks. If you haven’t heard from us within two weeks of submission, assume the worst; Please do not resubmit poems unless you have been specifically asked to do so; Previous publication elsewhere will be no bar to acceptance by Lighten Up Online, provided that copyright has been retained by you.)
Literary Hatchet (We accept short fiction (500-7,500 words), speculative fiction, flash fiction, poetry, prose, photography, art, and illustrations. The above is not exhaustive. If you have an idea for a work that doesn’t seem to fit into one of these categories, feel free to send us a query using our contact form. Multiple submissions are accepted, but only one submission per entry, please. No simultaneous submissions accepted.)
Louisville Review, The Their next submissions window is open from 29 January – 4 February 2022.
Lunch Ticket The submission window for Lunch Ticket’s 20th? issue is January 1st to January 31st. The submission window for Amuse Bouche is February 1st to February 28th.
Lyric Magazine, The We use rhymed verse in traditional forms, for the most part, with an occasional piece of blank or free verse. Forty or so lines is our usual limit. We print only poetry, no opinions, no reviews, no advertising. Our themes are varied, ranging from spiritual ecstasy to humor to raw grief, but we feel no compulsion to shock, embitter, or confound the readers.
Madrigal, The The Madrigal is only publishing poetry, with hopes for eventual expansion of content. We enjoy reading work that is emotive, delicate, sincere, and familiar, filled with themes and motifs of beauty and introspection that resonate deeply with the reader. We want to showcase the sublime, the nostalgic, and the dramatic –– the products of love, loss, yearning, and joy. We publish quarterly, in print and online.
Mezzo Cammin Mezzo Cammin [is] a web journal devoted to formal poetry by women. Mezzo Cammin features poems in form by contemporary women writers; reviews of new books by and about women poets who work in form; and essays that explore a variety of topics, ranging from the accomplishments of a particular poet to the possibilities of a particular form and the history and politics of canonization.
Miniskirt Magazine We want your flirtations, your short & sweet confections. We adore romcom, but if you’ve got something dramatic, send that our way too! We’re not *specifically* looking for formal poetry, but we’d love to see it!
Orchards Poetry Journal, The While we encourage rhymed verse in traditional forms, we also accept finely wrought free verse. Send up to three poems, preferably unpublished. Please send your poems in a word document (not a pdf) and attach them to your email. Include your name and a fifty-word biography, inside the word document. Previously published poems are acceptable.
Oxford Poetry We encourage the submission of original poetry in English on any theme. Only poems sent in during our dedicated biannual submission windows will be read by the Editors.
Peeking Cat Literary We are on indefinite hiatus. We accept poetry, flash fiction, nonfiction, lyric essays, hybrid works, tiny truths, dreams, fragments, blackout poetry, visual poetry, macro poetry and so on, with one caveat: all submissions must be 500 words or less.
PNReview PN Review considers submissions in hard copy form only (unless you are an individual subscriber to the magazine, in which case electronic submissions, word files rather than PDFs, will be considered. “There are two submissions windows a year for poetry, the month of December and the month of June. We do not consider poetry submissions from anyone outside those times.”
Poetry Magazine Founded in Chicago by Harriet Monroe in 1912, Poetry is the oldest monthly devoted to verse in English. Monroe’s Open Door policy, set forth in Vol. 1 of the magazine, remains the most succinct statement of Poetry’s mission: to print the best contemporary poetry, of any style, genre, or approach.
Poetry Porch The current reading period is from January 15 to March 1, 2023.
Post Road Magazine – $3 fee – Post Road accepts unsolicited poetry, fiction, nonfiction, short plays and monologues, and visual art submissions.
Pulsebeat Poetry Journal Looking for poems full of music, using meter and rhyme or other means, previously unpublished; up to 5 poems, or 200 lines total length, natural words and word order; theme should be the human condition, for a general literate audience. No restriction on language, within reason.
Rat’s Ass Review Rat’s Ass Review accepts simultaneous submissions; however, we do ask that you notify us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere. Submit no more than 5 poems. Include a brief (no more than 75-word) bio.
Rattle Submissions are open year-round, always welcomed, and always free. Despite their growing prevalence in the literary community, we do not believe in submission fees and never will.
Road Not Taken, The The Road Not Taken: The Journal of Formal Poetry is accepting submissions on the following schedule: Fall Submission Period: August 15th – October 15th; Spring Submission Period: January 15th – March 15th; Summer Submission Period: April 1st- June 15th.
Rue Scribe * We accept submissions and subsequently read and publish on a rolling basis.
Scarlet Leaf Review, The * For poems – you should submit between 3 and 5 poems (we accept one poem only exceptionally). Submissions should be sent by email as a word attachment. You can also paste poems or stories in the body of the email. We don’t need a bio when you submit. We don’t read the bios. (Duotrope reports a 95%+ acceptance ratio out of over 100 responses.)
Shenandoah Shenandoah POETRY submissions will be considered by Lesley Wheeler in the spring starting on March 1, 2023 until we reach 500 submissions.
Sincerely Magazine All copyrights will remain with the author or artist. By submitting you grant us permission to use your work in our publication. We reserve the right to make changes and editing to pieces before printing. Submissions including gore, profanity, erotica, or religious messages will be declined. Your first submission per magazine is free, but after that there is a $2.50 fee.
Snakeskin * Just cut & paste your original, unpublished poems into an ordinary e-mail and whiz them this way.
Society of Classical Poets Journal * Some type of meter, such as iambic pentameter, is preferred but not absolutely required.
Sparked Sparked is a journal for pieces ‘sparked’ or inspired by writing prompts & exercises. For our current purposes, we’re mainly focusing on prompts posted at NotebookingDaily.com with intermittent windows where we will also accept submissions from notable promptsters such as 3Elements Magazine, Rattle, Furious Fiction, r/WritingPrompts, Poets & Writers & others.
Sparks of Calliope ** Sparks of Calliope is now accepting poetry submissions for publication. Poetry can be traditional or free verse, unpublished or previously published.
Tahoma Literary Review – $4 fee – Submissions open January 15. Our response time is between one and three months. Previous contributors to the Tahoma Literary Review should wait one full reading period after publication of their work before submitting to us again. Please submit only once per reading period.
Think Journal Think Journal accepts submissions from September 1 – December 31 and from March 1 – June 30. Please submit up to five poems (or one long poem) in a single Word document. Each poem should be on its own page and each should include your name and contact information. Poetry should be in line format (including indentations) in which the poet wishes it to appear in the publication. Use 12-point Times New Roman font.
Thrush Submit previously unpublished work only. If you are sending us work that appears on your website, blog, or self-publishing site, please remove it prior to submitting it to us. Send us no more than three poems, pasted in the body of an email, preceded by a cover letter.
Unfortunately, Literary Magazine We want to be your last resort. Please get your piece rejected elsewhere at least once before you submit to us. You don’t need to send us proof, unless you really want to. As long as someone else rejected that formal poetry first, we would love to formally read it.
Visions International Send 3-5 unpublished poems not sent elsewhere.
Valparaiso Poetry Review Submit an essay, book review, interview, or no more than five poems at a time, and include biographical information via email.
Verse_Virtual * An online community journal of poetry.
Vita Brevis * Vita Brevis is on hiatus. It “publishes poetry, especially from unpublished or emerging poets”…no reading fees, accepts unagented poems, and keeps poetry submissions open year-round. Vita Brevis does not accept previously-published poems.
Westward Quarterly * WestWard Quarterly is published in January, April, July, and October. The deadlines for submissions for each issue are as follows: Winter—September 30; Spring—February 28; Summer—May 31; Fall—August 31.
Whistling Shade Starting in 2021, we only publish one issue per year. Our reading period is January 1 – June 1.
Wine Cellar Press We are looking for original, unpublished poems and original artwork. Simultaneous submissions are accepted; Up to four poems as a word or PDF file. Please let us know immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Yellow Mama Closed to submissions until at least March 15, 2023. One story [or up to three poems] at a time and no simultaneous submissions! The absolute best way to make the Yellow Mama sh*tl*st is to send a story [or poem] and then pull it because you sent it somewhere else. Once you do that, you’re screwed at our house!
Your Daily Poem * Please send at least three but no more than six poems in the body of an e-mail. Submission of poems constitutes permission to feature said poems on Your Daily Poem. While all copyrights remain with the poet, please be aware that if your poem is featured, it will remain in the archives indefinitely.
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