Seek Publication
It’s exciting to reach a stage where you feel ready to send your poems out to literary journals and magazines. Poetry is meant to be read and shared—and many writers find joy and inspiration in the challenges of seeking publication. Others know that deadlines offer a powerful motivation to revise our work. Between online journals and traditional print, writers and readers have more options than ever—and there’s a niche (or three) for everyone.
But the literary publishing landscape can seem mystifying and overwhelming (many writers I’ve coached have said “it makes academic publishing look simple”). Too often, later-emerging poets and those without MFAs feel like they are trying to join a club whose rules they don’t know—and wading through a bunch of trends and scams to get there. A process that should be fun and exciting can become a frustrating and expensive goose chase. A clear strategy and a little guidance can change your experience.
If you’re ready to develop your own journal submit strategy—one that makes the process of sending out your poetry joyful, meaningful, and workable for you, I’m here to support you. I offer both a $20 toolkit (for those who want to self-coach) and an intensive coaching package (for those who want line edits, hand-picked journal recommendations, and 8-months of follow-up).
The Journal Submit Toolkit
If you want to seek publication for your poems but don’t know where to begin, the journal submit toolkit will empower you to start with confidence. If you’ve been submitting poems for a while and feel frustrated with your progress, this toolkit can help you refine your strategy by getting clear on your goals and values.
I developed the journal submit toolkit to save emerging poets time, energy, and money. The workbook includes all the essentials I learned in grad school (and some wisdom I wish had learned in grad school). It breaks the whole process into seven very-approachable steps—so that you can work at your own pace.
This toolkit will help you plan a smart search for journals that will be a good fit for you and your poetry, write your cover letter, track your submissions, put together submission packets, and weather the whole process with resilience. Send your work out with peace of mind and confidence—and even have fun doing so!
Journal Submit Coaching
Whether you’re just working up the nerve to send your first submission to a journal or you’re feeling frustrated by a stack of rejections, I’m here to help—and to bring some friendly pragmatism to your journal submit journey.
With one-on-one journal submit coaching, you can grow your understanding of the editorial process (and see where your poetry fits in the marketplace), develop a compelling 5-poem portfolio, learn to identify journals that align with your goals and values, and get ongoing support from an experienced poet and editor. Package ($420) includes:
—a pdf of my journal submit toolkit
—templates to help you build your own cover letter and submission tracker
—comments and suggested line-edits to help you revise your 5-poem packet and send your best work out
—feedback to improve your cover letter and bio
—a one-on-one Zoom call with me to discuss your poems and develop your journal submit strategy
—a handpicked list of journals/contests/opportunities that I think will be a good fit for you
—8 once-a-month check-ins to help you interpret feedback from editors, refine your strategy, and spot new opportunities