Poetry Bulletin: September 2023
Almost 20 deadlines, 25 questions for revision, and more
Hello poets — the turn to fall and school schedules also brings an uptick in reading periods. Between now and November, there are over 30 deadlines for full-length poetry book submissions. I’m curious how many of you will be in the submissions headspace this fall… open to a quick collective check-in?
I’m writing in the land of essays and memoir these days, and when it comes to poetry, my interest right now is the question of access and the availability (or not) of fee waivers. This is turning into a special project of the Poetry Bulletin… please watch for a separate announcement on that soon!
With good thoughts for your writing,
Emily Stoddard
p.s. Has your book found a home by using these tools? I’d love to know and give you a shout-out in a future bulletin. Thanks to Wendy Wisner for reaching out to share her good news: “I wanted to thank you for sharing all the info that you do. I recently had a manuscript accepted for publication at Cornerstone Press/University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point, and I would have had no idea the press existed if it wasn't for your bulletin.”
This is actually the fourth (!) book I know of to find its way to Cornerstone Press via the bulletin… that’s maybe the most impact this little project has had at a single publisher?
Making the Manuscript
“What are some NEW poetry lines (not generic ones) written within the last 5 years that stay with you? Top of mind:
LA is ruining some of you, Megan Fernandes
Do to me what sunlight does to a river, Patrycja Humienik
I sleep her bees with my mouth of smoke, Natalie Diaz”
— Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, in a thread full of more goodness
rasha abdulhadi put together a great thread on AI, its roots, implications for writers and artists, and emerging critical thinking/interventions.
- on writers’ notebooks: “Recently, I made the decision to make notebook-keeping a required component of my workshops and classes, as a kind of creative anchor, a tether that keeps one honest but also disconnected from the vagaries of the often hyper-competitive writing world.”
I may have shared this before, but good questions are always worthy of being revisited:
’s questions for poetry revision… many of these could also be starting points for “tethering” yourself in the space of a writer’s notebook, as mentioned above.
Creative Support: Fellowships, Residencies & More
September 10 — MacDowell is open for applications for 2024 residencies.
September 11 — Hedgebrook is accepting applications for its 2024 summer/fall residency season.
September 15 — Sundress Academy for the Arts is accepting applications for its spring residency.
October 27 — The application for the 2024 Periplus Fellowship — offering mentorship and community to writers of color — is now open.
A great tool for those planning events, both virtually and in-person: the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association has shared its safety resources, with templates for accessibility policies, anti-harassment policies, and more.
Upcoming Manuscript Deadlines
Searching for chapbook reading periods rather than full-length possibilities? Check out this spreadsheet created by Anna Lena Phillips Bell and Ryan Bloom.
Sept 15 — Opening day for Copper Canyon, but submissions are capped at 375 manuscripts. And take note that they want a query letter and writing sample, not the full manuscript. (Tiered fees and fee waivers are available… also it seems they no longer a $15 fee option. Fees now start at $25.)
Sept 15 — Wisconsin Poetry Series Brittingham and Felix Pollak Prizes in Poetry
Sept 17 — Lightscatter Press Prize
Sept 30 — Juniper Prize for Poetry
Sept 30 — Philip Levine Poetry Prize
Sept 30 — Texas Review Press: X.J. Kennedy Prize
Sept 30 — Miller Williams Poetry Series
Oct 1 — APR Honickman First Book Prize
Oct 15 — Copper Nickel’s Jake Adam York Prize
Oct 17 — Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize at The Journal (reduced fee for BIPOC poets + waivers available)
New: Gunpowder Press has announced the John Ridland Poetry Prize for poets 55 years and older. The deadline is December 31.
Heads up: The Sowell Emerging Writers Prize will be awarded in poetry this year. They’re interested in books “on themes about and related to the natural world by writers who have published no more than one book in any genre.”
There are more ongoing opportunities on the big list of publishers (as in, presses reading throughout the year).
The bulletin is made by Emily Stoddard. If you have ideas, updates to a publisher’s listing, or want to share a resource, say hello by replying to this note.
By writing craft articles to help other poets, I finally drilled down on a method that works for me.
Taking my own advice, I had FOUR [yes, 4] poetry collections accepted for 2023 - - - one by a university press in California. (Acceptances came from four different publishers.)
If you are struggling to get a poetry collection accepted, you may find some guideposts in my article.
“Poetry Unleashed: Demystifying the Book Publishing Process” by LindaAnn LoSchiavo
https://jeyranmain.com/2023/05/30/poetry-unleashed-demystifying-the-book-publishing-process-by-lindaann-loschiavo/