Getting Your Poems Published - What's in a Title? by Ted L. Glines
Read as much as you can. Write from your own knowledge and write about the things that move you, and write like you are talking to a friend. Express your thoughts clearly and in language which may be easily understood by an 8th grade reader. Beyond that, send your poems out to all those editors who are hungry to fill the pages of their upcoming magazines. There are tons of magazines and Internet publishing sites. Check their guidelines and send the stuff that fits. You will be published if you do this.
Poetry magazines may have line limitations or may be looking for specific types and styles of poetry. Poems should be sent one-to-a-page, and your name, address, phone number, and email address should be on each page. Including a brief bio is always appropriate. Include a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) if you wish your poems returned. Here are a few fresh leads:
Black Widow's Web of Poetry. http://groups.msn.com/Blackwidowswindowofpoetry/poetrymagazines.msnw ATTN J. Margiotta, 87788 Blek Drive, Veneta, OR 97487. "Giving all writers and artists a doorway to expression filled with imagery and life - creating perfection just as the masters before us." Send SASE and up to 5 poems. Published three times per year. Featuring quality poetry from new and established writers. Do check the Website for guidelines and samples.
Bewildering Stories. http://www.bewilderingstories.com "In general, our scheduling priorities are poetry, short stories, serials, articles, interviews, review articles, reviews, guest editorials and essays. Any author may contribute more than once to the same issue." Do check the Website for guidelines and samples.
Sentinel Poetry. http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/magazine/page4.html Send up to 6 poems of no more than 60 lines each, or a longer poem up to 120 lines plus 2 short poems. Poems may be in any style, or theme. Poems should generally have been previously unpublished. Poems posted in web forums for purposes of critique are not deemed to have been previously published. Please submit a short bio of yourself, up to ten lines--name, location, awards (if any), recent/forthcoming publications. Do check the Website for guidelines and samples.
What's in a title? Sometimes everything. "Untitled" never got any attention. If a title sparks the editor's interest, he/she will likely read your poem, and that is the single most important step toward getting published (except for mailing the poem to the editor in the first place!). Stay true to the body content of your poem, but do take the time to invent a dramatic and eyecatching title. This will pay off for you, big time!
Don't forget to research magazine guidelines, because they will tell you exactly what they want. Good luck! Good writing! We will be looking for you in print.
I do not care how young or old you may be, nor whether you have studied the masters or not - if you have a poetic nature, you can get your poems published. Please give me your comments and suggestions about what we have covered in this article. If you find something which needs answering, please ask. You have read this far. The obvious next step is to get you published!
Edited by - Ted L Glines on 07/21/2008 10:17:54 AM
While reading and commenting on poems on this web site I admit it is usually the title which grabs me, the title that makes me click on the link and look at the poem.
When I was editing Pathways Literary Magazine (long ago in a galaxy far away), it went like this. Leafing down through the stack of poems on my desk, the catchy titles went in one pile, the un-catchy titles went into another, and the untitled ones went into the trash can. Then I would start on the pile of catchy titles to fill my magazine. Remaining space in the magazine was filled by selections from the pile of un-catchy titles. Editors are NOT going to read every poem which crosses their desks. There are not enough hours in a lifetime to read everything. And that is the way many editors work. A decent poem with a GREAT title will likely be published. I remember spotting one untitled poem which had a pink note attached which read, "You have to read this to believe it!" I read that one and it got published when, without the note, it would have hit the trash can.
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Posted - 07/17/2008 : 11:35:12 AM
