Advice for Unpublished Poet

wee · Aug 28, 2007

Good afternoon, all (or whatever time of day it is when you read this) !

This is not one of my usual lurks, since my poetry only hides in my journals & never, ever sees the light of day.

I'm friends with an older woman, nearly 80, and she has books and books of poetry she has written, of all different lengths, going back to when she was 10 years old. It varies in quality, but I think some of it is quite good -- I enjoy reading it. Subject varies from Christian to makes-me-blush, LOL, so she could submit to a wide variety of markets.

I've heard before for short fiction that if you are published in some of the most respected journals, you'll draw attention to your writing for possible collections. Is this true of poetry? She has mentioned this to me a few times, that she wonders what it would take to be published, and I'm seeing her in the morning -- I thought it would be nice to take some ideas to her. She isn't online.

Are journals the best place for her to start with submissions?

Thanks,

wee

Pat~ · Aug 28, 2007

Hi, Wee. Just my two cents...I would research various markets in a book such as Poet's Market. You'd need to familiarize yourself with the different magazines to see if her writing is a 'match' for them--but sometimes you can pick up different clues about this by the comments in Poet's Market (eg. no rhyming poems, etc.).

Literary journals tend to like the free verse style, and some only accept work by well-established poets. It won't hurt to submit to them, but you might find it more difficult to get an acceptance with them.

Advice for Unpublished Poet

wee

just a little

Pat~

Luftmensch Emeritus, A.D.D.