How would you go about getting poetry published?

yes, research small press and university lit mags. start with the smaller ones. build up some publication credits and go for the more prestigious ones. if fortune smiles upon you, you can become a frequent contributor to those. if you can achieve that level of prominence, publishers might look to publish a collection.

incidentally, for the record... since the thread title asks, "how would you go about getting published?", i feel it necessary to point out that i personally haven't sought publication of a poem for more than 20 years and have no plans to.

but the advice still holds true.

I contacted Faust.com. They have an offer that seems especially appealing. What do I need a soul for, anyway?

Go to the Poets&Writers website. They list chapbook contests and first book of poetry contests. That might be a good place to start.

Also a good site, www.placesforwriters.com They list calls for poetry. It would be a good idea to get poems published in journals. If you want to self-publish, I'd go with homemade chapbooks or perhaps Lulu. I think they'd be the best self-publish company to use. William gives excellent advice, though. Build up a portfolio of single publication credits first. Some presses won't even look at you unless you have credits in reputable journals. GOOD LUCK.

You should definitely get some credits first, and go the legitimate press route, if you want to be taken at all seriously/be eligible for awards, etc. Luckily, a huge number of literary mags (Poetry, Ninth Letter, Quarterly West, Agni, Ploughshares, Boston Review, West Branch, Jubilat, VQR, Indiana Review, and heaps of others) now take subs through online submissions managers that are quick, simple, and free to use (no postage!). Build up some credits, take feedback seriously, revise, revise, and refine, and you'll soon have enough credits to entice a publisher. Good luck!