Suggestions and advice desired

Kelly Kurt

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I have several manuscripts ready for the query process. Any suggestions for poetry agents and or publishers? Thank you.
 

Stytch

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I don't want to crush your dreams, but I'm pretty sure there are almost no "poetry agents" out there. I could be wrong, though. I think you just have to submit, submit, submit to journals and such.
 

JDWallawine

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Every agency I have seen refuses poetry. I would guess that meant submitting directly to poetry publishers. I would look up the websites of the publishers of your favorite poetry and start there.
 

Gillhoughly

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:welcome: to AW! Make yourself at home. You now have about seven thousand fellow writers watching your back. :)

Poets used to be the rock stars of literature, now they can't give it away. Don't be discouraged -- it is still alive!


1) DO NOT google "poetry publishers" because most will be scams wanting you to pay them. One of the nasty ones is a fake contest. When you win--and you will--you get to buy a book containing your poem (and 800 others) for 50-100 bucks a pop. They prey on schools and desperate to publish people. Avoid.

2) Check your library for this book. It will be in the reference section or their 808 section with other books on writing. If they do not have it, you can request they get a copy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440354391/?tag=absowrit-20

3) Avoid "dot-com" websites. "dot-org" is better!

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/

https://poets.org/


4) Keep your day job. (All writers do.)
 
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Debbie V

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Your library may have a more general market guide and not the specific one. Just look through the latest edition for poetry publishers. Then do a Google search of any that sound good to you to verify that what's in the guide hasn't changed. Sometimes you can even read a sample poem or two on the website, which can give you an idea of their taste and style. Good luck.
 

Katrina S. Forest

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I know of one writer friend who regularly publishes sci-fi and fantasy poetry to professional magazines. If you're open to writing genre poetry, some magazines do still buy it.

You might also consider writing flash fiction. Not the same thing, of course, but it requires fine attention to each word, a skill you've probably grown as a poet, and there are more markets open to flash fiction than there are to poems.

As others have said, agents don't take poets. Or short fiction writers for that matter. The markets are generally open and we have to sell our own works there.

Good luck!
 
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