A key part of my own poetic ministry, as well as my poetic growth, has been learning how to share poetry feedback with other trusted poets. Before I submit any poetry to lit mags for possible publication (more on that below!), I always ask a trusted poet friend to read my poetry drafts. Having another set of eyes on our poems can help us notice trends, tensions, and/or places of confusion that we may not see on our own. Indeed, some haiku lovers even go so far to teach that a haiku isn’t complete until another reader has connected with the poem.
This holiday season, consider giving a beloved poet the gift of personalized feedback.
For $25, I’ll offer detailed, empowering, and encouraging feedback on up to three poems (six pages total). I’ll let the poet know where I see good energy in the poems, and ideas of where I think the poems are heading. I’ll also offer questions to consider for additional focus and clarity.
As I mentioned above, I also actively submit my poetry to lit mags and journals for publication. Submitting poetry for publication isn’t always intuitive; it can feel like learning a foreign language as an adult. And for better or worse, most poetry editors only want to speak with those who are at least proficient in this language.
In response to these challenges, I’ve written an e-guide for “How to Publish Poetry in Lit Mags and Journals” based on my own years of experience.
I’ve put together an e-guide for “How to Publish Poetry in Lit Mags and Journals.”
This $20 e-guide covers the following topics:
- how to know when your poetry is ready to submit
- how to research potential lit mags and journals
- what publications may be a good fit for your work
- how to put together a cover letter, bio, and poetry submission
- what practices will increase your chances of getting published
- what to expect after you hit “submit”
I’ve been published in over thirty publications. I’m a poetry contest winner (and two-time contest finalist), and I have an MFA in poetry from the Naslund-Mann School of Writing at Spalding University. I served as the final Poetry Editor at Geez Magazine, and as a student editor for the Good River Review.
This e-guide provides accessible, comprehensive, and encouraging ideas for starting (and growing!) a practice of poetry submission. Yes, there will be plenty of rejections and failures. But with enough persistence, and perhaps even a few laughs, there will also be acceptances. Poetry submission can also help cultivate one of the most valuable assets of a poet’s life: other poetry friends.
If you are interested in a personalized poetry feedback gift certificate, and/or purchasing the “How to Publish Poetry in Lit Mags and Journals” e-guide, please email me at melanie@melanieweldonsoiset.com.