Getting Published
Poetry Ireland regularly receives requests from poets for information about getting poems published. This is probably the biggest challenge facing a beginner writer. We hope that the information provided here will make the process more straightforward, and ultimately, more rewarding.
Submitting to a magazine or newspaper
The first thing to remember is that demand vastly outstrips supply where outlets for poetry publishing are concerned. Publishers, in general, will only publish a first book by a poet who also built a reputation among the poetry buying public. Of course, a reputation is of no help unless the work is of good quality.
There are many ways of drawing attention to your poetry: winning a major competition helps; giving public readings is also useful; but the most tried and trusted is to build up a track record of publication in poetry magazines, newspapers and journals. The magazines and journals that are the hardest to get into are generally the ones with the highest standards and thus the ones with the most impact.
Guidelines for Submitting Poems
- Familiarise yourself with the publication/ journal in which you would like to be published. It is much easier to put together a submission when you understand the editorial approach/ artistic policy of the publication, whether special issues devoted to a particular theme are planned, what the general standard of material published is like etc. We do not recommend submitting to a magazine you have never seen or heard of.
- Send no more than six poems, not your entire manuscript! Editors, of magazines, invariably receive vastly more material than they can hope to publish and do not have time to read more than a few poems per submission. Generally, magazines only accept original, unpublished work.
- Make sure that your poems are typed on A4 paper, if possible, and that your name appears on each page. In general, editors prefer not to receive fancy typefaces, handwritten work or work with illustrations.
- Send copies of your work, not the originals, and always keep copies of whatever you send.
- Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope or an International Reply Coupon for a response. Most magazines and journals will not return manuscripts, which don't have an SAE/IRC.
- Give the editor time to reply. As previously mentioned, editors receive a lot of material: you can reasonably expect to hear within 6 months of your submission.
- We would counsel against submitting the same material to more than one magazine at time.
- With established magazines, it is usual to receive a complimentary copy of the magazine in which your work appears. Magazines – particularly publicly funded publications - offer payment for material. While sums involved are usually small, it is the norm to be paid for your work. It is not standard practice to pay a journal to have publish your work.
- Crucially ensure you familiarise yourself with the journal or publication you are submitting to and understand fully the requirements for submission to that particular publication.
Pay Scale for Writers
Poetry Ireland has a range of fees across its programmes. For a solo reading, we try never to pay less than €350. For a reading with two or three poets on the bill, we usually offer €150 to €200. For a five-minute slot similar to a Culture Night programme, we pay €100. Writers who are part of the writers in schools scheme receive a fee of €250 plus travel and accommodation for a schools workshop, which usually runs for up to 2 hours. This is currently under review, and we aim to increase WIS fees in the near future. For a longer residency, we pay a fee of €150 per 60-minute session, plus travel expenses. For a poet delivering a one-off masterclass for adults, we pay €300–€400.
Publishers, Journals, Literary Agents
A list of key literary publishers, journals and literary agents in Ireland and the rest of the world.
