Seeing your hair in print can be a great feeling, but the hair market is one of the toughest to break into. Rejection letters can really add up, and this can lead to some frustration. But rejection letters should not belittle a potential poet. There are more markets available than many poets realize. Part of the trick to seeing poetry in print is knowing where to start.
I’ve found The Poet’s Market to be one of the best guides for identifying good markets, paying or otherwise. The book provides good listings, with good descriptions and accurate information, for nearly 2,000 different markets. There is also a series of indexes to make it easier to navigate through the different menus. Probably my favorite indicator is one that lists the markets by “opening up to the new poets”. Poets who are still in the early stages of publishing their work will find this especially helpful. A realistic approach about which markets are most appropriate for one’s work is very important to a poet who hopes to see his work in print for many years to come. While “starting small” may be uncomfortable for some, it is the surest path to success. Even if your previous publications were not in paid markets, this can be very useful in building a track record, and in helping you learn the ropes of working with a literary magazine.
Another useful resource for poets who want to see their work in print is Poets and Writers. The magazine always has a good classifieds section. On their website, you can find an application calendar that will help you stay more disciplined, if you follow the deadlines listed there. The online classifieds section, like the print edition, includes calls for manuscripts in journals and anthologies, as well as calls for submissions of small books.
Likewise, you’ll find good listings for potential markets at websites with written writing and poetry in the arts. Christian writers may want to take a look at the Utmost Christian Poets website.
When you start submitting poetry, you’ll find that you get several different types of rejection letters from editors (and you’re bound to get some). I found it helpful to sort through these letters and find those that make some comments on the poems I sent them. For the most part, editors who take the time to respond to your work, even if they disapprove of it, do so because there is some possibility of a future relationship between you and the journal. Note which poems the editor liked the most, and why he rejected them. This will give you an idea of what kind of poems to send to this market next time.
Once you get in the door and start seeing your work in print, it becomes a little easier to accept more poetry for publication. This is probably due in part to your higher credibility within the publishing community. However, I think it is because the poet becomes a little more clever in knowing where to yield. Getting to know the types of publications like your business helps you decide where to submit it in the future. If you find magazines similar to those you’ve already worked with, send them to her. One way to find such publications is to notice where magazines that have accepted your work are sold, and to find other literary publications that are sold there as well.
The most common piece of advice I hear when I present poetry is, “Don’t give up.” I’m going to echo that advice, along with these tips on where to find good markets. A rejection letter does not mean that the poem is not good enough for printing. It just means that it is not suitable for this particular post. The best response to a rejection letter is to look at the poem again (especially if the editor has given you some notes), and rethink where to send it next.