the (many) steps it takes to get Your Poetry Published

Grace Bialecki is a writer, editor, workshop facilitator, meditation teacher who inspires artists to be present in their lives and with the work. Feel free to get in touch with any questions or to learn more about working together.

In September 2025, my multi-media poetry chapbook, Young Thing, was published by Rainbow Skull Press. The journey from handwritten drafts to finished book only took two years, and that only is sincere. For the publishing world, that’s a short turn-around. If you have a poetry manuscript or chapbook that you’re submitting for publication, here’s an outline of that process along with a few tips.

Finding Poetry Chapbook Publishers
Keep in mind that most literary agents don’t represent poets, rather poetry presses accept manuscripts directly from writers during submission periods. The good news is this takes one step (finding an agent) out of the process, and also means that you’ll hear directly back from a press. With that in mind, this post will not discuss how to find a literary agent, but rather focus on submitting chapbooks to small presses, which brings us to our first question…

How do you find poetry presses that will read (and hopefully publish) your manuscript?
Start small, start smart – rather than asking the internet, look at these existing lists or on your own book shelf. Keep a list (or spreadsheet) of presses, deadlines, and if you’ve submitted. This is a time-intensive process and works best when you stay organized.

Newsletters with Submission Listings: Emily Stoddard maintains The Poetry Bulletin with this impressive list of poetry presses. Erika Dreyfus’ The Practicing Writer has lit mags and presses.
The Community for Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP): This organization of independant presses has open submissions listed on their site. You can also filter for poetry.
Author Bios: Look at the bios of poets you admire (or read on the internet) and see where their books were published.
A Bookstore: The more independent, the better, especially when you’re looking for publishers that accept chapbooks. Check out the poetry section and see what presses there speak to you. Look them up at home and see if they’re accepting manuscripts.
Small Press Newsletters: You can also subscribe to individual presses’ newsletters for updates about their submission periods. If their submissions window is months away, consider setting yourself a calendar reminder.

Great, you found a press, now are you ready to submit?
Here’s a quick checklist to make sure you’re putting your best poetic foot forward. Yes, all these steps take time and yes, they are all worth it.

Have you gotten feedback on your poems? Ideally from a writing group (more on those) or an editor.
Has someone else (ideally an editor or fellow-writer) proof-read your manuscript? Too many typos risk making you look unprofessional.
Have you followed the press’ guidelines? This could mean reformatting your manuscript.
Have you taken time with your cover letter? If a press is asking for an artist statement, put time and thought into yours. This is the first impression of you and your work.

I submitted, now how long do I have to wait?
Typically presses will list their standard response time, and tell you if it’s okay to follow-up with them after that window has passed. Keep in mind that one or two people could be responsible for vetting hundreds of submissions, and give these editors some grace.

If you’re on a specific timeline, consider looking for a press who is having a contest or one who lists their publication schedule. Often presses do yearly or seasonal (spring and fall) releases.

Omg, my manuscript was accepted. Now what?
Pause, exhale, and double check. My manuscript was accepted not once, but twice (!) by presses who I chose not to work with. Both of these decisions were informed by a quick internet search which revealed negative feedback from authors on Instagram and on Reddit threads. One of the presses was not paying royalties, another was a “high volume press” which accepted many manuscripts then put all of the marketing on its authors. Neither of them were what I was looking for.

Other ways to get your poetry out there
If all the above is feeling like a lot of work, that’s because…it is. There are certainly ways of getting your poetry out there that don’t involve this much internet research, tedious waiting, and potential rejection. As an editor, I’ve worked with poets who are self-publishing their own collections. You could also post your poetry online using social media or upload it to a website. Before embarking on any artistic endeavor, I’d encourage you to envision your finished project. Is your poetry in a physical book or a digital download? How important is choosing the cover to you? Do you want your poetry published quickly or are you willing to wait months to hear back?

Still looking for help or a poetry mentor?
I work as a book coach, as well as a poetry manuscript editor. Please get in touch for a free consult.

Bonus: Poetry Submission FAQ
What the heck is a chapbook anyway?
A chapbook is short collection of poetry that’s usually under forty pages and centered around a specific theme (or themes). Unlike a compilation, poems in chapbooks are by a single author, although they can have multi-media and have collaborative elements. Here’s a quick video for your visual learners.

How do I vet poetry presses?
Start with their websites – how long have they been around? How many editors are on their masthead? What’s their web presence like? Are they a member of CLMP (Community of Literary Mags and Presses)? Here’s a helpful video from Jane Friedman on Spotting Publishing Scams & Bad Deals. Most of all, remember – presses are supposed to pay you, not ask for money.