Check out this lovely, uplifting poetry site, run by Paula Parker: http://www.behappyzone.com/
It’s full of inspiring poems, by famous and not-so-famous poets.
There’s even a space to submit your own short poems, for consideration for the site: http://www.behappyzone.com/publish-poems.html
Month: February 2015
The Talent Bank: A Networking Site for Creative Types
I don’t normally publicise my own stuff on here, but I’ve just written a blog post for The Talent Bank. TTB is a very user-friendly networking site (I found it much easier to upload to than other sites I’ve used), where you can post examples of your work. (Please remember that anything you post will then count as ‘published’ by many poetry editors and competition administrators, so may not be admissible by them – it’s best to use work you’ve already had published, or that you don’t intend to submit.)
Please share, to get The Talent Bank some added publicity. The site’s home page is: http://www.thetbank.com/
My blog post is aimed at poets just starting out – or people who’d like to write poetry but don’t know where to start. I’ve included a mini-workshop. If you’d like to read my blog post (or you know someone who might be interested), it’s at: http://www.thetbank.com/blog/writing-poetry-easy-if-you-know-how
Young Romantics (ages 16 to 18) Wanted for Poetry Competition
Keats-Shelley Memorial Association is hosting a free competition for writers aged 16 or over on 1st January 2015 and no more than 18 on 13th March 2015. Submit up to 2 poems of no more than 20 lines each, on the theme of ‘Lost Angels’. Closing date: 13th March 2015.The Judges are Matthew Sweeney and Kate Clanchy with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy making the final selection. Prizes are a place on an Arvon creative writing course and £100 in book tokens. There is also a short story category. More information: http://www.keats-shelley.co.uk/young-romantics-prize
The Manchester Review Open to Submissions
The Manchester Review is published out of the University of Manchester’s Centre for New Writing. It is an online publication, which was launched in 2008. It is open to international submissions.
Copied from website: ‘Submissions are now open for Issue 14 until midnight, 31st March 2015. See below for guidelines. The Manchester Review publishes two issues per year in Spring and Autumn. During our submission period we welcome unpublished fiction, poetry and essays from both established and new writers. Please make no more than one submission per issue. If you do not hear back from us in time for the upcoming issue, your work will be considered for the next one. Simultaneous submissions are permitted.’ [Ed’s note: this means you can send the same work to another publication simultaneously – but do let either know, if your work is accepted by the other.]
‘Poetry: Please send no more than 3 poems.
We only accept Word documents or PDF files. In the subject line, please include your name and the category (Fiction/Non-Fiction/Poetry/Art) and make sure that identifying details are also on your submission.
We strongly encourage online submissions to manreviewsubmissions@gmail.com’
Submissions page: http://www.themanchesterreview.co.uk/?page_id=231
Pantheon Magazine Submissions
Pantheon Magazine accepts poetry submissions for some of its ‘open prompts’ (http://pantheonmag.com/submissions/open-prompts/). The current prompt accepting poetry is ‘NYX’. Copied from the website: ‘NYX, also known as Nux, Nox or simply Night is a primordial Greek goddess who personifies the essence of night and darkness. She is the ancient goddess of Night-hence the meaning of her name. She is considered to be one of the most powerful divine beings who was born of the giant cosmic being, Chaos. She is often depicted as a great black winged spirit or riding in a chariot, trailing stars and bringing the night. Submissions open December 1st 2014 and close April 30th 2015′
Visit the Pantheon Magazine website and read the submissions and open prompts criteria carefully, as they are very detailed. http://pantheonmag.com/submission-guidelines/
Sycamore Review open to submissions
You have until 31 March 2015 to submit to the Sycamore Review literary journal. There is a payment of $25 if they publish your poem. For more information, visit their submissions page: http://www.sycamorereview.com/submissions/
Dark Poetry Contest
The Eldritch Press has a free-to-enter competition for ‘dark poetry’ collections of a minimum of 50 pages (to a maximum of 100). Of the theme, the press explains that the poetry, ‘can be horror, sci-fi, fantasy, gothic or the various genres, but must be dark in nature’. Open to entries worldwide, but must be in English. Deadline is not until 30 September 2015, so you have plenty of time to put your collection together. Copied from The Eldritch Press website:
‘We will announce the winners on Halloween.
Three poetry collections will be chosen for the following prizes:
First Place: $1500 and a three year publishing contract with Eldritch Press!
Second Place: $1000 and a two year publishing contract with Eldritch Press!
Third Prize: $500 and a one year publishing contract with Eldritch Press!’
For submission criteria and more information, visit: http://www.eldritchpress.com/dark-poetry-contest.html
Submit to Confrontation
Writers from around the world are invited to submit to ‘Confrontation’, a literary magazine published by the English department of Long Island University. Length of a poem should be kept to two pages. Send up to six poems per submission. Payment: $75-$100; more for commissioned work. The reading period ends 15 April each year (and re-opens 16 August). Email applications are accepted only from writers outside the United States – otherwise, it has to be snail mail. http://confrontationmagazine.org/submit/
Poems for Rebelling Against Spelling Press
Copied from the website: ‘Rebelling Against Spelling Press (RASP) was founded in 2007 to make books by dyslexics rather than about them.
‘We are looking for poetry that deals with the theme of mistakes, error […] call them what you will. We want poems that tell a story about how something which went wrong turned out for the best. It doesn’t have to be true, or about you, it just has to say something about how a big bad mistake came out great. Poems should be no longer than 1000 words. If you would like to submit something for this publication please send it to us as PDF attachments. Do not paste them into the message field. With “Submission: The best mistake I ever made” written in the subject field. Deadline for submissions is March 2015.’ http://r-a-s-p.co.uk/submissions/
2015 Camden/Lumen Poetry Competition
I’m breaking my own rules, with a competition that has an entry fee – proceeds to Homeless Cold Weather Shelters. I found this on the Poetry Library website (http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/competitions/). Closing Date: 14-Feb-15
Details: Judge:George Szirtes. Prize: 50 free copies of a perfect bound small collection of your poems plus a reading. Poems up to 40 lines. Poetry must not be previously published. No entry form is necessary. Entry Fee: £2.50 for single poems, 6 poems £10
Contact: Please make out cheques to Caris Camden and send to Ruth O’Callaghan, 49 Ripley Gardens, Mortlake, London SW14 8HF
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