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Trellis Magazine
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Draft your poem.
If you don’t have an idea for a poem, look for current poetry contests and write a poem for the contest. (Make sure
the contest isn’t a scam – see our Resources link this page for information on poetry scams.)
For other ideas, consider writing a formal poem, such as a sonnet, sestina, rondeau, or villanelle – read our magazines
online for instructional articles and examples (Current Issue Archives).
Keep it clean – no obscene words (you’ll find acceptance from more publishers).
Use your best language skills – don’t resort to slang or clichés.
Read your poem aloud, and edit it for sound (rhythm, rhyme, alliteration).
If your poem is not metered, we recommend that you keep each line to a maximum of about 14 syllables, because
longer unmetered lines are difficult for poetry readers to enjoy and for magazines to fit on the page – revise any line
that sounds or looks too long.
For a formal poem, such as a sonnet or villanelle, check your poem for all the elements of that poetic form – count
the syllables and stresses per line, count the number of lines, count the stanzas, confirm the rhyme scheme, and
examine refrains.
Show the poem to someone objective who knows about writing and ask for suggestions.
Students can ask a teacher or librarian for suggestions and help.
Anyone can get free online poetry help at the site All Experts.
Adults can workshop the poem with other writers on an appropriate writers’ site, including specialty sites (such as
Sonnet Central, Sestina Page and Rondeau Roundup), formalist poets’ sites (Eratosphere, WOM-PO, Formalista, and
Scansion Mansion), or general poetry workshop sites (such as Poetry Free for All, Gotpoetry?, Poets.org Forums, The
Gazebo, and The Writers Block).
Revise the poem again.
Read the poem aloud again.
Use your spell check and grammar check.
Check a formal poem again for correct poetic form.
Revise until you’re satisfied with every word.
Find some possible publishers and read their current magazines to see if your poem fits their overall style.
Read the publisher’s “guidelines for submission” to see if your poem fits their requirements – many publishers limit the
length of the poems they accept (such as “30 lines or less”).
If your poem was originally written for a different purpose, such as a class assignment, you may have to re-write it to
fit within the submission guidelines of a publisher (especially for contests!).
Some publishers ask you to submit a small group of poems, rather than a single poem, and most publishers allow you to
submit several poems at one time – read our Trellis Magazine Issue 2 for information on portfolios and examples.
Create your submission for a publisher, following that publisher’s guidelines, and make sure you include all the
information that the publisher requires.
Some publishers will want your submission to be sent on paper, and others will want your submission to be sent by
email.
If the publisher wants you to submit by email, check to see whether you are required to send your poem and
information in the text of the email or if they allow you to send attachments.
Type your poetry for the submission, keeping it conventional in its appearance.
Unless the publisher specifies otherwise, type the title and poem in black font, size 12, in Times New Roman or Arial
or Courier.
If you are sending the poem as an attached document or as a paper copy, typed margins should be 1 inch at the top
and bottom, and 1.25 inches for the left and right.
Unless the publisher specifies otherwise, type the lines using single spacing between lines.
Type the lines left-justified, unless it is a special visual poem (such as a calligramme poem).
For a special visual poem, format the poem on the page for its visual effect, and send it on paper or as an email
attachment (.doc, .txt, or .pdf) so that the publisher can see the effect you want.
Some publishers use a blind review process and ask that your name and personal information NOT be typed on the
same page as the poem, while other publishers prefer that your name and information be typed on the same page
with the poem.
Some publishers have a specific submission form which you must fill out with your personal information.
If the publisher does not specify the personal information required, then we recommend that you include: your real
name; permanent email address; street address with city, state, zip, and country; a brief description of your poetic
form (“This is a Pushkin sonnet inspired by reading Vikram Seth’s Golden Gate verses”); and also your age, grade level,
and school if you are a student.
Some publishers require you to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your submission.
Address your completed poetry submission to the correct person/location, and send it.
Some publishers allow “simultaneous submissions”, and if so, then you can submit your poem to another publisher.
However, most publishers ask that you NOT submit the poem to another publisher for consideration at the same time,
so wait to hear from that publisher about the decision on your poem.
For any submission you make, look at the submission guidelines for the publisher, locate the information about their
decision dates, and make a note on your calendar of the title of the poem and the probable decision date.
If you haven’t heard about your poem after the calendar date, you can contact the publication and ask politely about
their decision progress – most publishers are happy to keep authors informed.
If your poem gets rejected by the first publisher, ask the editor of the publication politely for suggestions on how to
improve your poem before you send it to another publisher.
If you don’t have an idea for a poem, look for current poetry contests and write a poem for the contest. (Make sure
the contest isn’t a scam – see our Resources link this page for information on poetry scams.)
For other ideas, consider writing a formal poem, such as a sonnet, sestina, rondeau, or villanelle – read our magazines
online for instructional articles and examples (Current Issue Archives).
Keep it clean – no obscene words (you’ll find acceptance from more publishers).
Use your best language skills – don’t resort to slang or clichés.
Read your poem aloud, and edit it for sound (rhythm, rhyme, alliteration).
If your poem is not metered, we recommend that you keep each line to a maximum of about 14 syllables, because
longer unmetered lines are difficult for poetry readers to enjoy and for magazines to fit on the page – revise any line
that sounds or looks too long.
For a formal poem, such as a sonnet or villanelle, check your poem for all the elements of that poetic form – count
the syllables and stresses per line, count the number of lines, count the stanzas, confirm the rhyme scheme, and
examine refrains.
Show the poem to someone objective who knows about writing and ask for suggestions.
Students can ask a teacher or librarian for suggestions and help.
Anyone can get free online poetry help at the site All Experts.
Adults can workshop the poem with other writers on an appropriate writers’ site, including specialty sites (such as
Sonnet Central, Sestina Page and Rondeau Roundup), formalist poets’ sites (Eratosphere, WOM-PO, Formalista, and
Scansion Mansion), or general poetry workshop sites (such as Poetry Free for All, Gotpoetry?, Poets.org Forums, The
Gazebo, and The Writers Block).
Revise the poem again.
Read the poem aloud again.
Use your spell check and grammar check.
Check a formal poem again for correct poetic form.
Revise until you’re satisfied with every word.
Find some possible publishers and read their current magazines to see if your poem fits their overall style.
Read the publisher’s “guidelines for submission” to see if your poem fits their requirements – many publishers limit the
length of the poems they accept (such as “30 lines or less”).
If your poem was originally written for a different purpose, such as a class assignment, you may have to re-write it to
fit within the submission guidelines of a publisher (especially for contests!).
Some publishers ask you to submit a small group of poems, rather than a single poem, and most publishers allow you to
submit several poems at one time – read our Trellis Magazine Issue 2 for information on portfolios and examples.
Create your submission for a publisher, following that publisher’s guidelines, and make sure you include all the
information that the publisher requires.
Some publishers will want your submission to be sent on paper, and others will want your submission to be sent by
email.
If the publisher wants you to submit by email, check to see whether you are required to send your poem and
information in the text of the email or if they allow you to send attachments.
Type your poetry for the submission, keeping it conventional in its appearance.
Unless the publisher specifies otherwise, type the title and poem in black font, size 12, in Times New Roman or Arial
or Courier.
If you are sending the poem as an attached document or as a paper copy, typed margins should be 1 inch at the top
and bottom, and 1.25 inches for the left and right.
Unless the publisher specifies otherwise, type the lines using single spacing between lines.
Type the lines left-justified, unless it is a special visual poem (such as a calligramme poem).
For a special visual poem, format the poem on the page for its visual effect, and send it on paper or as an email
attachment (.doc, .txt, or .pdf) so that the publisher can see the effect you want.
Some publishers use a blind review process and ask that your name and personal information NOT be typed on the
same page as the poem, while other publishers prefer that your name and information be typed on the same page
with the poem.
Some publishers have a specific submission form which you must fill out with your personal information.
If the publisher does not specify the personal information required, then we recommend that you include: your real
name; permanent email address; street address with city, state, zip, and country; a brief description of your poetic
form (“This is a Pushkin sonnet inspired by reading Vikram Seth’s Golden Gate verses”); and also your age, grade level,
and school if you are a student.
Some publishers require you to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your submission.
Address your completed poetry submission to the correct person/location, and send it.
Some publishers allow “simultaneous submissions”, and if so, then you can submit your poem to another publisher.
However, most publishers ask that you NOT submit the poem to another publisher for consideration at the same time,
so wait to hear from that publisher about the decision on your poem.
For any submission you make, look at the submission guidelines for the publisher, locate the information about their
decision dates, and make a note on your calendar of the title of the poem and the probable decision date.
If you haven’t heard about your poem after the calendar date, you can contact the publication and ask politely about
their decision progress – most publishers are happy to keep authors informed.
If your poem gets rejected by the first publisher, ask the editor of the publication politely for suggestions on how to
improve your poem before you send it to another publisher.