So, You Wanna Submit Some Poetry? Yay!
WHAT DO WE WANT? Niche pieces. Maybe a little weird. Something you might not expect in a “normal” publication. Something…SHINY. Like a trinket for our little magpie nest. Truthfully, the sky is the limit. We just want to hear your voice and personality. Things that make us feel something. Maybe things that make us stare at the wall after we get out of the shower while we sit in our fluffy white towels. Maybe things you were too nervous to submit elsewhere.
It can rhyme. It can be experimental. It can be a sonnet or haiku or prose poetry. Something you wrote in the kitchen under the glow of your stove light at 3am while you ate pizza like a rat. We just want good, earnest pieces from your unique voice. Something you put a piece of your soul into. If you think, hey, this doesn’t fit anywhere else because it’s weird or different… send it.
HOW MUCH DO WE WANT? Even free spirits like us have some limits. Not many, but some. So:
Submit up to 5 poems, OR submit a small collection of poems totaling no more than 40 lines.
There is no minimum word count or line requirement. But, with that being said: please adhere to the limit unless there is a REALLY good creative reason not to and make note of it. Please remember that there are only five of us, it’s a passion project, and we simply can’t read hundreds of pages.
Submit by Email
Submit up to 5 poems as .doc or .docx attachments to misfitmagpie25@gmail.com.
Before you hit send, read this checklist:
- Subject reads: “Submission – Poetry – Author Name”
- Submission is in .doc or .docx format
- Submission is in 12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced
- Email includes a short cover letter addressed thusly: “Dear Misfit Magpies”
- Email includes a bio of 100 words or less
- Email includes content warnings (use your best discretion)
If your submission has an accompanying image:
- Resolution: All images must have a resolution of 150 DPI or higher (300 preferred)
- Image Size: All images must be 1200 pixels minimum on the shortest side
- File Type: Please submit using a PNG (preferred) or JPEG file type
- We have the right to refusal if the content of your image is unacceptable; your written submission can still be accepted without imagery.
Other Considerations
- MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO SUBMIT.
- Multiple submissions ? Depends on the category.
- Simultaneous submissions? Yes. (let us know ASAP if accepted elsewhere)
- Reprints? No.
- Languages other than English? Yes! (While we accept pieces written in languages other than English, please provide an English translation of your piece. If your piece is chosen, we will publish the original language alongside the English translation.)
- International submissions? Yes. BUT: PayPal is our only method of payment. Make sure that will work in your country.
Our Response
Please expect a response within 6 weeks of submitting. Do not reach out to check on your status. If you have not heard from us within 6 weeks, then you may email us at misfitmagpie25@gmail.com with “Submission Status” in the subject.
Important Points
- If you do not follow these guidelines, we reserve the right to reject your piece unread.
- All the pieces published on the website will then be taken into consideration for our yearly physical Zine. If your piece is chosen for the Zine, you will be notified by email, and you will receive a free copy in the mail.
- If you’re not sure whether your piece fits, sent it anyway! We are open to almost anything. Don’t self-reject.
- Please respect our final decision regarding what we publish. Do not email us asking why so-and-so got accepted and you didn’t.
Still Not Sure About Something?
Check out our General Submission Guidelines or email us at misfitmagpie25@gmail.com.
