# Chances of Getting This Published?



## newkidintown (Jul 18, 2012)

I have this poem that I really want to try publishing, but I'm a little worried about it's chances...

a) It's historical fiction narrative poem.
b) Three stanzas out of thirteen have a rhyme scheme, and are the same length; the other ten are written in free verse of varying lengths.
c) All of this, and it's YA.

Does it even have a glimmer of a chance? I can't find a publisher with work like this, and I don't want to waste my time submitting it and getting my hopes built up, just for it to never get published.


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## sunaynaprasad (Jul 19, 2012)

You could publish that on a blog yourself. That is what I did in the past.


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## newkidintown (Jul 19, 2012)

sunaynaprasad said:


> You could publish that on a blog yourself. That is what I did in the past.



I've thought about self-publication, but I really want this to be traditionally published in a magazine to help me out on down the road when I'm trying to publish my novel I'm working on. Thank you for the suggestion, though!


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## Morkonan (Jul 31, 2012)

I know "doodly" about poetry and even less doodly about publishing it. But, is it something that a YA magazine might like as a sidebar inclusion somewhere? I've never thought much about how the poetry-publishing biz works, but maybe something like "Seventeen" (Not exactly YA, though.) would have submission guidelines for something like that? "Cosmopolitan," perhaps? As you can see, I know doodly about YA mags, too. 

Considering the topic, perhaps a history-based mag would like it? Even scholarly publications sometimes may accept such work. I know "Nature" has its own Science Fiction submission guidelines, for instance. Perhaps one of the many quarterly mags that focus on history and warfare might like it if it's truly a period piece.

The objective is to get it published, yes?


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## newkidintown (Aug 1, 2012)

Morkonan said:


> I know "doodly" about poetry and even less doodly about publishing it. But, is it something that a YA magazine might like as a sidebar inclusion somewhere? I've never thought much about how the poetry-publishing biz works, but maybe something like "Seventeen" (Not exactly YA, though.) would have submission guidelines for something like that? "Cosmopolitan," perhaps? As you can see, I know doodly about YA mags, too.
> 
> Considering the topic, perhaps a history-based mag would like it? Even scholarly publications sometimes may accept such work. I know "Nature" has its own Science Fiction submission guidelines, for instance. Perhaps one of the many quarterly mags that focus on history and warfare might like it if it's truly a period piece.
> 
> The objective is to get it published, yes?



Thank you for your response!

Yes, the goal is to get this published,but I don't think I'm even near good enough to publish in a non-literary magazine. By magazine, I meant something like this: The Blue Pencil Online - Walnut Hill School for the Arts This is my first time publishing anything in the 8 years I've been writing seriously, so I don't really know what publishers lie or don't like.

Thanks again!


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## Potty (Aug 1, 2012)

I dunno where you live, but in the UK we have two writing magazines that run poetry comps every month... usually they are open themed. Might be worth a pop? You will get rejected when you start out, but if you don;t submit you wont get published at all. Best to just let the rejections pile up  I've got my own pile that I keep adding too.


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## Cran (Aug 1, 2012)

Hi _newkid_,

welcome to WF.



newkidintown said:


> I have this poem that I really want to try publishing, but I'm a little worried about it's chances...
> 
> a) It's historical fiction narrative poem.
> b) Three stanzas out of thirteen have a rhyme scheme, and are the same length; the other ten are written in free verse of varying lengths.
> ...



To answer that question, you would first need to ask: Is it good? Does it do what it's supposed to do? Would anyone, other than your mother or your best friend buy it?



newkidintown said:


> I can't find a publisher with work like this, and I don't want to waste my time submitting it and getting my hopes built up, just for it to never get published.



Not finding a publisher with work like yours could be a plus or a minus. On the plus side, it might suggest that your work is indeed original enough to inspire interest; on the minus side, it might simply suggest that you've not looked around enough.

Getting published means getting an editor to believe that the work is worth publishing, which is the single most common reason people opt for self-publishing or open-slather publishing (usually offered as a community voice section within a publication, where any empiric standard of quality is not a criterion). Although many would deny it, editors are human, and this means that they have their own ideas about what is good and worth the risk of job or reputation. It also means their filters can vary from day to day, depending upon other factors (like traffic, cold coffee, toothache, unpaid bills).

Now for the bad news. 

Your hopes will get built up, and knocked down, many times. Overnight sensations are rare, and almost always have unpublished rejections they don't want to talk about. The appearance of instant success for first-timers can happen, depending upon how one defines success, but again is rare and often later regarded as one-hit-wonders. Finally, broadly recognised serious success in poetry usually requires the poet to do something serious, like devote decades of life to poetry, or die.


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## jakeocallaghan (Aug 2, 2012)

Chances of getting a publisher is slim. That's why I recommend self-publishing. Plus, you can make more money.


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## sunaynaprasad (Aug 2, 2012)

I didn't know that self-published authors make more money.


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## jakeocallaghan (Aug 2, 2012)

sunaynaprasad said:


> I didn't know that self-published authors make more money.



Of course. They don't have to provide commission to publishers and don't have to pay an agent.


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## Bloggsworth (Aug 2, 2012)

This forum has a private section, Writer's Workshop, only visible to members, you could put it there and ask for opinions. It is impossible for any of us to give advice on the merits of a poem we haven't read.


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## Morkonan (Aug 2, 2012)

jakeocallaghan said:


> Of course. They don't have to provide commission to publishers and don't have to pay an agent.



And get the benefits of neither.


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## newkidintown (Aug 4, 2012)

Thank you for your responses, everyone!

To the person who mentioned the Writer's Workshop, is it still okay to post there if some publishers specifically say that they don't accept pieces that have been posted on forums? Or do they mean forms that are public?


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## Bloggsworth (Aug 4, 2012)

Writer's Workshop is a private forum, much as a poetry group would be - If you don't tell them, we won't...


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## Cran (Aug 4, 2012)

newkidintown said:


> Thank you for your responses, everyone!
> 
> To the person who mentioned the Writer's Workshop, is it still okay to post there if some publishers specifically say that they don't accept pieces that have been posted on forums? Or do they mean forms that are public?



Mostly, they do mean anywhere that is publicly accessible. Private areas are the virtual equivalents of writers' groups, where works can be tested (in readings) and honed (in workshops) before publication.


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## thinkingaboutit (Aug 6, 2012)

newkidintown said:


> This is my first time publishing anything in the 8 years I've been writing seriously, *so I don't really know what publishers lie or don't like*.



I've been writing poetry and getting published in small journals  here and there for 10 years or so now, and I don't know, either. I don't  know anyone who does. I've only been published in one _university_  lit journal (the competitive kind, not the students-only  kind). I never actually made any money from writing poetry until I got a  collection published, which is completely ass backwards from the model  poets are told to expect - and the money from that is pretty negligible.  (Though it's about two years old now and I'm still getting quarterly  royalties.)

Poetry is just a hard sell, literally and  figuratively. A lot of modern poets are absolutely brilliant, but when  you look at some of the garbage in the journals that gave them their  starts, you wonder how the editors ever recognized such genius. And  agents and publishing companies usually won't touch poetry. (I got very  lucky with a small indie who was willing to take a chance.)

Poets  themselves are sometimes snobs, and so are other writers. Mention  trying to earn money on a poetry board and you'll often get a chorus of  "you should just write for the love of it." Take that attitude to a  short story board and you'll often be called a fool.

Just be persistent, whatever your goals are. Ignore anyone who tells you what _your_ attitude should be. Keep writing. In time, you'll know when your work belongs in lit mags, whether your pieces ever get there.

I  hate it when others go on and on answering questions that weren't  asked, and I've gone and done the same damn thing myself. But I really,  really think it's important to let other poets know that the most  important thing they can do is believe in themselves and push forward.  It gets really hard hold on to that belief sometimes.


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## Zoo (Aug 22, 2012)

I would add : Know Your Audience! Both Trade and Online magazines and literary journals have very specific submission guidelines for poetry. Follow them and don't second guess. I never worried to much about rejection letters either, just sent them on to the next one in line.

A poem or selection of poems is just as important as any novel! And any submission of a piece of work is as important as a job interview. Its always something to keep in the back of our minds


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