Poetry is the response to the everydayness of life. It’s the hush between the dishes clattering, the ache between two jobs, the moment your heart does something strange, and language tries to catch up. But poems don’t always find their way to the world by themselves. They need a home, or at least a window, and that is what the best poetry magazines offer.
They are not just glossy covers or digital scrolls. They are living, breathing spaces where words gather, scatter, and become something more than themselves. For a new poet, it can feel like sending your soul into a void, hoping someone reads it with the light on. But when a poem lands, even once, it changes everything.
This list is a soft guide, stitched together with care. You’ll find journals from different corners of the world. Some pay, some don’t. Some reply fast, some take their time. Some prefer Submittable, others an email with a prayer.
But all of them believe in the magic of poetry. Whether you’re just starting or starting again, this is your map, through seasons, windows, and poetry submissions that might just land you somewhere unexpected.
Why Submit To Poetry Magazines?
Poetry asks to be seen. Not always loudly, not always by many, but by someone. Submitting to poetry magazines is a way of placing your voice where someone else might pause, read it slowly, and feel a little less alone.
For many writers, especially emerging ones, literary magazines are a kind of soft arrival. They are where your name first learns how to sit under a poem. They offer you a room inside the larger house of poetry, a way to join the conversation without shouting.
It’s not just about validation, though, of course, that soft yes can steady your breath. Getting published teaches you how to sharpen what you say and wait without bitterness. It teaches you how to sit still with rejection and still return to the page with both hands open.
It connects you to other poets and editors and the quiet rhythm of readers you’ll never meet but who might carry your words anyway. Your poem might land beside someone who has never heard of you and stay with them anyway. That is what makes poetry submissions feel worthwhile. It is a small but honest start, and sometimes, that is all a poem needs.
What To Know Before Submitting
Before you send your poems into the world, pause and read the room. Every poetry magazine is its tiny universe with a tone, a tempo, and a way of welcoming guests. Some love the experimental, some lean toward the quiet, and some want both at once. Most journals don’t just want your words; they want your attention, too.
Start by reading past issues. Get a feel for what moves them. Then follow the rules. Submission guidelines are not meant to scare you. They’re maps, not fences. Whether it’s a Submittable link or a simple email, every format has its logic.
Some magazines have rolling windows. Some are open only during the solstices and storms. Some charge a small fee. Some insist on no simultaneous submissions. It can feel like a maze of maybes, but it matters. This is how to get poetry published, by listening first, then stepping gently into the rooms that stay open. Take notes, be kind, and when in doubt, send the poem anyway. Even rejection has its place in the garden.
15 Best Poetry Magazines You Can Submit To
Poems like to arrive unannounced, but they still need doors to knock on. The following is a curated list of 15 best poetry magazines you can submit to, each one a window cracked open in a different part of the world. Some journals are fast, some deliberate. You’ll get soft rejections, sometimes even tender ones. And maybe, a quiet yes when you have stopped expecting one. From quick poetry submissions to slow literary journals, this map holds space for every voice still learning what it wants to sound like.
1. Rattle Poetry
Born in Los Angeles in 1994, Rattle has grown into a warm table where both new and seasoned poets sit down together. Its website breathes daily, while its print issues gather themed voices into one generous space.
- Submission window: Year‑round for general poetry, translations, and reviews.
- Submission fee: None for regular entries; contest submissions require a subscription ($25–$30).
- Review time: Acknowledged in two days, responses usually take 2–6 months.
- Payment: $100 for online, $200 for print, contests up to $15,000.
- Submission method: Via Submittable.
- Notable: Simultaneous submissions are encouraged; the “Poets Respond” series gives uncensored voices a timely stage.
2. Only Poems
A vibrant online home born in 2023, Only Poems treats every poem like a living breath. It moves quickly, paying something for every line, and celebrates poetry as both art and conversation.
- Submission window: Always open for categories like Poet of the Week, short poems, ekphrasis, and Poets Howl.
- Submission fee: Most categories are free; some categories and fast response options include fees up to $10.
- Review time: Fast tracks respond within two weeks; others reply within three months.
- Payment: $22 per accepted poem; themed contests like Poet of the Week pay around $77.
- Submission method: Via Submittable.
- Notable: Run entirely by volunteers, it welcomes overlapping dreams and releases fresh poems into the world every day through Substack.
3. The Offing
Since 2017, Frontier Poetry has been making room for voices still finding their shape. It celebrates the unexpected through New Voices, weekly releases, and contests that stretch the boundaries just enough.
- Submission window: Open year‑round through Submittable for poetry, fiction, essays, micro, and other series.
- Submission fee: No charge for general submission, thanks to donor support.
- Review time: Acknowledgements in under a week; decisions within 180 days (average around 130 days).
- Payment: $25–$100 depending on type and length (poems, essays, fiction).
- Submission method: Via Submittable.
- Notable: Encourages simultaneous poetry submissions; values experimental, inclusive work across genres.
4. Frontier Poetry
Frontier Poetry gives poems a place to land. Whether you are just starting out or have been writing for years, it offers contests, features, and a warm, steady rhythm.
- Submission window:
- New Voices: Always open, free to submit year-round.
- Contests (e.g., Open and New Voices fast-track): Specific seasonal windows.
- New Voices: Always open, free to submit year-round.
- Submission fee: No fee for New Voices; contest entries range from $20 to $59, depending on package and category.
- Review time:
- New Voices responds within 6–12 weeks.
- Fast-track (BIPOC) and paid response options offer decisions in 2–4 weeks.
- Contests follow stated timelines (e.g., 8–12 weeks for editorial feedback options).
- New Voices responds within 6–12 weeks.
- Payment: $50 per poem (up to $150 for New Voices); additional fees fund editorial letters or contest prizes.
- Submission method: Via Submittable.
- Notable: Encourages simultaneous poetry submissions; offers editorial feedback and large-scale contests.
5. Palette Poetry
Born in 2023, Palette Poetry is a sunlit window that listens. It opens its arms to every voice, leaning closer when the world doesn’t, especially for those who have waited longest.
- Submission window: Featured Poetry submissions are open all year round.
- Submission fee: No fee for Featured Poetry category; contest entries may charge a small fee.
- Review time: Standard responses within four weeks; special category responses arrive in two to four weeks.
- Payment: $50 per accepted poem, with up to $150 payable per contributor.
- Submission method: Via Submittable.
- Notable: Encourages simultaneous poetry submissions; prioritizes quick responses and equity in selection.
RELATED READING: 13 Easy Poetry Books For Beginners
6. Poetry Foundation
Since 1912, Poetry Magazine has walked with both giants and new footsteps. It still reads like it’s listening for something tender and unfinished, collecting voices from everywhere.
- Submission window: Mid‑September to mid‑June (closed from June 15 to September 15).
- Submission fee: None for general poetry submissions.
- Review time: Acknowledgements in a few days; decisions can take up to eight months.
- Payment: $10 per line (minimum $400); visual poems $400, video poems $600.
- Submission method: Through Submittable (one submission per category at a time).
- Notable: Allows simultaneous poetry submissions and reads over 100,000 poems annually.
7. Shō Poetry Journal
Rising from a two-decade rest, Shō Poetry Journal reads like an intimate conversation between small-press care and creative ambition. It champions diverse poetic voices, offering both print issues and audio features.
- Submission window:
Summer issue: June 1 to August 31
Winter issue: December 1 to March 1 - Submission fee: $3 per submission; waived for Native American, Indigenous Canadian, and BIPOC poets during select pop-up windows.
- Review time: Acknowledgements within two weeks; final decisions typically within 30 days.
- Payment: Contributor’s print copy plus eligibility for Shō Poetry Prize and Sita Martin Prize ($150 each).
- Submission method: Through Submittable (postal submissions accepted for incarcerated writers).
- Notable: Encourages simultaneous poetry submissions; read-as-go system rewards early entries.
8. Granta
Reading Granta feels like sharing a long walk with someone who listens well. The magazine gathers poems and stories that stay with you long after the page is turned.
- Submission window: Open four times per year during March, June, September, and December. Poetry submissions are paused in between.
- Submission fee: £3.50 per submission for prose. Poetry submissions have no fee.
- Review time: Acknowledgements typically appear within a day or two. Final decisions may take up to six months.
- Payment: Pays contributors at professional rates. Print copies are sent to published poets.
- Submission method: Submissions are accepted via Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are allowed if withdrawn upon acceptance elsewhere.
- Notable: Highly competitive. Rejections often mean the work was genuinely considered and not just overlooked.
9. Arc Poetry
Arc carries the pulse of a restless pen and the quiet daring of a poet rewriting the margins. Since 1978, this Canadian poetry magazine has welcomed those who bend the line and break it beautifully.
- Submission window: Open September 1 to May 31 each year (closed in summer).
- Submission fee: No fee for general poetry submissions. Contest entries may have fees.
- Review time: Typically between three to six months for responses.
- Payment: Pays $50 per page plus a copy of the issue.
- Submission method: Submit via Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are accepted with timely notice.
- Notable: Known for its commitment to publishing Canadian voices and inventive international poetry that doesn’t play it safe.
10. The Poetry Review
The Poetry Review feels like a quiet fireside where both new and seasoned poets gather to share honest verse. A cornerstone since 1912, this UK poetry magazine holds space for the seasoned and the strange, always ready to carry a new voice forward.
- Submission window: Open year-round via Submittable; poems must be unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are not allowed.
- Submission fee: Paid submissions require a small admin fee for non-members; Poetry Society members submit for free.
- Review time: Editors aim to respond within three months; acknowledgment is often the same day.
- Payment: Contributing poets receive professional rates plus a print copy of the issue.
- Submission method: Via Submittable; postal submissions are possible without a fee for non-members.
- Notable: It is one of the best literary magazines in the UK with a focus on high editorial standards and global reach.
RELATED READING: 30 Greatest Poets Of All Time
11. Poetry London
It is a station where poems pass through, some staying longer than planned. Poetry London brings together voices from everywhere, mixing the familiar with the bold. It gives each poem space to breathe and be heard, whether it arrives loud or just barely spoken.
- Submission window: Submissions open twice a year, typically in spring and autumn; check their website for updated windows.
- Submission fee: No fee to submit.
- Review time: Typically responds within three to four months.
- Payment: Pays contributors £30 per poem plus a free copy of the issue.
- Submission method: Email submissions preferred; Submittable used during open calls.
- Notable: Publishes three issues annually and is considered one of the best literary magazines in the UK for contemporary poetry, with an international reach.
12. The Hooghly Review
Like riverlight on old steps, The Hooghly Review carries the pulse of India’s languages. Its poems move gently but land deep, asking you to stay, to sit, and to listen again.
- Submission window: Open year-round.
- Submission fee: None.
- Review time: Typically responds within two to four months.
- Payment: No payment at this time.
- Submission method: Email submission only.
- Notable: Welcomes work in English and Bengali with a strong literary voice and emotional range.
13. Trampset
Trampset is the friend who answers late at night with a poem and a pause. It opens its arms to the tender and unpolished, to poems that tilt sideways into light, carrying both bruise and brilliance in the same quiet breath.
- Submission window: Open throughout the year.
- Submission fee: None.
- Review time: Around one to three months.
- Payment: $25 per accepted poem.
- Submission method: Submittable.
- Notable: Features bold voices and emerging writers in monthly issues.
14. The Bombay Literary Magazine
This journal reads like a hush before monsoon. Intimate, layered, and quietly precise. It publishes poetry that resists rush and rewards rereading.
- Submission window: Three times a year: April, August, and December.
- Submission fee: None.
- Review time: 90 to 120 days.
- Payment: ₹5,000 per published piece.
- Submission method: Online form only.
- Notable: Welcomes poetry, fiction, essays, translations, and graphic work.
15. Usawa Literary Review
Usawa holds space for what’s soft but strong. It curates poetry that does not shout, but still leaves something behind when the reading is done..
- Submission window: Biannual (typically May–June and Nov–Dec).
- Submission fee: None.
- Review time: Around 8–12 weeks.
- Payment: No payment at this time.
- Submission method: Email only.
- Notable: Prioritizes inclusivity, marginalised voices, and hybrid literary forms.
Submit, Wait, Repeat, And Hope
Poetry is not something we write and keep. It is something we send off into the world, hoping it lands softly. The best poetry magazines are not just places on a page; they are homes where the things we write in silence are allowed to speak aloud and be heard.
As a new poet, sending out your work can feel like shouting into fog that never quite lifts. But these magazines, each with their quirks, cadences, and calls, help shape that fog into something with a door and sometimes even a window left open. Some respond fast and others take their time; some offer payment and others offer presence, but what they all offer is something rare: a chance to be heard.
Whether you have written five poems or fifty, whether your lines arrive as whispers or as gut-punches, whether you submit by email or through Submittable, this list is not a ladder that needs climbing. It is a constellation of open doors, and you do not have to reach the top; you only have to look up and begin walking.
Keep writing what your chest cannot hold inside. Keep reading what makes your breath stall on the page. Keep submitting to the magazines that feel like maybe, just maybe, they could be home. Because even the best literary magazines were built by people who once believed in the poem that almost didn’t make it.
And your poem, yes, that exact one, might be the next to find its way there. Maybe not today, maybe not even this season. But someday. And when it does, it will not feel like a yes. It will feel like being told you were never lost.
