an online literary journal for early and emerging poets

Rebecca Collins, Editor

SUBMISSIONS–READ EVERYTHING

WHO

Anyone anywhere who is 18 years and older and unpublished, self-published, or published through independent editors or literary journals may submit.

Those published through traditional publishing houses may not submit; this is to ensure early and emerging talent is highlighted.

OtB seeks diversity in every aspect: place, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith, etc.

CATEGORIES

Book two: up to 10 haiku

• no title, all lowercase

• 3 lines, 5-7-5 syllabic pattern

• pause (punctuation) or pause-word at the end of the first or second line (no punctuation otherwise, except for hyphenated compound adjectives)

• preferably with a seasonal word

• observations of nature (few to no literary devices, and only as simple, concrete observations)

regular books: up to 6 poems in other forms including prose poetry

POEMS

• original=no AI, except for software necessary for those with physical impairments

• unpublished or published only on social media

• English (a few words in another language are okay; if you write in another language, translations of your own work with translator credits are accepted)

• no hate toward others, explicit sexual content, or profanity (abbreviations and substitutions for the latter are okay)

FORMATTING

• maximum 1.5 pages per poem single-spaced

• left-justified

• page break (ctrl+ enter) between poems, enter between lines, if applicable tab to indent lines

FEE

waiver

If you have low income, include that fact and a request for a fee waiver in your submission email (see "SUBMITTING" below).

paid submission (nonrefundable) 

$3 US per category (so $6 US for both categories; if your currency is different, see exchange rates online). Payment forms accepted are Apple Pay, GPay, and major credit card, and the link is secure through Square. Go to https://square.link/u/seAbJhYI, and enter the total payment for the number of categories to which you are submitting.

SUBMITTING

1 Word document per category containing

• poems

• author's note and/or bio (optional and for regular-book submissions only; exception: an author's note translating a poem's non-English words is mandatory)

email body containing

• name and if applicable pen name

• country you are from or identify with (for diversity-tracking purposes)

• X handle (if on X, which is recommended) and any other social-media handles that you would like on X if your work is accepted

Send to outsidetheboxpoetry@gmail.com.

TIMELINES

Submissions are ongoing. The response and posting time is 1 week. Due to the quick turnaround, withdrawals and simultaneous submissions are not allowed.

PUBLISHING

Per accepted poet, up to 4 haiku or 1 poem in another form will be published on this site. The maximum per book is 30 sets of haiku and 25 poems in other forms.

Please skip 2 regular books before submitting again: if your poem is in "one", skip "three" and "four". Poets in the regular books may submit to Book two and vice versa.

RIGHTS

Outside the Box Poetry gets first rights, meaning it has the right to first publish a work as well as maintain it on this site and share it for the purpose of literary exposure (e.g., on X). Rights will revert to authors upon publication; if a poem in OtB is then published elsewhere, include a note acknowledging Outside the Box as the first publisher.

PAYMENT (not money, but exposure)

X

OtB has over 400 followers and counting, most from the literary world, including organizations and other journals. A link to each published poem with brief commentary on it will be posted, and the post will be highlighted until the book is complete and the next is started (exceptions: the last poems in a book will be highlighted at least 1 week, and poets in Book two will be highlighted alongside poets in other books and vice versa).

PUSHCART PRIZE NOMINATIONS

Poems published in OtB before 15 November will be considered (to ensure nominations arrive before Pushcart's 1 December deadline).

© JULY 2024 Outside the Box Poetry

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