The older I get, the wiser I get. Put more simply: I’m dumb today, I was dumber yesterday, but I’ll be smart tomorrow. Case in point: my previous assertion that there isn’t much of a market for poetry these days. In reality there is a thriving poetry market out there. In fact, there’s a more than 500 page book that is put out every year detailing the market for poetry. Who knew, right? Oh, if I only had a brain…. Recently, I picked up the 2012 edition of Poet’s Market from my local library (I may just have to buy the current edition). In addition to helpful writing tips and advice, the book lists hundreds of publishing opportunities specifically for poets, which include poetry publications, book publishers, contests, and more.
Before picking up Poet’s Market, I relied on Internet searches to find information about publishing poetry. The Internet is good for many things, but finding a detailed list of poetry publishers is a bit of a challenge. I was able to find some, but I wasn’t able to really narrow my search down to publishers that would be a good fit for my work.
Currently, I have more than 30 unpublished poems that I’m looking to publish in various literary magazines and journals. All the poems that have been published on this site, of course, are ineligible. Poetry publishers do want first rights. For me that’s not a big issue, as I still have plenty of unpublished poems and this site has been a good way for me to put my name out in the public, showcase some of my work, and work on my craft. In the future, it will hopefully be a good forum to direct readers to my work as well.
Now that I have a better idea about the market for poetry, the time has come to send my work to “the four corners of the world.” After that comes the hardest part: the waiting game (Tom Petty was right in that regard). It could be more than three months before I hear anything back. Fortunately, I do have a little project to keep me busy in the meantime….
Cody McCullough Writes: 
in my case, I’m too old to be patient – that’s why I self-publish – the alternatives are just too frustrating
It is hard to be patient. We’ll see how well I manage.
I am a member of a writer’s Meetup group. One of the authors there (a professor at California State University) mentioned that she uses Duotrope.com to offer her works for publication. I wonder if you’ve heard of it? I just joined. If you’ve used it, what are your recommendations?
I haven’t used it before. I’ll check it out. Thanks for the tip.
Launch them forth…then forget about them for a while, it’s good to see that you have another something to work on as well.
Thanks for the support. Hopefully the wait won’t be too long.
Love this:
The older I get, the wiser I get. Put more simply: I’m dumb today, I was dumber yesterday, but I’ll be smart tomorrow.
Still waiting for tomorrow….
I enjoyed your post and I wish you the best of luck. My art flows in other directions but I love to read poetry. I will be back again. Hugs, Barbara
Thank you for your support. I’m glad to hear that you’ll be back.
It’s fascinating to follow your experiences, thoughts and writing! It seems or is so spontaneous and contagiously frank!
You’ve got such a clever, humorous, smart and lively style !
So I’ll follow ….
Thank you for following. I’m very flattered by your comment. Truth be told, I owe much of my style to my influences. I’m very fortunate that they bring balance to my ideas.
Deseo de todo corazón que la espera te sea breve. Conozco la ansiedad que ello causa, me encuentro como tú, esperando sin saber qué sucederá. Pero ya verás; tendrás buenas nuevas…
Saludos desde Argentina.
¡Feliz semana!
El juego de la espera es difícil. Mi problema hasta el momento, sin embargo, ha sido la reducción a cero en las publicaciones adecuadas. Parece que estoy más de un mes atrás ahora. Al final de la semana, voy a tener que apretarse el cinturón y sólo recoger algunos. Espero que tengas razón acerca de las buenas noticias en el final. Muchas gracias por tu comentario, y para sus saludos desde Argentina.
Quizás algunas veces debamos retroceder unos cuantos pasos para poder tomar impulso. Ánimo; seguramente pronto todo tomará el curso que deseas.
Estoy contigo.