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Poets’ Quarterly publishes

  • In-depth Reviews of poetry books and chapbooks from both emerging and established poets
  • Interviews that showcase the overall scope of work poets contribute to their society
  • Essays about poetry and poetry writing including trends, in-depth (but not academic) critical pieces, craft and teaching insights, observations about the poets’ life, humor, and inspiration.

Editorial Integrity
Poets’ Quarterly requests that Contributors and Reviewers abstain from reviewing books published by any publication they work for, whether paid or volunteer.

Poets’ Quarterly is a non-paying market. All contributors and editors volunteer their time. Occasionally, reviewers receive complimentary review copies from publishers or authors, but this is not always the case.

Publication Schedule
Poets’ Quarterly is published online: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Blog posts occur in between these times.

Rights & Reprints
Poets’ Quarterly only accepts previously unpublished reviews and interviews. We request first time rights. You may reprint (online or in print) your review or interview after it has first appeared on Poets’ Quarterly with the request that PQ is acknowledged with a credit and link to www.poetsquarterly.com. You are encouraged to post a brief excerpt of your review, once published, to online booksellers.

Word Count
Submissions should be between 500 and 2,000 words.

Style & Tone
Essays: We define essay broadly to mean nonfiction prose about any aspect of poetry as described above. Both conventional and inventive forms are welcome. We have a preference for Edited American English, but will consider other Englishes and other modes, such as visual or auditory, if the piece coheres and communicates.
Interviews: Q&A style is preferred. Include a link to the poet’s website and/or publisher. If possible, obtain an author-approved photo to include with the interview.
Reviews: Offer our readers an in-depth portrait of the book you are reviewing rather than a back cover blurb-style summary. Give the reader a reason to seek out the book by offering your response to the work as a whole and the themes it explores. Use excerpts and examples to speak to the work as a whole while also freely narrowing in on specifics the reader may find interesting. While we offer critical analysis and ask questions, Poets’ Quarterly has no interest in overtly negative reviews. If you don’t care for a book, there’s no obligation to submit a review for it. There isn’t enough time or space to cover anything less than recommended books and poets.

Format Notes

  • Use Cambria 12-point font for all submissions.
  • Titles of books and chapbooks must be in italics. Use quotation marks for titles of individual poems.
  • Use only one space after a period, between sentences.
  • Single space throughout your document, with no paragraph indents. Use one extra line break to start a new paragraph, but do not indent the paragraph. Note: Many word processing programs have a default of multi-lines; you’ll need to format your submission to single spacing.
  • Left justify blocks of verse quoted. Please do not apply any special formatting.
  • Make clear reference to the poem and passages referenced, but do not include page citations.
  • Follow rules of grammar, check your spelling, and provide accurate information about the publication.

For all reviews, include in this order:

  • Book Title
  • Author
  • Publisher
  • Binding, # of pages
  • ISBN
  • Link to purchase

Visual Art & Images
Include images as attachments, do not design your submission to include them. If you want to suggest artwork to accompany your writing, include original or fair use artwork or supply the necessary permissions. Otherwise, we will choose.

Editorial Consistency
When you make a submission to Poets’ Quarterly, it is assumed you have edited your work and are giving permission for the review/interview/essay to be published as submitted. Your submission may be edited for grammar, punctuation, or clarity. Significant editorial changes will be redirected to the reviewer. This includes matters of word count, clarification of quotes, etc.

Contributor Bio
Supply a brief, third-person bio (50 words or fewer) to include with your review/interview/essay. You may include a link to your website or blog. Please submit your bio every time you submit so our editors don’t need to go digging for it.

Response Time
Response time may take up to three months, although generally you will hear a response much quicker. General inquiries may also take up to four weeks to receive a response. Poets’ Quarterly is, remember, a volunteer operation and we will respond as quickly as we can. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

How to Submit

Direct your submission to the appropriate Department Editor, following the aforementioned guidelines. Work departing dramatically from those guidelines cannot be considered. Please send files in Word attached to a cover email.

Reviews: Andrew Ruzkowski, reviews@poetsquarterly.com
Interviews: Millicent Bórges Accardi, interviews@poetsquarterly.com
Essays & Blog: Leslie L. Nielsen, essays@poetsquarterly.com

Contributor Queries
Please submit your letter of interest detailing previous review/interview experience along with a brief, third-person bio to the appropriate Department Editor. As new books become available for review, interested contributors will be notified of what is available for potential assignment.

Publisher & Author Inquiries
Poets’ Quarterly welcomes contact from authors and publishers seeking reviews. Please send an email detailing the title available for review, date of availability, and a direct link to the book. This information is required upfront to determine reviewer interest. You will be contacted when a reviewer has requested your title. Questions and queries should be addressed to the Reviews Coordinator: reviews@poetsquarterly.com.

Advertising Policy
Poets’ Quarterly does not include advertisements for books or authors.