What Am I Doing Wrong With This Poem?
Stan Grimes
July 08, 2008
What must you do to get your poetry published? Having any kind of literary creation rejected by a publisher can be disheartening. Even when you know that "it's nothing personal." It sure feels personal, right? Right. You poured your heart into a work of art and "in a heartbeat" it's rejected.
If it's any comfort, many of my works have been rejected and continue to be rejected even as I write. Let's look at four possible reasons for your heartache:
1. Wrong market - This is a big one. Know the market you're submitting to. Don't send your love poem to a wildlife magazine. Don't send your poem about a pretty cat to a dog magazine. Know your market. How do you find a matching market for your poem? Read. It's as simple as that. If you're attempting to publish on the Internet, find some e-magazines and read the poems they are publishing. If you're going to publish in a mainstream magazine, buy one at your local bookstore and take a gander at what's being accepted. Don't want to buy a bunch of magazines? Buy a 2007 Writer's Market book and you will be introduced to hundreds of markets. Or, go to some market sites on the Internet, Predators and Editors, and Fiction Factor are excellent resources.
2. Grammar - Read your poem aloud. Read it several times. Be honest with your writing and discover if it flows well. Or, have a friend read your poem aloud. Better yet, have a professional (teacher, professor, or a parrot) read it and give you some sound advice. How can you make a poem flow easier? One big red X will be placed on your poem if you use too many "the's" and "and's," and the word "that." These three words can ruin a fantastic poem. They can bog down a flowing river of words. Let's look at an example:
The love that I hold for you
is the most important thing
that I dream about in the night
the love you feel for me
is the most important thing of all.
Okay, so maybe it's a lousy example, but let's make it sound better, let's make it flow. How about this?
The love I hold for you
is what I dream about
but your love for me
means everything.
Do you see a difference? My second example flows easier. It's easier to read and not as awkward as the first example, and basically no meaning has been lost in the cleaned-up model. When writing say as much as you can in as little space as possible.
3. Presentation - Read submission guidelines given by your target market. If a magazine's guidelines include double spaced poetry, do it. If guidelines tell you not to center your poem, don't. Remember, first impressions do count. I think you will be surprised at your results.
4. Preaching - Unless you are writing a poem to your church congregation, do not expound about the gospel of "whatever." Long-winded sermon-poetry is passé unless you really enjoy having tomatoes and/or beer cans thrown at you. It is painful and emotionally draining to read a sermonizing poem. Most publishers won't give it a cursory glance. Feelings about God and Nature can sometimes be expressed with few words. In fact, a brief spiritual poem is often enticing and extremely thought provoking. Try it.
Poetry is a fine art. Each poem is a miracle and you are its creator. Read your miracle and think about it. Miracles can always use a little dusting and some lip-gloss. Run your miracle through a car wash. I guarantee you someone might just see a nice new miracle to print in a magazine.
If it's any comfort, many of my works have been rejected and continue to be rejected even as I write. Let's look at four possible reasons for your heartache:
1. Wrong market - This is a big one. Know the market you're submitting to. Don't send your love poem to a wildlife magazine. Don't send your poem about a pretty cat to a dog magazine. Know your market. How do you find a matching market for your poem? Read. It's as simple as that. If you're attempting to publish on the Internet, find some e-magazines and read the poems they are publishing. If you're going to publish in a mainstream magazine, buy one at your local bookstore and take a gander at what's being accepted. Don't want to buy a bunch of magazines? Buy a 2007 Writer's Market book and you will be introduced to hundreds of markets. Or, go to some market sites on the Internet, Predators and Editors, and Fiction Factor are excellent resources.
2. Grammar - Read your poem aloud. Read it several times. Be honest with your writing and discover if it flows well. Or, have a friend read your poem aloud. Better yet, have a professional (teacher, professor, or a parrot) read it and give you some sound advice. How can you make a poem flow easier? One big red X will be placed on your poem if you use too many "the's" and "and's," and the word "that." These three words can ruin a fantastic poem. They can bog down a flowing river of words. Let's look at an example:
The love that I hold for you
is the most important thing
that I dream about in the night
the love you feel for me
is the most important thing of all.
Okay, so maybe it's a lousy example, but let's make it sound better, let's make it flow. How about this?
The love I hold for you
is what I dream about
but your love for me
means everything.
Do you see a difference? My second example flows easier. It's easier to read and not as awkward as the first example, and basically no meaning has been lost in the cleaned-up model. When writing say as much as you can in as little space as possible.
3. Presentation - Read submission guidelines given by your target market. If a magazine's guidelines include double spaced poetry, do it. If guidelines tell you not to center your poem, don't. Remember, first impressions do count. I think you will be surprised at your results.
4. Preaching - Unless you are writing a poem to your church congregation, do not expound about the gospel of "whatever." Long-winded sermon-poetry is passé unless you really enjoy having tomatoes and/or beer cans thrown at you. It is painful and emotionally draining to read a sermonizing poem. Most publishers won't give it a cursory glance. Feelings about God and Nature can sometimes be expressed with few words. In fact, a brief spiritual poem is often enticing and extremely thought provoking. Try it.
Poetry is a fine art. Each poem is a miracle and you are its creator. Read your miracle and think about it. Miracles can always use a little dusting and some lip-gloss. Run your miracle through a car wash. I guarantee you someone might just see a nice new miracle to print in a magazine.
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