The editorial team at the Poetry Foundation is guided by the principle of compassionate rigor. We read all submissions carefully, and are open to all styles, subjects, and aesthetics. We strive to be a space where every kind of poetry can be read and received with the curiosity and wonder it deserves.

We are committed to freedom of artistic expression and to curating work that is diverse and wide-ranging in perspective; we do not censor artists or dictate the topics they might discuss while writing for, recording with, or performing at the Foundation. We want our editorial platform and the work we share to question, even as it provides respite.

We accept work (poems, prose, and archival folios) for Poetry magazine through our Submittable submissions manager from September 15 to June 15 each year. Other publication streams (including our digital features, book reviews, poem collections, samplers, and the Poetry Off the Shelf podcast) are curated through a combination of Submittable submissions, invitations, and pitches.

Writers who submit work to us can count on the following:

• Published work is carefully read and discussed by multiple readers;

• Decisions are made based on the merits of the work, with a focus on underrepresented and first-time contributors;

• Editorial decisions are made collaboratively by the editorial team;

• All accepted work is copyedited and fact-checked with care by multiple editors and experienced contractors;

• Continuous and open communication with contributors is maintained throughout the production process;

• Accepted work is published within one year of acceptance, and publication date and publication stream is at the discretion of the editors;

• All contributors are paid for newly published work. 

Last updated July 2025.