We seek only unpublished poems or translations of poems not already available in English. The magazine is copyrighted, with rights reverting to the poet on publication.

We are open to a wide range of forms and styles in contemporary poetry. We are always watching for new poets, quickened language, and poems that offer a new purchase on the political or social landscape. The Chad Walsh Poetry Prize ($3000 in 2007) is awarded to the author of the poem or group of poems that the editors judge to be outstanding among those we've published during the previous year.

We receive as many as twenty envelopes of poetry a day; for this reason, we can’t write comments about most of the submissions we receive. The editors read every poem that comes in over the transom. Most we return within days of their arrival. The rest we circulate among the editorial board members and continue to winnow. At quarterly meetings of the editorial board we read the surviving poems aloud and put together an issue of what draws us most strongly.

We read year-round, do not charge reading fees of any kind, and are conscientious about responding to manuscripts promptly. In return, we ask that you honor our policy of not reading simultaneous submissions.

We do not accept electronic submissions. We will, however, reply to international submission by email and, when difficult circumstances warrant, read poems submitted by email from overseas.

Submissions Guidelines

Please familiarize yourself with the BPJ before you submit by buying a sample issue or browsing our website archive.

Limit your submission to five pages unless you are submitting a long poem (yes, we publish them).

Type no more than one poem on a page, single-spaced. Include your name and address (postal and email) on every sheet.

Enclose an SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) with adequate postage to return your poems. Tell us if you don’t want the poems returned with our decision. Manuscripts that arrive without SASEs or sufficient postage will be read but not returned.

No cover note is necessary, unless you have something to say to us. We use no contributors' notes. Our emphasis is on the poem.

If you don’t hear from us within a few weeks, that’s because your manuscript is under consideration. We clear the decks every quarter; please wait to query us until four months have passed.

If you have read our magazine and liked what you've seen, send submissions to

Beloit Poetry Journal
P.O. Box 151
Farmington,
ME 04938