Prepare Your Manuscript

• Page:
• 1
• |
• 2
• |
• 3
• |
• 4
• |
• 5
• |
• 6

Instructions

Prepare Your Manuscript

1. Once you have a well-revised selection of poems to choose from, it's time to put together a manuscript of your poetry. You may think that the wrinkled paper with yellowed edges and coffee stains is a sign of your bohemian artistic prowess, but the reality is that you are guaranteeing those pages will get an inside view of some editor's garbage can.
   
   Believe it or not, there are common standards to which you should adhere to have a top chance at publishing your poetry. Here are these all-important tips:
   
   * Typeface: Always type your poems on a computer or a typewriter. It's important to use a clear typeface, such as Times New Roman or Courier. Also use a clear font size (10 point or 12 point). You can type your title however you prefer: in ALL CAPS, underlined, boldface, as plain text, or some combination thereof. If lines in your poem contain italics, use underlining--this makes it easier for the editor to spot. Remember, you are trying to make the editor's job easier, not make him wade through piles of writing in dingbat fonts.
   
   * Paper: Use plain white 8-1/2-by-11-inch paper. Don't use tissue paper, cardstock, or textured or specially finished paper.
   
   * Page Formatting: Put your name and address in either the right or left top corner of the page, then space down a few lines for the title. If your poem is untitled, just put "Untitled" on the title line and continue. Next, space down a few lines again and type the poem.
   
   Most poetry markets are fine with single-spaced stanzas, but some insist on double-spacing. So when you're picking where to send your poems, read the guidelines of the publication carefully.
   
   Have at least a 1-inch margin all the way around your page.
   
   If your poem goes on to more than one page, you can write ".../2" at the bottom right of the page to indicate its continuation.
   
   Indicate if the page break occurs in the middle of a stanza or after one, by writing "[stanza break]" or "[no stanza break]" at the bottom of the page.
   
   At the top of page 2, 3, 4 and the rest, only put your last name, the poem's title and the page number.
   
   Do not put copyright notices anywhere on your poetry. Not only is it insulting to editors--it will seem as if you suspect they may steal your work--but your poems are copyrighted simply by your writing them down.
   
   * Proofread: Spell-check your writing and punctuation on a computer, then have a friend give the poems a final proofread. Unintentional misspellings are the death of a poem.

Next: Find Your Markets

• Page:
• 1
• |
• 2
• |
• 3
• |
• 4
• |
• 5
• |
• 6

Printer Friendly

[carvel]

on 9/10/2009 I only have one poem, but I would like to get it published. Is one poem ok?

[Tali99]

on 5/7/2009 Hey, thanks for the tips :)A few questions:Should the name address box show up on every page or just the first one?If I'm going for a book- how many poems would be sufficient? Should I have a cover page? Name the whole manuscript?Should there be one poem per page?Should the pages be numbered?