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These submission guidelines apply to both the website, which acts as an online journal, and our annual Society of Classical Poets Journal, which uses works selected from the website. By appearing on the Society’s website, your poem also has the opportunity of being linked to by the major news aggregator Whatfinger.

Some type of meter, such as iambic pentameter, is required (except for haiku, which are purely based on syllable counting). Some metrical variation is natural and fine. To learn how to write poetry with meter, see a brief beginner’s guide on common iambic meter here or a more elaborate beginner’s guide to many kinds of meter here.

You may submit a reading of your poem as an MP3 file. Poetry readings can be found here.

We do not normally offer feedback (unless you are a Member of the Society and request it). For a detailed guide on writing poetry see the Society of Classical Poets’ How to Write Classical Poetry.

We accept submissions on any theme you may choose.

We accept essays, translations, analyses of classical poems of the past, and reviews of poetry books. In this category, the work must be previously unpublished. We only accept reviews of poetry books in which the majority of the book is in the style of classical poetry (containing a traditional use of English meter).

Email your submission to submissions@classicalpoets.org, in the email body and/or in a Word file is fine.

Note:

    • You do not have to be a Society member to submit.
    • Poems may be previously published.
    • You may have comments turned off on your poem.
    • Do not submit more than five poems in a single month.
    • You will receive an email indication about the acceptance or polite rejection of your poetry within a fortnight or two.
    • Currently, there is no payment for submissions.
    • If, once you grant the Society permission to publish your poetry, you wish to rescind that permission, you may email a rescind request to submissions@classicalpoets.org. However, the Society may or may not grant the rescind request.
    • The Society may shorten submitted poet bios for any reason.
    • By submitting your poetry or prose to the Society of Classical Poets or posting anywhere on this website, you are giving the Society permission to publish your poetry on the website, potentially in the annual print journal or other Society publications or in the Society’s media partner, The Epoch Times, or in an SCP poetry reading. You, however, retain rights to your poetry.
    • If for some reason you have submitted poetry and it has been accepted for publishing, but you would like to withdraw it before the publication date, you must send a formal apology to SCP staff who may have already taken the time to format your poem for publication (including selecting art), and explain your reason for withdrawal. Please submit such withdrawals at least two weeks before the assigned publication date. The above also applies to withdrawals after publication.
    • By sending in a submission your email address will be automatically enrolled to receive the Society’s email newsletter. You can choose to unsubscribe after receiving your first newsletter.
    • Any poetry, translations, essays, or other content submitted to the Society of Classical Poets must be your own original work. Plagiarized content will be removed once evidence of plagiarism is provided by an affected party.

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