Excellent advice all around. But, selling a poem should not be like selling your used car. Yes, you shouldn't try to sell a used car if it doesn't have a horn, or if the oil leaks, or the side mirror is missing. But poetry is something else. It can violate many rules, maybe even all the rules, and yet somehow be greater than the sum of all its infractions. It can have a lot of no's but yet altogether for some reason that may be mysterious add up to a yes. It may evoke a mood that can only be achieved through a host of flaws. It may play with all these 'mistakes' to shape an ironic vision of perfection. How many 'mistakes' do modern artists make to fashion fascinating visions? Writing a poem should not follow a recipe, I believe. There is great advice in this column but I think it doesn't address the other side of this issue, which is that great profound poetry doesn't have to follow a manual of poetics. It can still be great with many imperfections.
Thank you for being so frank and so specific. Lit Mag News readers could benefit from more revealing insights about the inner workings of other literary journals.
Thanks Anthony. If you haven't already, check out the editor interview series with lots of editors discussing what they look for in submissions and how editorial decisions are made. https://litmagnews.substack.com/s/interviews
Excellent advice all around. But, selling a poem should not be like selling your used car. Yes, you shouldn't try to sell a used car if it doesn't have a horn, or if the oil leaks, or the side mirror is missing. But poetry is something else. It can violate many rules, maybe even all the rules, and yet somehow be greater than the sum of all its infractions. It can have a lot of no's but yet altogether for some reason that may be mysterious add up to a yes. It may evoke a mood that can only be achieved through a host of flaws. It may play with all these 'mistakes' to shape an ironic vision of perfection. How many 'mistakes' do modern artists make to fashion fascinating visions? Writing a poem should not follow a recipe, I believe. There is great advice in this column but I think it doesn't address the other side of this issue, which is that great profound poetry doesn't have to follow a manual of poetics. It can still be great with many imperfections.
Thank you for being so frank and so specific. Lit Mag News readers could benefit from more revealing insights about the inner workings of other literary journals.
Thanks Anthony. If you haven't already, check out the editor interview series with lots of editors discussing what they look for in submissions and how editorial decisions are made. https://litmagnews.substack.com/s/interviews
You bet!
I greatly appreciate this article. all good recommendations.