Are there many, or any, respectable publications that accept online submissions for poetry?

I imagine most would be reluctant to do so, since they'd probably start getting a ton more stuff to sift through.

But are there any that accept online submissions despite this worry?

Check out duotrope.com - you can filter your search for poetry publications that take online submissions - get a feel for their acceptance/rejection ratio as well as payments, overall quality, etc

Casey, got to tease you here! Is there a computer program that will filter our own poetry for "overall quality" too? -Tom

Yes its called poetrycircle.com :)

Ah hah! Got me!

That's a good question.  I wonder the same thing.  For one thing, even if your poem is accepted, how much good will it do you.  I don't know about most people but I very seldom read poems from online ezines, unless by chance I happen to run across one that's really interesting.

I suppose it's so easy to do just about anything on the internet that it diminishes competition, as well as quality.

I've been looking for a blog site that's comfortable to post in, fairly decent themes and appearance, etc., and doesn't cost any, or much money.  Not much difference between a good blog and an ezine.  With a blog you can set your applications for posting one poem several different places with one click.  Or two.

cheryl 

//Not much difference between a good blog and an ezine. //

I would disagree with this a little. See when you post a poem on your blog, all you did was self publish your work. When you submit your work even to an online magazine you are competing against any number of other writers for a spot. Someone else read your work and selected it to be published. The ezine hopefully has some type of readership and your name gets out there. On a blog the only readers you get are your friends/family. You create your own traffic vs submitting to an ezine where you use its traffic to create your own. Also when you go to publish a collection you will be asked where did you get your stuff published, if you say your blog is your only publishing credits, might hurt your chances. Just of course, IMO

Oh, I understand what you're saying Casey, and agree with you.  I guess I'm looking  at a blog as a marketing tool.  I've seen blogs that looked and read better than many ezines.  With a little bit of time and trouble, a good writer can have much more of a readership than just family and friends, and become very well known, as well as being ahead of the game in the sense he/she really doesn't have to worry what online publishers think of his writing and art, when he can, at anytime, refer a publisher to his blog, which may be even more impressive than competing against other poets online, and allowing someone else to post your work.

So, in regard to a competitive market, a writer who is willing to learn and take the time to pursue opportunities on the net, his blog can be as popular and maybe even more of a payoff than an ezine.

To me, the market is what it's all about--opportunity equal, competition just about the same, whether in an ezine or in your own blog.  Because there's always the possiblity the poets you're competing against in the ezine, aren't really quite as good as they could be.

The internet opens an entirely new frontier for us, but it can tend to make us lazy, as well.

cheryl

I agree that a writer should have a blog, great marketing tool - but again self publishing your work really gets you nowhere as far as building credibility as a writer but as in anything, to each their own. I think most people get their work published and then post it on their blogs when the rights revert to them. Rarely do writers waste first publishing rights on a blog only because you get one shot at it. Most places do not accept reprints because the competition is so strong out there. Like you said, anyone can throw a blog up and toss a bunch of poems out there - the market is flooded and the creditability of that is the result. Really only going through an editted process and getting your work published by print or ezine can you gain some leverage  - again i am talking about trying to attract a publisher not so much as a follower. I am sure you can post a ton of work and put your blog in your signature and people will stop by and read it - but again hundreds of people, thousands of people, do that. Not that many are getting published - and so since the competition is that strong, you need a mixture of a blog following and getting your work accepted by publishers (print or online) - this is all my opinion so take it with a grain of salt of course

Casey, what you're saying to me is not a bit offensive and there's no need to sort of 'cover' for it, so to speak.

But, I'm not being totally open either.  If I told you how I really feel about poetry editors and publishers, you'd probably hate me forever.  I can at least say this -- my opinion has developed more from the experiences of good poets who have been there to tell about it, more than my own experiences -- for which I'm very thankful.

It's for that very reason I don't play the publishing game much, and don't really care what anyone thinks about my lack of interest either.  I've read too many biographies.

And please don't be offended.  I know you're an editor.  But I'm not generalizing, by any means.

cheryl

Casey, just wanted to say a big thanks for the info on duotrope.  I've been thinking of submitted stuff for a while but lacked the tools.  That site is very useful and very accessible.  Really value you sharing.

The new challenge I'm facing is navigating round the various genre/theme classifications... and getting my poems to fit any.  Any wisdom on this greatly appreciated.

k

Kevin, I just ran across your post & wondered if you still had that question about deciding on where to send? Not sure I have much of an answer for you but I'll bring this back around for more comments by those in the know- Michelle