WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Rose & Thorn Journal welcomes emerging and established poets whose verse exhibits technical skill, distinctive style, lyric intensity, and is thematically fresh and substantive.

Adjective stacking doesn’t make a poem better, but we do like strong, vivid images. Please avoid trite imagery like:  “Our hearts beat as one; our lips joined in passion.”

While we prefer shorter poems, consideration is given to longer works if they meet the above criteria. Also, forms are welcome if they do not contain obtrusive rhyming.

We do not accept extreme erotica, political or social rants, or gratuitous violence.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Copy and paste your submission including a brief, third person bio into the body of an email.

Send the email to poetry@roseandthornjournal.com with the word Submission typed in the subject line of the email. Attachments to email will not be opened, and your email will be deleted. We request that submissions be a maximum of three poems in single-spaced format unless the poem's form dictates otherwise.

Previously published works are not accepted; however, simultaneous submissions are considered if the poet notifies staff at the time of submission and immediately upon publication with another journal.

READING AND NOTIFICATION

Rose & Thorn Journal reads poetry twice a year, and selections for each issue are made on a semi-annual basis.

An email receipt will be issued to you within two weeks of our receiving your submission. Please read this receipt carefully. It will specify the issue for which your submission is being considered as well as the start and end date of the current submittal period.

Notification of whether or not a submission will be acquired for publication will be sent within two weeks after the end of the submittal period. Individual works will only be considered once. Please feel free to submit new work to us during any future submittal period. Check our website for details and updates.