{"id":5114,"date":"2019-04-30T09:28:38","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T13:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/?p=5114"},"modified":"2019-04-30T09:28:38","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T13:28:38","slug":"poetic-competition-facing-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/poetic-competition-facing-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Poetic Competition- Facing it."},"content":{"rendered":"

Post #258<\/h3>\n

30 April 2019<\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

<\/h1>\n

Poetic Competition<\/em><\/h1>\n

Welcome to the real world of getting <\/em><\/h1>\n

your poems published.. <\/em><\/h1>\n

\"\"Photo by Bob Lambert:<\/p>\n

Lynda shows off her copy<\/p>\n

\u00a0of an anthology her poem is published in.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Facing the Competition: <\/em><\/h1>\n

Some\u00a0 <\/em>facts\u00a0 to help you stay balanced.<\/em><\/h1>\n

<\/h4>\n

When you receive \u00a0a response\u00a0\u00a0from a poetry competition\u00a0 are you curious about \u00a0how many submissions they received? I am!<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Most of the time, there are fees<\/h3>\n

to enter your work for publication.<\/h3>\n

The entry fee may be\u00a0 as little as $2.<\/p>\n

or much more – many are in the $20 and up range.<\/p>\n

I have a friend who sets a limit of $15. for entry fees.<\/p>\n

\u00a0She’s smart!\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n

My advice is to be SENSIBLE – <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Set a limit that works best for you and stick to it. <\/strong><\/h3>\n

–<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lynda’s 5 Sensible Tips for Success In Publishing<\/h2>\n

1.\u00a0 Establish your budget before you do anything else.<\/h3>\n

Set a\u00a0 monetary limit about what you will pay for entry fees and don’t get caught up in emotional submissions. Do some homework before you spend your money on entries.\u00a0 Look through the publications that publisher is putting out and think about your own work. Ask, does my poem fit with what I see here?<\/p>\n

Sometimes when you get your rejection letter, the\u00a0 editor will give you the facts about how many people entered their work and how many poems or manuscripts they chose \u00a0for publication. Personally, I like to have this information because it gives me a better idea of what the competition is like for that particular magazine, anthology, or \u00a0a full-length book or Chapbook.<\/p>\n

I give you 2 examples I received recently:<\/p>\n

Thanks again for participating in our 2018 Tom Howard\/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. This was an extremely competitive contest with<\/p>\n

3,895 entries,<\/strong> <\/em><\/h2>\n

and I regret you did not win a prize.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a chapbook publication contest I entered, the rejection notice\u00a0 alerted me to the fact that “over 350 entries were received,” for just ONE publication award.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These are sobering pieces of information and though most of the publications do not give us the number of entries they had to sift through, I suspect they are fairly high in most instances. If the poetry contest gives a big cash award, you can bet you will most likely pay a lot for the submission.<\/p>\n

–<\/strong><\/h1>\n

2.\u00a0 Read the Guidelines carefully.\u00a0 The Guidelines will give you everything you need to know about how to enter your work.<\/h3>\n

Every publication has an underlying philosophy of what they want to publish.<\/p>\n

My advice is to look at a few copies of the publication so you are aware of what they are publishing. Every publication has an underlying core concept \u00a0of what they will choose to print. Make sure your writings \u00a0“fit” with the world view that is embraced by the publication. EVERY publication has an underlying worldview so you have to learn how to decide what it is.<\/p>\n

Do your homework if you want to be successful with your entries.<\/p>\n

Some are theme-based such as Nature, Religion Humor, Animals, Fantasy,<\/p>\n

Read the guidelines carefully so that you don’t waste time and money by entering your poem in a publication that does not fit what you do.<\/p>\n

Pay attention to the details. Do they want the poem in the body of an e-mail?<\/p>\n

Do they want a cover letter?<\/p>\n

Do they want the poem in an attachment to your e-mail?<\/p>\n

If they take more than one poem, do they want you to put all of your poem entries into one file and then attach that file to your e-mail?<\/p>\n

–<\/strong><\/h1>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0 Before you send off your submission, review the Guidelines one last time to be certain you are sending exactly what<\/strong> the editor wants.<\/h2>\n

One sure way to get your entry eliminated is to send the wrong information.<\/p>\n

–<\/strong><\/h1>\n

4.\u00a0 Be patient. You may get a quick response back – sometimes I’ve had a response in an hour! But that is unusual.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Typically it will be weeks or months before you know your poem’s fate.<\/p>\n

For some of your submissions, they may go through the hands of many readers before decisions are made. It is not unusual for an editor to drop a lot of entries before\u00a0 giving the remaining ones to the judge or\u00a0 selection panel to work with.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the judge decides what will be printed, and then turns those poems over to the juror for the selection of awards. This is common and it is done this way in many art exhibitions as well.<\/p>\n

There are times when I have given up on hearing anything and then I get a surprise response. You just never know how long it will take before you get your results.\u00a0 Consider it a “waiting game.”\u00a0 While I am awaiting results, I am busy sending off more poems to other places.<\/p>\n

–<\/strong><\/h1>\n

5.\u00a0 Be realistic. When a particular publication has hundreds or thousands of entries, you know your odds are slim to none.<\/h3>\n

I’ve \u00a0entered \u00a0some of those, but not so much.\u00a0 I don’t like to throw money away – I’m not a gambler.\u00a0 Usually when the entry fee is high, you will get a free subscription to that journal. Consider that a donation to the arts.<\/p>\n

–<\/strong><\/h1>\n

6.\u00a0An editor can make or break your opportunity <\/strong><\/em>to get \u00a0your work published.<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n

Regardless of the response you get – remember your manners.<\/p>\n

Say “thank you” and perhaps you can figure out something positive to say about this experience.<\/p>\n

Your poems \u00a0may be rejected a time or two, but if you are warm and positive in your interactions with an editor, they will remember you. Sometimes, if you build a bridge with them, they will give you good advice that you can apply for the next time you send your poems to other places. I have learned so much by communicating with editors after I’ve had work ejected.<\/p>\n

In the future, that editor may ask you to write a review for their publication, or be willing to recommend your work to others as well as publish it eventually.\u00a0 Remember that editors have feelings and they might need your support or help in the future.<\/p>\n

Patience wins the race every time!<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

–<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lynda McKinney Lambert. Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

Want to read some of Lynda’s Poems:\u00a0 Click here to read more poems!<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

Read more of Lynda’s \u00a0HOT PICKS Click here for MORE!<\/a><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

SHARE THE HAPPINESS.<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n

Share this post with friends on Social Media.<\/p>\n

I only ask that you share the entire article AND the copyright information.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll See YOU at the Top!<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Post #258 30 April 2019 Poetic Competition Welcome to the real world of getting your poems published.. Photo by Bob Lambert: Lynda shows off her copy \u00a0of an anthology her poem is published in.   \u00a0Facing the Competition: Some\u00a0 facts\u00a0 …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trusting-god"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4gbwn-1ku","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12482,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/lyndas-journal-poem-matter-xxiv\/","url_meta":{"origin":5114,"position":0},"title":"Lynda’s Journal -#712 – Recollection of Sanctuary – Matter XXIV","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"September 18, 2025","format":"link","excerpt":"Lynda's Journal - by Lynda McKinney Lambert Post 712 Lynda is celebrating... MATTER XXIV - by Oprelle Press Please accept our formal congratulations! \u00a0Your poem, recollections of sanctuary, \u00a0has been chosen as one of our best: Yes, I am delighted to say, My poem is shortlisted in Oprelle Publication\u2019s \u00a02024\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Lynda's Journal"","block_context":{"text":"#Lynda's Journal","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/lyndas-journal\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Matter_Book-Cover.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11172,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/poem-warm-thanks-from-the-professors-journal\/","url_meta":{"origin":5114,"position":1},"title":"From Lynda’s Journal ~ “Warm Thanks”~","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"July 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Walking by Inner Vision Presents A Poem and Backstory From Lynda\u2019s Journal \u00a0 Mingled Voices 6 NOW AVAILABLE at AMAZON\u00a0Here. \u201cWarm Thanks\u201d \u00a9Lynda McKinney Lambert \u00a0 I have been wanting to tell you thinking of you daily is easy some time ago, I placed the lovely shawl which you knitted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "#Trusting God"","block_context":{"text":"#Trusting God","link":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/category\/trusting-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Knitting_Hands-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Knitting_Hands-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Knitting_Hands-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Knitting_Hands-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Knitting_Hands-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2563,"url":"https:\/\/www.lyndalambert.com\/wordpress\/tritina\/","url_meta":{"origin":5114,"position":2},"title":"Eggplant Parmesan & Spaghetti","author":"Lynda Lambert","date":"April 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\"See where this takes you. 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