Poetry Journey #2
What I'm Learning About Publication Standards
The Reality Check I Needed
This week I dove deep into what it actually takes to get published in literary journals. The statistics are sobering: acceptance rates of 1-5%, thousands of submissions for each issue, poems competing against work by MFA graduates and established poets.
What I Discovered:
Technical excellence isn't optional; every word must earn its place
Originality means avoiding the phrases that come naturally to me
Journals have distinct aesthetics I never paid attention to
Even great poets get rejected constantly
The Standards Theat Scare Me:
Technical Excellence: My rhythms are inconsistent
Originality: I catch myself using phrases like "love so true"
Emotional Resonance: Is my work universal or just personal?
Market Fit: I have no idea which journals would want my style
What I'm Doing About It:
Reading recent issues of journals I admire
Making a list of every cliché I can find in my work
Studying poets who successfully publish contemporary love poetry
Learning to be my own harshest critic
My Current Reality Check: Looking at my 29 poems against these standards, I suspect maybe 3-5 have any publication potential. That's both devastating and motivating.
Questions for Readers:
How did you learn about publication standards?
What was your first "this isn't good enough" moment?
Which journals do you think are most welcoming to newer poets?