Submission Guidelines
Be: – the official publication of the Worcestershire Literary Festival – is now open for submissions for our new online (and print) magazine.
We are currently looking for the following:
Poetry
Short Stories
Reviews
Articles of interest, not just about Worcester or Worcestershire but from anywhere in the UK or the world.
Events
Interviews
Bloggers and blog entries
Poetry: as an online publication there is no limit to the amount of lines that any poem submitted to us contains but poems for the printed issues should be 40 lines maximum (please read the updated submission tips below for more guidance). Please note that we do not accept anything with content that is sexually explicit or inappropriate, as our magazine and website is aimed at a wide readership with families.
Other than that poems can be of any type, theme and on any subject – as long as they are previously unpublished.
Please send your poems for consideration by our Poetry Editors, Sarah James and Jenny Hope (after reading the guidelines below!), via the following link http://www.bemagazine.co.uk/write-for-be-magazine/. They will review your poems and if they are accepted they will email you to let you know.
Due to the volume of submissions, it may take some time before you receive a response. We do read and reply to every submission. (Sarah and Jenny aim to get back to people within 6-8 weeks of the themed poetry submission closing dates within reason. Poems are usually considered for the current issue, though in exceptional circumstances they may be held over.)
If you have any queries please email poetrysubmissions@bemagazine.co.uk.
Please do send over a short biography, images and any website links that you have to go with your poems. (A contact address and phone number would also be appreciated, thank you.)
Postal submissions should be sent to:
Jenny Hope/Sarah James
Be: Magazine
The Worcestershire Literary Festival
County House
St Mary’s Street
Worcester WR1 1HB
Please enclose a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope or international reply coupons for the return of the manuscript.
Worcestershire Literary Festival Be: magazine – issue 3 poetry theme
In addition to our constantly open poetry submissions, we have one
poetry theme for the third print issue of Be: (due out early April 2012).
All poetry submissions should be 40 lines maximum and previously
unpublished. The usual submission guidelines and methods apply .
Theme: Myth and Fairytales
We want to read your poems inspired by Myth and Fairytale. Be: that a
revised telling for today, or something new? From talking Greek to Olde
English; Politically correct or dark-edged, from James Finn Garner to
Angela Carter, or explore the inner-workings of this spell-binding
subject, we look forward to reading your submissions. Set your
imagination free.
We are open to submissions to the themed poetry slots until January 20
(Friday) – and if submitting for these, please mark your submission as
themed Myth and Fairytale.
Some Quick Poetry Submission Tips
Poetry editors Sarah James and Jenny Hope share some general advice to potential poetry contributors.
1. As a print magazine we are generally looking for page poetry not performance poetry. Only because some performance poetry loses its spark on the page. We are happy to consider audio files for our on-line version.
2. The length of poems should be carefully considered and every word made to earn its place. Please make sure poems submitted for print versions of the magazine are no longer than 40 lines.
3. Show not tell: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint on the broken glass.” Anton Chekhov.
4. Be: brave enough to leave space for the reader to react to the poem themselves, don’t feel you need to explain or gift-wrap the ending. Your reader will get it.
5. Do read your work aloud, words have a sound for a reason.
6. Be: consistent. Be: is open to all styles and forms of poetry. The same goes for punctuation – or lack of punctuation. Like other poetic techniques, we feel these are the poet’s choice. But the poet has to have consciously considered what will work best for their poem and made a choice – not just left it to chance.
7. Double check grammar, punctuation, spellings, consistency before submitting. And when you’ve done that once, double check again.
8. Please do not send us more than four poems at a time. Do not sell yourself and you work short by sending anything but your best pieces.
9. Read other contemporary poets, it’s putting fuel in the poetic tank.
10. Happy reading and writing!
And don’t forget to send your poems in. We also plan to run some themed poetry submission slots, so keep your eye out for more information about this here or on the Be: magazine Facebook page.
