The email subject line was just "Submission Status Update," but after 50 rejections, it felt more like a verdict. Then you see it: "Dear Poet, we'd be honored to publish 'Tuesday Morning, After.'" That one sentence changes everything. Getting paid for your poetry isn't a fantasy. It's completely possible if you know where to look. Finding the right websites that pay for poems is how you go from being a writer to a published author.
- Top-Tier Markets: Publications like Poetry Magazine, The Kenyon Review, and Ploughshares pay professional rates, often $50-$300+ per poem.
- Mid-Tier Markets: A great place to build your reputation. Journals like Rattle and Strange Horizons offer $10-$50 per poem and are slightly more accessible.
- Submission Strategy: Always read the journal before submitting. Follow their guidelines exactly. A professional, brief cover letter is non-negotiable.
- The Market is Growing: The poetry market is expanding, with a projected 8-10% increase in publishing opportunities expected in the coming year.
The Best Websites That Pay for Poems (Categorized by Pay Rate)
It can feel like you're looking for a secret garden when searching for paid poetry markets. But they're out there. We've broken them down into three categories: the top-tier professional markets, the solid mid-tier journals perfect for building a career, and the magazines that offer token payments or contributor copies, which are invaluable for new poets.
Before you submit, remember the golden rule: read the publication. Understand their voice, style, and what they love. Sending your sonnets to a journal that only publishes experimental free verse is a waste of everyone's time.
Top Tier: Professional Pay ($50+ per poem)
These are the most competitive literary magazines for poetry. An acceptance here is a major career milestone. They pay professional rates, have a large readership, and can attract the attention of book publishers.
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Poetry Magazine
- Pays: $10 per line (with a minimum payment of $300).
- What they want: The best poetry, period. They're open to all styles, but the quality bar is exceptionally high.
- Simultaneous Submissions? No.
- Submission Link: Via their Submittable page. Reading periods are limited.
- Response Time: 6-8 months.
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The Kenyon Review
- Pays: Professional rates, typically $100+ per poem.
- What they want: Highly polished, intelligent, and ambitious work. They have a long and storied history.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes, but notify them immediately if accepted elsewhere.
- Submission Link: Submittable. They have a reading period from September to November.
- Response Time: 3-5 months.
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Ploughshares
- Pays: $45 per page, with a minimum of $90 per author.
- What they want: Guest editors run the show, so the taste changes with each issue. Always check the current editor's preferences. They publish established and new writers alike.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Online submission manager. Reading period is June 1st to January 15th.
- Response Time: 3-5 months.
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AGNI
- Pays: $20 per page for poetry, up to a maximum of $150.
- What they want: They want poetry that's sharp, culturally aware, and often challenging. They're known for finding unique voices.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Online submission system. Open for submissions from September 1st to May 31st.
- Response Time: 2-4 months.
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The Threepenny Review
- Pays: $200 per poem.
- What they want: Short, accessible, and powerful poems. They have a strict length limit (under 100 lines).
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submissions are by mail only. Check their website for the address.
- Response Time: 2-3 months.
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VQR (Virginia Quarterly Review)
- Pays: $200 per poem.
- What they want: Exceptional poetry of any style. They publish a mix of famous poets and newcomers.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable, but with very short reading periods. Check their site frequently.
- Response Time: Can be up to 6 months.
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Strange Horizons
- Pays: $50 per poem.
- What they want: Speculative poetry. Think science fiction, fantasy, and horror. They want poems that explore the unknown.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Online submission form. They are almost always open.
- Response Time: Usually under 2 months.
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Fantasy & Science Fiction
- Pays: $1.50 per line, with a $50 minimum.
- What they want: Light or humorous speculative verse. They have a strong preference for traditional forms and rhyme.
- Simultaneous Submissions? No.
- Submission Link: Online submission manager.
- Response Time: 1-2 months.
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The Southern Review
- Pays: $50 for the first page, $25 for each subsequent page, up to $200.
- What they want: A heavyweight in literary fiction and poetry. They look for high-quality work with a strong sense of voice and place.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. Reading period is September 1st to December 1st.
- Response Time: 6-9 months.
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Boulevard Magazine
- Pays: $50-$250 per poem.
- What they want: Well-crafted poetry from both new and established writers. They aren't interested in "the novel, the shocking, or the avant-garde" for its own sake.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. Reading period is October 1st to May 1st.
- Response Time: Up to 4 months.
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SubTropics
- Pays: $100 per poem.
- What they want: The literary journal of the University of Florida, they publish high-caliber poetry from around the world.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. Reading period is September 1st to April 30th.
- Response Time: 3-4 months.
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The Cincinnati Review
- Pays: $30 per page.
- What they want: Ambitious poems in any form. They have a reputation for discovering new talent.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. Open September 1st to March 1st.
- Response Time: Varies, but they try to be quick.
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Grain Magazine
- Pays: $50 per page, up to $250.
- What they want: One of Canada's top literary magazines, they publish outstanding poetry from international writers.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. Check for reading periods.
- Response Time: 4-6 months.
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The Malahat Review
- Pays: CAD $65 per page.
- What they want: Another Canadian heavyweight, they are interested in well-made, memorable poetry.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: 3-6 months.
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Orion Magazine
- Pays: $100 per poem.
- What they want: Nature-focused poetry. If your work deals with the connection between people and the environment, this is the place.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: Around 3 months.
| Publication | Pay Rate | Average Response Time | What They Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poetry Magazine | $300+ | 6-8 months | The best of any style |
| The Kenyon Review | $100+ | 3-5 months | Polished, ambitious work |
| The Threepenny Review | $200 | 2-3 months | Short, powerful poems |
| VQR | $200 | ~6 months | High-quality, any style |
| Strange Horizons | $50 | <2 months | Sci-fi, fantasy, horror |
Mid Tier: Semi-Pro Pay ($10 – $49 per poem)
These journals are the backbone of the poetry world. They pay their writers, have dedicated readerships, and are fantastic places to build your publication credits. Don't underestimate them; the competition is still fierce.
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Rattle
- Pays: $200 for print, $100 for online.
- What they want: Accessible poems that are moving and memorable. They have a strong preference for free verse. Also famous for their weekly themed prompts.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. They are always open.
- Response Time: 2-4 months.
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The American Journal of Poetry
- Pays: A "modest honorarium." Reports vary, but it's typically in this tier.
- What they want: Bold, unapologetic poetry. The editor, Robert Nazarene, has a distinct taste. Seriously, read the journal first.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Email submissions.
- Response Time: Fast. Often within a week.
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U.S. Catholic
- Pays: $25 per poem.
- What they want: Poems that touch on themes of faith, spirituality, and modern life, but you don't need to be Catholic to submit.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Email.
- Response Time: 2-3 months.
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Christian Science Monitor
- Pays: Reports vary, typically around $25-$50.
- What they want: Uplifting, thoughtful, and nature-oriented poetry. They prefer shorter poems.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Email.
- Response Time: 1-2 months.
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Narrative Magazine
- Pays: $25-$150, but they also have a submission fee for most categories.
- What they want: A wide range of poetry. They have a "Poem of the Week" feature.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Their own submission system.
- Response Time: 2-3 months.
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The Fiddlehead
- Pays: CAD $60 per page.
- What they want: A wide range of contemporary poetry from Canada and around the world.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: 3-6 months.
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Arc Poetry Magazine
- Pays: CAD $50 per page.
- What they want: Another excellent Canadian journal seeking engaging, well-crafted poems.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: 4-6 months.
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Chicken Soup for the Soul
- Pays: $200 per poem (if accepted for a book).
- What they want: True, inspiring stories and poems that fit certain themes for their upcoming books.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Online form. Check their site for current themes.
- Response Time: Varies greatly.
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Bellevue Literary Review
- Pays: $25 honorarium plus copies.
- What they want: Poems related to themes of health, healing, illness, and the body.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. Reading periods apply.
- Response Time: 3-6 months.
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The Capilano Review
- Pays: $50 per page, up to $150.
- What they want: Experimental and avant-garde poetry that pushes boundaries.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: 4-6 months.
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Split Lip Magazine
- Pays: $50 per author for print, $25 for online.
- What they want: Voice-driven poetry with a pop culture sensibility. They love work that's specific and sharp.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: They are very fast, often responding in under a month.
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Frontier Poetry
- Pays: $50 per poem.
- What they want: This is a poetry-only journal and a great market for new writers. They want fresh, contemporary work.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable. Always open for fee-free submissions.
- Response Time: 2-4 months.
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Chestnut Review
- Pays: $120.
- What they want: They want work that's "stubbornly beautiful," and they read year-round.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: Very fast, often within a few weeks.
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The Shore
- Pays: $20 per poem.
- What they want: Lyrical, image-driven poetry.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Submittable.
- Response Time: 2-3 months.
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One Art
- Pays: $50 per accepted poem.
- What they want: They publish one poem a day. They look for work that's accessible and moving.
- Simultaneous Submissions? Yes.
- Submission Link: Email. They have specific formatting requirements.
- Response Time: Fast. Usually under a month.
Token Payment & Contributor Copies
Getting your first publication credit is a huge step. These journals may not pay much (or at all), but they're respected and can be a launchpad to the paying markets. A contributor copy is a physical piece of evidence that you're a published poet.
- Contemporary Verse 2 (CV2): Pays $30 per poem. Canada's oldest poetry-only journal.
- Rust + Moth: Pays $20. They're always open and appreciate raw, imagistic poetry.
- Gyroscope Review: Pays $10. Focuses on poets over 50 but accepts all ages.
- Blue Marble Review: Pays $25. A market for writers aged 13-22.
- Poet Lore: Pays in contributor copies. America's oldest poetry-only journal.
- The London Grip: Pays a small token amount via PayPal. An international online journal.
- Eye to the Telescope: Pays $0.03/word ($25 min). The journal of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association.
- Fireside Magazine: Pays $100+. They occasionally open for poetry. Speculative focus.
- Apparition Lit: Pays $30. Speculative poetry with quarterly themes.
- Pedestal Magazine: Pays $40. A long-running online magazine with a great reputation.
- 32 Poems: Pays $25. As the name implies, they like concise, crafted work.
- Uncanny Magazine: Pays $30. A major player in the speculative fiction world that also publishes poetry.
- Contrary Magazine: Pays $20. An online quarterly that wants thoughtful, place-based poetry.
- The Sun Magazine: Pays $100-$250. Highly competitive, they want personal, political, and provocative work. This one belongs higher on the list, but its reading periods are notoriously short.
- Verse Daily: Unpaid, but they reprint poems from recently published books and journals, providing massive exposure.
How to Craft a Winning Poetry Submission
Sending your poems out is tough. You can increase your chances of an acceptance by being professional about it. If you're serious about your writing, you might even consider moving from single poems to publishing a whole book. Our guide on how to write your first book can help map out that larger journey.
Read the Journal First (Seriously)
This is the most important piece of advice. Before you even think about submitting, read at least one recent issue of the magazine. Get a feel for their style. Do they prefer formal verse or experimental? Long narrative poems or short lyrics? Sending work that doesn't fit is the fastest way to get rejected.
Follow Formatting Guidelines to the Letter
Editors are busy. Don't make their job harder.
- File Type: If they ask for a .doc file, don't send a PDF.
- Font: Stick to something simple like 12-point Times New Roman. Don't get fancy unless the poem's form demands it. For more on this, check our analysis of what is the best font to write a book in.
- Spacing: Single-spaced is standard for poetry unless they say otherwise. A new poem starts on a new page.
- Contact Info: Put your name and email on every page, usually in the header.
Create a master document for your poems with perfect formatting. When you're ready to submit, just copy the poems you're sending into a new file. It saves a ton of time.
Writing a Professional Cover Letter
Keep it short and professional. Anything else is a red flag.
Your cover letter needs four things:
- Salutation: "Dear Poetry Editor," or "Dear [Editor's Name]," if you know it.
- The Ask: "Please consider the attached [number] poems ('Title 1,' 'Title 2,' and 'Title 3') for publication in [Magazine Name]."
- A Brief Bio: Third person, 50 words max. "John Doe is a writer from Anytown, USA. His work has appeared in Another Journal and Some Other Place. He can be found online at [website]." If you have no publications, just say you're an emerging writer.
- Closing: "Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, [Your Name]".
That's it. Don't explain what your poems are about. The poems should speak for themselves.
Understanding Submission Terms
Most journals use online submission managers now. The most popular is Submittable, by a long shot. Knowing your way around it is a key skill for any writer today. We have a complete guide to using Submittable for writers that breaks it all down.
- Simultaneous Submissions: Sending the same batch of poems to multiple journals at the same time. Most journals allow this. If a poem is accepted, you must immediately withdraw it from all other journals.
- Multiple Submissions: Sending more than one batch of poems to the same journal during the same reading period. Most journals do not allow this.
- Rights: When a journal accepts your poem, you're usually selling them First North American Serial Rights (FNASR). This means they have the right to be the first publication in North America to publish that poem. After it's published, the rights revert to you, and you can include it in a book or reprint it elsewhere (with an acknowledgement to the first publisher).
The Future of Paid Poetry Markets
The poetry world is healthier than you might think. A recent industry analysis projects that poetry publishing will increase by 8-10% in 2025, mostly because of new digital magazines and platforms. This growth isn't just in obscure corners of the internet.
The same report notes that poetry book sales saw a 7% increase in 2023. This is great news for poets. A bigger market means more slots to fill, more journals looking for work, and more chances to get paid. Independent bookstores are also seeing stronger sales, a trend highlighted in the Google Cloud publishing data. The reality is, a new generation of readers is finding poetry on social media and then looking for it in print. That's a key finding in the 2026 market report and it's what's pushing the growth.
While you focus on individual poems, you can also diversify your income. Many of the skills you develop as a poet are transferable, and you can learn how to sell short stories for money with a similar submission strategy. Remember that every poem is a chance to connect with a reader, and every submission is a step forward. The key is persistence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much can you realistically make from poetry?
For most poets, the income from individual poems is modest. It's best seen as a bonus, not a salary. You might make a few hundred to a thousand dollars a year if you're submitting regularly and getting accepted in mid-to-top-tier journals. The real money comes later, from book sales, awards, teaching, and performance fees.
Do I need an MFA to get published in these journals?
Absolutely not. Editors care about the quality of the poem, not your degree. While an MFA provides time, community, and connections, it isn't a requirement for publication. Many of the world's most celebrated poets were self-taught. The debate over MFA vs. self-taught writers is ongoing, but what really matters is the work itself.
What are chapbooks and how do they relate to getting paid?
A chapbook is a short collection of poems, typically 20-40 pages long. Many smaller presses run chapbook contests, often with a cash prize ($500-$1,000) and a publication run. Winning one is a fantastic way to get your name out there and can serve as a stepping stone to a full-length collection. If you're considering this path, our guide on how to publish a poetry chapbook is a great place to start.
Are poetry contests worth entering?
Yes, but be selective. Stick to contests run by reputable magazines or university presses. Avoid any contest that looks like it just exists to collect entry fees. Legitimate contests have respected judges and a history of publishing quality work. A big contest win can come with a significant cash prize and major prestige.
How do I track my poetry submissions?
Use a spreadsheet. Create columns for the journal name, the titles of the poems you sent, the date submitted, and the date of response. This stops you from accidentally resubmitting to a journal too soon or forgetting to withdraw an accepted poem from other places.