Tips from Bloodaxe

POETRY PUBLICATION:
SOME POINTERS

READING:
If you do not read much contemporary poetry, or if you write poetry 'as a hobby', we're unlikely to be interested in your work. You may disagree, but we believe that no one can write poetry of quality unless they read other poets and are in touch with the literary culture.

MAGAZINES:
It is usually advisable to submit poems to magazines before thinking about putting a book together. Such a "track record" is not used by publishers as a guarantee of quality, but as an indication that the writer has spent time building up a publishable collection. Poets under 30 can apply for a Gregory Award from the Society of Authors. This can be a good stepping-stone to publication.

MARKET:
Don't submit to publishers unless you've read their books, or to magazines unless you're familiar with the kind of work they publish. Every imprint is different, and you will not be able to publish much unless you research the field and send to the publishers or magazines whose output you like and respect.

OVERSEAS AUTHORS:
Unless your work has already been published in book form in your own country or the country where you have lived for some years, there is no point in seeking book publication elsewhere.
All the poets we publish from North America, Europe and elsewhere have already published
books and established a critical reputation as well as a readership in their own countries. If you've only been published in American magazines or chapbooks, it would be premature to seek book publication in Britain.