Sho Poetry Journal is an Arizona-based print journal coming out of a 20-year hibernation. We publish a diverse range of contemporary poetry and seek to champion poets at all stages of their careers, with special attention given to the work of emerging poets.
We publish two issues per year and feature 40 - 50 poets per issue. We also feature select work in audio form on our website and on social media.
We nominate select works for The Pushcart Prize, Best New Poets, and Best Spiritual Literature. Poetry that has appeared in Shō has been chosen for inclusion in Best Spiritual Literature and Verse Daily.
Our reading periods are January 1 to March 31 and July 1 to September 30. Our average response time is 2 weeks, and we respond to all submissions within 30 days.
All work accepted for publication will be considered for the Shō Poetry Prize (best poem in issue) and the Sita Martin Prize (best poem by an emerging poet). Each winner receives $250 and a one-year subscription to Shō.
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What to submit
1. Submit up to five unpublished poems at a time. Please include page numbers and your name on every page. Name your file as follows: FirstName_LastName
2. A cover letter: If your poem is 'after' another poet, please name the poem it's after, if applicable, or provide any relevant details in your cover letter. Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you specify this in your cover letter.
Note: We do not accept AI generated work.
Response time
Our average response time is 2 weeks. We attempt to respond to all submissions within 30 days.
Withdrawals
To withdraw a poem from consideration, send us a message through Submittable. Please do not send us updated versions of your poems after you've submitted.
Payment
Shō is a print journal. Payment is one contributor’s copy. Authors also receive a discount on the purchase of extra copies. All work accepted for publication will be considered for the Shō Poetry Prize (best poem in issue) and the Sita Martin Prize (best poem by an emerging poet). Each winner receives $250 and a one-year subscription to Shō.
Read our full submission guidelines here.
If your work has appeared in two successive issues of Shō, please wait two issues before submitting again.
This submission portal is for Native American poets. For regular submissions, please use this link.
As an Arizona-based journal, Shō welcomes submissions from Native American poets, including Native Hawaiian, or Canadian First Nations, Inuit, and Métis poets. Please mention your tribal affiliation in your cover letter.
What to submit
1. Submit up to five unpublished poems at a time. Please include page numbers and your name on every page. Name your file as follows: FirstName_LastName
2. A cover letter: If your poem is 'after' another poet, please name the poem it's after, if applicable, or provide any relevant details in your cover letter. Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you specify this in your cover letter.
Note: We do not accept AI generated work.
If your work has appeared in two successive issues of Shō, please wait two issues before submitting again.
Response time Our average response time is 2 weeks. We attempt to respond to all submissions within 30 days.
Withdrawals To withdraw a poem from consideration, send us a message through Submittable. Please do not send us updated versions of your poems after you've submitted.
Payment Shō is a print journal. Payment is one contributor’s copy. Authors also receive a discount on the purchase of extra copies. All work accepted for publication will be considered for the Shō Poetry Prize (best poem in issue) and the Sita Martin Prize (best poem by an emerging poet). Each winner receives $250 and a one-year subscription to Shō.
Read our full submission guidelines here.