Sho Poetry Journal is a small-press 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.
Shō No. 3, our revival issue, was released in June 2023 and features poets such as Sean Thomas Dougherty, Shirley Geok-lin Lim, Bunkong Tuon, Sage Ravenwood, and translations of ancient Sanskrit poet Vidyā by Andrew Schelling (See the complete list of contributors here).
We nominate select works for The Pushcart Prize, Best New Poets, and Best Spiritual Literature.
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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 Submit up to five unpublished poems at a time.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.
2. Name your file (.doc/.docx) as follows: FirstName_LastName
3. Your cover letter should include the titles you are submitting and a third-person bio (60 words or less).
Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you specify this in your cover letter and send us a message through Submittable if your work is accepted elsewhere.
– If your poem is 'after' another poet, please name the poem it's after, or provide any relevant details in your cover letter.
– We do not accept AI generated work.
Response time
Our average response time is 2 weeks. We attempt to respond to all submissions within one month or less.
Payment
Shō is a print journal. Payment is one contributor’s copy. Authors also receive a discount on the purchase of extra copies.
Read our full submission guidelines here.
As an Arizona-based journal, Shō welcomes submissions from Native American poets.
Please do not submit your work here unless you are a Native American, Canadian First Nations, or Native Hawaiian poet. 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 Submit up to five unpublished poems at a time.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.
2. Your cover letter should include the titles you are submitting and a third-person bio (60 words or less).
– If your poem is 'after' another poet, please name the poem it's after, or provide any relevant details in your cover letter.
– Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as you specify this in your cover letter and send us a message through Submittable if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Response time
Our average response time is 2 weeks. We attempt to respond to all submissions within one month or less.
Payment
Shō is a print journal. Payment is one contributor’s copy. Authors also receive a discount on the purchase of extra copies. Read our full submission guidelines here.