Shō Poetry Journal is an Arizona-based nonprofit print journal coming out of a 20-year hibernation. We publish an eclectic array of poetry and release online audio features on a rolling basis. We strive to expand on the small-press tradition of championing voices that have been historically underrepresented or overlooked.
We publish two issues per year and feature 40 - 50 poets per issue.
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 December 1 to March 31 and June 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 $150 and a one-year subscription to Shō.
If your work has appeared in two successive issues of Shō, please wait two issues before submitting again.
What to submit
1. Submit up to five previously unpublished poems at a time; please do not include poems that have been posted online. 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). Winners must be valid US taxpayers based in the United States. Each winner receives $150 and a one-year subscription to Shō.
Read our full submission guidelines here.
This submission portal is specifically for Native American and Indigenous Canadian poets. For regular submissions, please use this link.
As an Arizona-based journal, Shō offers free submissions to community-recognized members of tribal nations within the U.S. and its trust territories and to Indigenous Canadians (including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis poets).
If your work has appeared in two successive issues of Shō, please wait two issues before submitting again.
What to submit
1. Submit up to five previously unpublished poems at a time; please do not include poems that have been posted online. Include page numbers and your name on every page. Name your file as follows: FirstName_LastName
2. A cover letter and a short author biography: Please include your tribal affiliation 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). Winners must be valid US taxpayers based in the United States. Each winner receives $150 and a one-year subscription to Shō.