We are a poetry-only journal that welcomes submissions three times per year during our open reading periods, prior to each issue. Send us your most polished work. We look for the best poems, regardless of form or subject matter. Submissions are open to any poet writing in English from anywhere in the world. However, we do not accept translations at this time. We encourage submissions from writers of all backgrounds, including LGBTQIA+ writers, writers of color, unpublished writers, writers with disabilities, and international writers. All who submit work must be at least 18 years of age.
We do not accept work that exhibits racism, xenophobia, sexism, ageism, classism, religious prejudice, ableism, or hatred of any marginalized group or individual.
Send up to 5 poems for consideration, with a maximum of 2 pages per poem. Submit all poems in one document in Times New Roman 12-point font. Poems should be single-spaced, with each poem beginning on a new page. Because we have format limitations, do not submit work that requires odd spacing or shapes that can’t be easily accommodated. Do not place your name or any personal information on your submitted poems, nor in the file name of your submission. Your name and personal information should only appear in the requested sections of Submittable. In the cover letter area, include your name, phone number, poem titles, and a brief biography (100-word maximum).
We encourage simultaneous submissions but let us know immediately if one or more of your poems are accepted elsewhere first. We do NOT accept previously published work, either in print or online (e.g. blogs, social media, websites).
Submit only once per reading period. We do not accept or read multiple submissions in the same reading period. To offer additional opportunities to more authors, we publish a poet’s work no more than once per year. By waiting one year before submitting again, we mean skipping two issues of RockPaperPoem. Since we publish three times a year, we regard this as a year's wait.
By submitting to RockPaperPoem, you agree that your work is original, unpublished, and that you are the author. If accepted, RockPaperPoem acquires First North American Serial and First Electronic Rights. All rights revert to the author after publication. Contributors agree to credit RockPaperPoem as the place their work first appeared. RockPaperPoem reserves the right to archive your work in perpetuity and, with your permission, anthologize your work in the future.
Once a submission is received by RockPaperPoem, no changes to the submission will be accepted. If a submitter wants to make a revision, he/she must withdraw the entire submission, make any desired changes, and submit the new, revised submission in its entirety. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions received and editorial time constraints, we are unable to provide feedback on any submission, nor comment on specific selection decisions made by the editors. Expect a response to your submission within 30 days after the close of the open reading period. We applaud and publicize our contributors by nominating for Best of the Net.