Hi Geoff, I've been overwhelmed by the numerous journals on-line and print. I have a paid membership with Duotrope and a free subscription of Chill Subs. I was wondering if you have some recommendations on how to build up slowly and build your bio via online and print journals. Years ago, I submitted actively; however, it was relatively easy because it took a lot of effort to send letters and self-addressed envelopes. I would just bombard print magazines with the same submission packets and eventually get a couple of hits. Now the competition seems so tough since it is so easy to make a submission. All of the places are much harder to get into. Thanks- Debbie

Hi Geoff, I was wondering if you had any tips on how to view the different rejections letters. Here's a few examples of opening lines 1. At this time, the editors at X have chosen not to publish "Y" in the next available issue. 2. Thank you for thinking of X. We are sorry to say that your submission isn’t a good fit for us. Other editors may react differently (and frequently do). We wish you success in your writing and publishing. 3. Thank you for sending me your poems, which I enjoyed reading. Thanks, too for telling me about yourself and your father and his connection to X. I'm sorry to say, however, that I'm going to pass. The robust response to the Y column compels me to vote "No" far more often than I ever anticipated. Please understand. 4. Thank you for your recent submission. While I found much to admire here, I am afraid I am going to have to pass on these. I think that examples 3 and 4 have good potential in terms of my resubmitting. I think that 4- Duotrope said that the Journal writes 29% comments. What are your thoughts on rejection letters? Do you wait for a while like 6 months after a rejection to resubmit? Thanks again- Debbie

Hi Geoff, can you provide some tips on how to evaluate an online poetry journal? I usually just see if the journal nominates for Pushcart prizes and other awards or appears to have a high journal ranking. I was wondering if there is a strategic way that you categorize poetry journals stylistically and then determine if it is a good fit for your poetry. Thanks- Debbie

Hi Geoff, I'm very puzzled by what poetry magazine editors want and would like my poetry to soar above the slush pile. I was wondering if you could provide some thoughts or a guide on how to do it. Here's a link to Blue Heron on the internet that offers some suggestions. https://blueheronreview.com/what-are-magazine-editors-really-looking-for/ Thanks- Debbie

Hi Geoff, I was wondering if you have any guides to evaluating poetry that you recommend. I want to deepen my skills for analyzing poetry. I found this on the internet at one of the poetry on-line forums and was wondering if we might find this useful. thanks- Debbie This is not a definitive guide, just something I've devised over the years and found to work. Using the reverse weight to that of a debate: Method: The way the work is presented. Structure and language especially. Does the form of the poem support the content?This is generally more rigid for structured poetry than freeverse. For example, if someone writes in meter there are standard measures to decide whether it's been done properly. Similarly with cinquains, rictameters and other set forms. There's no such requirement for free verse. For either, though:-- Look at line breaks, line lengths and punctuation. Are these carefully placed or arbitrary? Do they provide emphasis? Do they contribute to mood?-- Is the language of the poem suitable? Does the tone convey the appropriate mood? Look at things like vernacular, archaisms, scientific discourse. Do these "mesh"? If not, does the language choice provide contrast/juxtapositions/irony or is it simply "wrong"?-- Does the poem appear fluid or does it seem forced? Is the language stilted and awkward? Do inversions of syntax and other grammatical oddities contribute to the piece or detract from it? Rhyme will come into this as well -- any rhymes should seem natural and not overstated or obvious. Manner: How it's presented. Imagery, sonics, metaphor. How "poetic" is the poem?-- Is the phrasing interesting and original?-- Are all metaphors etc clearly drawn and continued, or are they seemingly random and overblown?-- Does the imagery/symbolism make sense or does it seem too personal/closed?-- Do individual sounds/words enhance the poem? For example, lyric poetry is better served with softer, rounder sounds and sibilants. Battle poems -- hard sharp sounds. Consider how the sounds contribute to the speed of the poem. This ties in closely with the method but also very strongly supports the "imagery" side. Matter: WHAT is being said, the argument/examples/information  What is being said?-- Is the topic of the poem interesting? Bearing in mind that any topic may be interesting or dull depending on the way it's presented -- so, is the poet finding that required hook?-- Is it logically presented? This will obviously not come into play in certain kinds of poetry (surrealism defies logic deliberately, for example). Further to this, though, consider whether the poem keep the reader's interest or is a bunch of non sequiturs that are unlinked by any devices. Remember: Whether you LIKE the poem is the very last thing you should consider if you wish to remain objective. It could be worse

Dreams     Lightning dove, apple blossom, cantaloupe, shells, miniature caves where we peek inside and plunge down swirling slides, salted pink caverns, echoes of a distant sea   which brings us to the beach  searching for starfish, sand dollars, dreams in a desert of chipped cups and vases left by snails, sparkling glass, miles of sand that we leave to the dark sea, the night,   the shadows who flock at dawn tossing our dreams into heavy sacks, crushing ones shaped like sad pebbles beneath their boots, leaving only scattered footprints on an empty beach. Deborah Strozier                 “Dreams” was published in The Bitter Oleander’s 2005 Fall Volume 11, No. 2 and reprinted in The Raintown Review’s 2006 Volume 5, Issue 1

I just wanted to hear your thoughts about writing sonnets. I've struggled writing Shakespearean Sonnets in the past, and I've been hearing about writing these new "modern" sonnets which just have 14 lines. I was reading Frank X Walker's book, Load in Nine Times, recently. I didn't realize that there was a series of 15 sonnets under the title, "Let My People Go" in the center of the book until another poetry book club member pointed it out!