A Call for Submissions

Submit your poems for an anthology,

BEARING WITNESS 2025: Poems for Troubled Times

As Salman Rushdie has noted, a poem cannot stop a bullet. Nor can a chapbook shoot a rifle. No, in troubled times–like these–the poet’s job is not to soldier, but to bear witness.

This is the nature of our call for submissions: poems of witness to the troubled events we’ve been experiencing in the recent past. There’s been enough trouble to encompass a wide range of topics.

So send your best poems–no more than five–on what you’ve witnessed. Any length, any form. We don’t care if the poems have already been published, as long as you have retained the copyright. Submissions will be capped after 100 entries.

Send your poems in .doc or .docx, formatted in 11pt Times New Roman, single spaced. Keep in mind that if your lines are longer than +/-70 characters and spaces they will break and continue on the next line.

Entries will be read blind. Do not include your name on your file. A brief bio and mention of prior publication is optional.

The winning poems will be featured in an anthology, BEARING WITNESS 2025. The best three will receive the following prizes:

  • First place, $100.00

  • Second place, $50.00

  • Third place, $25.00

Free copies of the anthology will be sent to all whose poems are included.

There will be a $15.00 reading fee, to defray the costs of publication and awards.

(NOTE: If you are unable to pay the fee, contact alan@sligocreekpublishing.com)

What we do not want are abusive rants. We are still proudly woke at Sligo Creek Publishing.

Terms & Submission Guidelines

By clicking the 'Submit' button, you agree to the following terms:

  1. Originality: The work you are submitting is your own original creation and belongs to you, the Contributor. It does not violate or infringe upon any existing copyright or license and has not been previously published as a collection elsewhere.

  2. Permissions: The Contributor is responsible for obtaining permissions, at their own expense, for any copyrighted materials used in the submission that belong to another person or party.

We’re Looking For…

At Sligo Creek Publishing, we’re excited to discover fresh voices and unique perspectives that challenge norms and expand creative boundaries. Here’s what we’re seeking:

  • Artistic Merit: Books that dazzle with their attention to craft and push the limits of traditional forms. We welcome experimental poetry, hybrid work, poetry with visual elements, prose poetry, and avant-garde styles.

  • Marginalized Voices: While we welcome all poets, we are particularly interested in uplifting marginalized voices. Submissions are read anonymously to ensure fairness.

  • Cohesive Collections: Manuscripts with a clear theme and thoughtful poem placement that create a powerful whole while maintaining the strength of each individual piece.

  • Inspiring Work: We love poetry rooted in place, language, and ekphrasis. We stray from strict rhyme and cliché that show little awareness of craft.

We encourage you to explore our previously published collections to get a feel for the kind of work we love to champion.

Submission Guidelines

Eligibility

  • We accept poetry-only manuscripts, though hybrid works will be considered if the majority of the manuscript is poetry.

Length

  • Chapbooks: 18–44 pages of cohesive, themed poetry.

  • Full Collections: 45–100 pages of poetry. Slight deviations in length are acceptable.

Language

  • Submissions should primarily be in English, though works with a bilingual component are welcome.

Formatting

  • Manuscripts should be formatted in a standard, 11-point font and single-spaced unless unique spacing is essential to the poems.

  • Page size should be 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".

  • Submit manuscripts in .doc or .docx format.

Anonymity

  • Submissions are read blindly. Do not include your name, email, or any identifying information in the manuscript itself.

Additional Requirements

  • Include a Table of Contents page.

  • Individual poems in your manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks, but the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished.

  • Add an Acknowledgements page listing prior publications of individual poems or chapbooks included in the collection.