The Turtle Moves Slowly But It Moves

It hardly seems possible that it was five years ago this month that I started Terrapin Books! And yet our Open Reading period #10 ended on August 31. There's cause for celebration. Each year the number of submissions increases and the quality of those submissions goes up. I accepted four outstanding manuscripts during the August reading period. I also accepted the first two titles for our new Redux Series for poets with a previous Terrapin title.

I wish I could take more manuscripts for publication, but I want to give careful attention to each poet and each book. That means carefully editing each manuscript and going through multiple back and forths during revision and proofreading. There is also a good deal of time that goes into cover design. I look forward to working with the four new Terrapin poets and the two returning poets.

Since starting Terrapin Books, I've published 24 single author collections:

Neil Carpathios, Confessions of a Captured Angel
Lynne Knight, The Persistence of Longing
Jessica de Koninck, Cutting Room
Christine Stewart-Nunez, Bluewords Greening
Patricia Clark, The Canopy
Carolyn Miller, Route 66 and Its Sorrows
Susanna Lang, Travel Notes from the River Styx
Hayden Saunier, How to Wear This Body
Michelle Menting, Leaves Surface Like Skin
Karen Paul Holmes, No Such Thing as Distance
Geraldine Connolly, Aileron
Michael T. Young, The Infinite Doctrine of Water
Lisa Bellamy, The Northway
Paige Riehl, Suspension
Gary J. Whitehead, Strange What Rises
Ann Fisher-Wirth, The Bones of Winter Birds
Sarah Wetzel, The Davids Inside David
David Graham, The Honey of Earth
Kory Wells, Sugar Fix
Dion O’Reilly, Ghost Dogs
Ann Keniston, Somatic
Yvonne Zipter, Kissing the Long Face of the Greyhound 
Heather Swan, A Kinship with Ash

In addition, the first title in our Redux series has just been published. This will be followed by the second title in February:
Patricia Clark, Self-Portrait with a Million Dollars 
Hayden Saunier, A Cartography of Home (forthcoming)

Terrapin expects to publish the four recently accepted manuscripts in 2021. Look for new books by the following poets:

Robin Rosen Chang
Meghan Sterling
Jeff Ewing
Diane LeBlanc

While our main focus is on single-author collections, we’ve also published three anthologies:
The Doll Collection, ed. Diane Lockward
The Book of Donuts, eds. Jason Lee Brown and Shanie Latham
A Constellation of Kisses, ed. Diane Lockward

And we've published three craft books:
The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop
The Crafty Poet II: A Portable Workshop
The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics

A fourth craft book is underway but still very embryonic.


Terrapin looks forward to continuing to publish poetry books.We pride ourselves on the quality of our books and the beauty of their covers. We also pride ourselves on the collaborative relationship we try to build with each poet.

We hold two open reading periods each year. Our next open reading period will be January 24 - February 28, 2021. Guidelines are posted at the website. Perhaps you’ll join our list of poets?

Summer Journals 2020

Get your mailbox ready to receive good news.


It's that time of year again. During the summer months, many of us have more time to write and submit, but quite a few journals close their doors to submissions for the summer. Do not despair. There are still many journals that do read during the summer and some that read only during the summer. This is a list of those journals, all print. I'm happy to add print journals to this list, but please do not send me online journals to add.

Journals come and go and guidelines and reading periods change, so be sure to check websites. I have updated this list within the last few days. But please let me know of any errors or changes you find.

I've added links for your convenience. I've also indicated the number of issues per year, the submission period dates, which journals accept simultaneous submissions, and which ones require snail mail submissions. Almost all of the journals have now switched to online submissions.

If no dates are given, the journal reads all year.

Good luck!
 

American Poetry Review—6x-tabloid

Asheville Poetry Review—3x—Jan. 15-July 15

Atlanta Review—2x—no June or Dec

Bat City Review—1x—July 1-Nov 1

Beloit Poetry Journal—2x—June 1-Aug 31

Black Warrior Review—2x—June 1-Sept 1

Briar Cliff Review—1x—all year

Cherry Tree—1x—August 1—October 1

Cimarron Review—4x

Conduit—2x

Cream City Review—2x—Aug 1-Nov 1

The Florida Review—2x—Aug 1-May 31 (subscribers all year)

The Fourth River—1x—opens July 1—Dec 1

Grist—1x—May 15--Aug 15

Hanging Loose—3x

snail mail
no sim

Hayden’s Ferry—2x—opens for submissions August 1

Hudson Review—4x—April 1-June 30 (all year if a subscriber)

snail mail
no sim

Lake Effect—1x

 

Lily Poetry Review—2x

Louisiana Literature—2x

Manhattan Review—2x

(prefers no sim but will take)
 snail mail 

 

The Maynard—2x—April 15—July 31

Measure—2x

metrical only

Michigan Quarterly Review—4x--August 1--Nov 30

Mid-American Review—2x

Minnesota Review—2x—August 1–November 1

Missouri Review—4x--all year

The Mom Egg—1x—May 1—July 15

Naugatuck River Review—2x—July 1-Sept 1

for the winter issue

Nimrod—2x—Jan 1-Nov 30

Pinyon—2x--all year August 1—Dec 1

Pleiades—2x—June 1--July 1

Ploughshares—3x—June 1 to January 15

Poetry—11x--all year

 

Prospectus—2x—June 1—August 31

The Raleigh Review—2x—opens July 1—Oct 1

Rattle—4x

Redactions—2x—by email–all year

Rhino—1x—April 1-July 31

River Styx—3x—May 1 thru Feb 1

Rosebud—3x

via email

Sakura Review—2x

Salt Hill—2x—July 15—Sept 1

San Pedro River Review—2x

month of July

via email

Saw Palm—1x—opens July 1

must have a Florida connection

Smartish Pace—2x

The Southeast Review—2x

Southern Humanities Review—4x—Aug 24-Nov 1

Southern Poetry Review—2x

snail mail or via their website

Sugar House Review—2x—opened May 31

Tahoma Literary Review—3x—now thru July 31

32 Poems—2x

Turnrow—2x

snail mail

Tusculum Review—1x

Washington Square Review—2x—Aug 1-Oct 15

Helping Your Manuscript Submission Make a Good First Impression

In the almost-five years since I started Terrapin Books, I’ve read a lot of submissions. I hold two open reading periods each year and have the same guidelines for both. I’ve made those guidelines as specific and clear as I can, but I keep finding the same errors in the submissions. So I thought it might be useful to share some of my thoughts on making your submission look good. These suggestions are based on my experiences at Terrapin.

First, it should go without saying that you need to read and follow the Guidelines. But it’s quite clear that some people really don’t bother reading the guidelines. Guidelines vary from press to press, so you must read them each time you submit. My press wants your identifying information on the manuscript, but some presses specify that you should not include it. Be sure you know what each press wants and then provide it. Include everything that the guidelines ask for. I ask for a 4-6 sentence description of what the manuscript is about. Each submission period I receive a number of submissions that omit this information. Don’t be that person.

Most guidelines ask for a cover letter. Yours should be written in first person, friendly but not overly familiar. Be sure you correctly name the press you’re submitting to. When I read a cover letter in which the writer says she’s happy to submit her manuscript to Red Hen Press, well, I get a bit of a laugh, but I think the writer would be happier not making that mistake. Make sure your letter is accurate and directed to the publisher you are submitting to. Be sure to spell the publisher’s name correctly. I wish I had a dollar for each time I’m addressed as Diane Lockwood instead of Lockward. I don’t hold that against anyone. There’s no penalty, but it does suggest that you’re careless when you get the publisher’s name wrong. Do not include your age. I’m amazed by how many poets include this information—and it’s always from an older poet who seems to be apologizing for having grown old or bragging about the advanced years. Just omit that detail. Let it be your little secret.

Most guidelines also ask for a bio. If you are adding the bio after the cover letter, it should be in third person. Keep it brief, maybe one healthy paragraph. Include titles of books you’ve previously published. Be sure to include the name of the press for each title. If you omit that information, you may give the impression that you don’t want to reveal who published your previous collections. (If you’ve published many books, include the most recent 2 or 3.) Include the names of 3-4 journals that have published your work. Do not include an extensive list. Select the best journals, the ones you’re most proud of. And please, I’m begging you, do not brag about or even mention how many publications you’ve had in journals. This kind of bragging is just unattractive and unnecessary. Please also be sure not to say that you have been “widely” or “extensively” published. Do not refer the publisher to your website for additional information. And most especially don’t tell the publisher that she can find your bio at your website. The publisher isn’t going to go in search of your bio. Provide it with your submission.

Regarding the manuscript itself, do not put a copyright symbol anywhere on your manuscript. This implies that you fear the publisher/editor might steal your work. Your manuscript is automatically copyrighted once your name is on it. Don’t offend the publisher! And don’t look like an amateur.

Do not include any decorative flourishes such as clipart or photos. Use one consistent font throughout the manuscript. Do not use a script font! Poem titles may be larger but poems should all be the same size font. Use black ink, no colors. The publisher isn’t interested in fancy formatting.

Put one space after a period. If you persist in inserting two spaces, you will make yourself look outdated. Since the invention of the computer, one space has been the convention. Two spaces is just wrong as well as outdated.

Once you have prepared your submission according to the publisher’s guidelines, check and double check. Then kiss your manuscript goodbye and wish it luck as you press that Submit button.

Terrapin Books will be open for submissions of full-length poetry collections from August 1 thru August 31. Please be sure to read the Guidelines (of course!) and the FAQs.

Terrapin Books: Upcoming Open Reading Period

Terrapin Books will open for submissions of full-length poetry manuscripts on January 24 and will remain open thru February 29, 2020. We look forward to reading many fine submissions.

Our Guidelines are as follows:

Submit a manuscript of approximately 40-55 poems for a book of approximately 90-110 pages (count includes poems, front and back matter, blank pages, and section pages).

Include contact information on title page (we do not read anonymous submissions). Use one inch margins all around.

Do not use all caps for poem titles.

Include Table of Contents.

Include page numbers.

Include Acknowledgments Page that lists journals and poem titles. Format as a list indicating which poems appeared in which journal. Do not format in paragraph form. Please note that we allow a maximum of 6 poems from a previously published chapbook(s). Regardless of the number of chapbooks, it’s no more than a total of 6 chapbook poems. Poems previously published in a chapbook should be indicated as such on the Acknowledgments page. Include title of poem and title of chapbook.

In cover letter area include a brief bio and a 4-6 sentence description of your manuscript—in your own words. Do not send a blurb.

We recommend that 25-50% of the poems have been previously published. More is fine.

Simultaneous submission is acceptable but please withdraw your manuscript immediately if it's accepted elsewhere.

We strongly suggest that you peruse at least one book from Terrapin Books before submitting. We suggest that you do this with any press before you submit.

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Terrapin Books is committed to publishing outstanding books of poetry by outstanding poets. We intend to fully support our poets. We will edit your manuscript and work with you on revisions. We expect our poets to actively engage in promoting their books. We require our poets to maintain a dedicated website and to be a member of Facebook.

Our books are 6 x 9, paperback, color cover, printed spine.

We are committed to publishing accepted titles within approximately six months of acceptance. We do not maintain a long list of books-in-waiting.

We offer a standard contract, a generous number of author copies, a substantial discount on additional copies purchased by author, and a royalty payment.

Please note that we are unable to accept submissions from outside the US.

All submissions must be made thru our Submittable page.

Our guidelines and link to Submittable may also be found on our website.

We are happy to respond to questions, but please read our FAQs before asking as your answer may be found there.