Poetry Northwest was founded as a quarterly, poetry-only journal in 1959 by Errol Pritchard, with Carolyn Kizer, Richard Hugo, Nelson Bentley, and Edith Shiffert (“Far Eastern”) as co-editors.

Poetry Northwest, established in 1959, is a distinguished literary magazine dedicated to publishing contemporary poetry. 

In 2002, after facing financial challenges, Poetry Northwest temporarily ceased publication.

In addition to the magazine, Poetry Northwest launched Poetry NW Editions in 2018, focusing on publishing poets who have already published at least one full-length collection. The press aims to amplify voices that hone the experiential edge of language into poems of specific gravity, replete with the music of time and place. 

Poetry Northwest continues to honor its founding principles by serving as a platform for both established and emerging writers, representing the Pacific Northwest to a broader audience, and attracting readers with the promise of discovery. 

The magazine remains committed to publishing the best poetry it can find, expanding the public role and private scope of poetry in ways both innovative and traditional.

Forgot about National Poetry Month? Don't miss these reading periods before April ends. Here are all our favorite lit mags closing on April 30th / May 1st for that sweet, sweet last-minute sub rush.

Where to Submit for National Poetry Month (at the Eleventh Hour)

Publications with verse selected for America's foremost poetry anthology. These journals consistently publish poetry representing the most significant contemporary verse across styles and approaches.

Lit Mags Featured in Best American Poetry Anthologies

Digital publications with work selected for inclusion across genres. These journals consistently publish online work of exceptional quality that stands out in the digital literary landscape.

Lit Mags Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

Publications with pieces chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. Recognition of exceptional quality across poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

Lit Mags Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Looking for balance between prestige and accessibility? These magazines are competitive but attainable for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writers.

Literary Magazines in the Sweet Spot

Journals that forward outstanding nonfiction to this respected anthology series founded in 1986. These publications identify exceptional essays that might reach the broader readership BAE provides.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best American Essays

Identifies publications that put forward outstanding online work for this respected digital anthology established in 2006.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

All-time most competitive literary magazines. Getting published in these is a significant achievement for any writer.

Most Competitive Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the all-time most competitive poetry literary magazines. These legendary publications are where only the best poetry gets through.

Most Competitive Poetry-Only Literary Magazines of All Time

Explore the most popular literary magazines of all time. These long-established publications are a staple in the literary world for writers of all genres.

Most Popular Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the all-time most popular poetry literary magazines. These outlets have maintained a significant presence in the world of poetry.

Most Popular Poetry-Only Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the all-time most submitted-to poetry literary magazines. These publications have consistently attracted a high volume of poetry submissions.

Most Submitted-To Poetry-Only Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the most submitted-to poetry literary magazines this year. These publications have consistently attracted a high volume of poetry submissions.

Most Submitted-To Poetry-Only Literary Magazines This Year

Digital publications chosen for Best of the Net. These journals consistently publish digital essays and memoirs that exemplify the best of what's possible in online creative nonfiction.

Nonfiction Magazines Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

Essay-focused publications with works selected for Pushcart Prize anthologies. These journals have repeatedly identified nonfiction that resonates with Pushcart editors and readers.

Nonfiction Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Digital publications nominating outstanding essays and creative nonfiction for Best of the Net.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Verse-centered publications with poems chosen for Pushcart Prize anthologies. These journals have consistently identified poems that stand out in this intensely competitive field.

Poetry Magazines Featured in Pushcart Prize Anthologies

Online journals that specifically champion poetry for Best of the Net consideration.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for Best of the Net

Digital publications with poems chosen for Best of the Net. These journals consistently identify exceptional verse that represents the highest quality of poetry published online.

Poetry Mags Featured in Best of the Net Anthologies

Poetry Northwest

Poetry Northwest is excited to launch its newest virtual space: The Text&Sketch Gallery — a place where poetry and visual art meet, inspire, and transform.


 

This ongoing online gallery will highlight the creative dialogue between artists and poets. Selected artists will be paired with a poem and asked to create a new piece in response. Both the original and the inspired works will be featured side-by-side in the gallery on Poetry Northwest’s website.


 

How it works:


 

- Submit up to 2 original visual works by September 30

- If selected, you’ll be paired with a poet’s work

- You’ll have 2 months to create a new piece inspired by your assigned poem


 

To apply, attach your work and enter your bio + cover letter into the text box.

Open Call for Art Submissions!

Eligibility
The prize is open to emerging poets who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans). Only poets who have not published more than one book-length literary work in any genre are eligible; however, previous publication is not a requirement. Eligible contestants must be community-recognized members of their tribal nation. Formal tribal enrollment is not the only way of acknowledging belonging, and this prize aims to recognize all Native writers who are in community. Previous first place winners of this prize are not eligible, but previous finalists are welcome to submit work.
How to submit
Between December 15 and February 15, each entrant may submit up to three poems in a single document. Please submit only once.
There is no submission fee for this prize. Please read our guidelines before you submit.
Submissions must include a cover letter with tribal affiliation(s) and a short biography. However, please do not include any personal information (name, mailing address, etc.) on the poems themselves. All entries will be screened by a team of poets from the board and advisory committee of In-Na-Po (Indigenous Nations Poets). All identifying information will be removed from the submissions before each round of judging, and entries will be read blind at each stage of the judging process.
Entries must be previously unpublished. We accept simultaneous submissions. You may withdraw your submission at any time via Submittable.
All entrants will receive a complimentary copy of the issue that includes the winning poems.

The prize is open to emerging poets who are community-recognized members of tribal nations within the United States and its trust territories (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, and American Samoans). Only poets who have not published more than one book-length literary work in any genre are eligible; however, previous publication is not a requirement. Eligible contestants must be community-recognized members of their tribal nation and over the age of 18. Formal tribal enrollment is not the only way of acknowledging belonging, and this prize aims to recognize all Native writers who are in community. Previous first place winners of this prize are not eligible, but previous finalists are welcome to submit work.

Submit to the James Welch Prize for Indigenous Writers

We are interested in interviews that are meaty. By that we don’t mean long, we mean well-researched, well-constructed interviews that are intent on honoring the practice of what comes after the book. We are of the belief that the endpoint is not the final page, and that in fact there is no endpoint to a book. The discussion of poetry makes it eternal. And how lucky we are to be able to speak with the makers, the creators, the artist whose work we are holding. Let’s give them our attention. As Simone Weil says, “Absolutely unmixed attention is prayer.” We are interested in being part of that practice.
We strongly encourage interview-ers and interview-ees of historically marginalized backgrounds to send us their conversations. We also strongly encourage conversations with those working on the translation of poetry into the English language or poets whose work is invested in being multilingual in other interesting ways not documented here.
We publish interviews once every few months to the Poetry Northwest website and occasionally in print. Interviews submitted here will be considered for both locations, though we publish the majority of our interviews online. We generally would like to see interviews between 2,000-5,000 words. The interviews we publish are limited to conversations about works of poetry. We unfortunately do not accept interviews on nonfiction or fiction pieces. Please see our interviews section for examples on how to format your poetry interview submissions.
This submittable link is for completed interviews only. Please send your pitches to alexaluborsky@poetrynw.org directly. Please include the following: a 250-500 word pitch describing the author’s name, their relationship to you, why you feel it is important to interview this person now, and if you have already made contact with them about the interview/if they have already agreed to it. Please also include a previous example of an interview, should you have one so we get a sense of your style of questioning. If you don’t have that, no worries, please just send us a draft of the questions you’d like to ask. These should be included in the same file.
We aim to respond to all interview submissions within 90 days. Unfortunately, at the moment we cannot offer honorarium to authors for interviews published on the web.
We can’t wait to see what you’re talking about out there in the poetry ether!
–Alexa Luborsky, Interviews Editor

Submit Interviews

Writers submitting translations, please share them with us here. We require that you have the copyright-holder's permission for your translations. General guidelines apply.

Submit Poems in Translation

We are open to reviewing prose that encourages us to engage with poets and/or books of poetry (not necessarily new releases) and/or issues of craft or poetics in new ways.
Note: Poems submitted here will go unread. At this point, we are less interested in standard reviews and more in essays that find their own shape and logic outside of the review format. 

What We Look For in Essays:

  Engaging, deep readings of poetry that go beyond content summary and description into considerations of how poets might shift, challenge, illuminate, disturb, and produce their poetics.
  We are especially interested in essays that put multiple titles in productive conversation.
  Critical writing that is itself sharp, lyrical, and analytical!

Submit Essays

Presenting is a print feature in which Senior Editor Xavier Cavazos introduces readers to a poet whose work has never before been featured in a nationally distributed print journal.

All writers whose poetry has not been featured or is not forthcoming in a nationally distributed print journal may submit up to four poems at a time. Please wait for a response before submitting again.

All work submitted in this category will be considered for general publication even if not selected for the Presenting feature.

Please read our general guidelines before you submit.

Please help us to ensure that we take to press a magazine that reflects the tremendous diversity of the contemporary poetry community by including in your cover letter any relevant information that you feel would aid us in this mission.

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