Third Wednesday provides yet another outlet for experienced writers and artists to see their work in print. The primary impetus for this endeavor is to publish the poetic voices that strike us most deeply.

Third Wednesday is honored to have been the source of first publication for several poems that have been featured by American Life in Poetry.

The Poetry Foundation has formed a partnership with the Library of Congress to support the American Life in Poetry project, an initiative of Ted Kooser, the 2004-2006 Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. 

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Third Wednesday

We are now reading for the Winter issue, which will be published in late March of 2026.
How to Submit:
Submit no more than three poems in a single .doc or .docx file attachment.  Your file should contain no identifying information, as all submissions are read blindly by our editors. A cover letter or biography is not necessary but we enjoy reading them.
We welcome simultaneous submissions, but please be a good poetry citizen by informing us promptly if your work is accepted elsewhere.
All types of poetry are welcome, from formal to experimental. Emphasis is placed on the ideas conveyed, craft, language, the beauty of expression, and the picture that extends beyond the frame of the poem. Quality is paramount. No previously published poems, please.
Be sure to find and like us on Facebook. Something of yours could be featured someday and you wouldn't want to miss it.
New Publishing Model:
Our website now features poetry and fiction pieces accepted for publication within a few days of their acceptance. This means you will now be able to share your good news and your work with the world right away.  If you have a piece accepted we encourage you to post the link on your social media - spread the news.

 
Publication Rights:
By submitting work to Third Wednesday, the author grants us First Right to publish the work in print and electronically (on our blog site).  Work that is accepted will be published in one print issue of Third Wednesday.  All copyrights revert to the author upon publication.


 
Here's what some of our editors have said about what they look for:



What I look for in a poem is the sense that I am somehow being addressed. I want to see that the poet has the reader in mind. Equally important to me is the poet’s skillful and fresh use of contemporary language and imagery. Poets who don’t have a clue about craft should learn about it before submitting. Finally, I would encourage poets to write about something worth writing about, rather than leaving me with the urge to say, “So what?”  - Marilyn

 
I want to see poems that are outward-looking and accessible and material that is outside the individual psyche of the author. Many good poems end in ways that surprise the writer, who starts out attending closely to something and finds, through writing, what it means to him or her.  - Lynn

 
I look for an interesting story or a photograph within the poem. I look for layers of meaning and for what isn't said. In a love poem, for example, I look for the absence of words like love, heart, soul and all the other words or phrases that are expected. I want the unexpected.  - David

Regular Poetry Submission

We are currently reading for the Summer Issue (June  2026). 

Publishing Model:               Our website now features poetry and fiction pieces accepted for publication within a few days of acceptance. This means you can share your good news and your work with the world right away.  If you have a piece accepted we encourage you to post the link on your social media - spread the news.

 What We Publish:               Third Wednesday publishes short-short fiction stories of up to 1,000 words. We do not print genre fiction, children's fiction or memoir. Send only one story per submission as a separate .doc or .docx file.               Keep in mind that, due to limited space, TW can only publish about 3 prose pieces in each quarterly issue. That means we have to pass on many fine pieces.

Regular Fiction

U.S. and Canada Only


Three Prizes of $100.00 and publication in Third Wednesday's Spring Contest issue. (March 2026). Entries accepted from Dec. 1, 2025 through Feb. 28, 2026.     Winning poets and honorable mentions will receive a print copy of the contest issue. Non-prize poems will be considered for inclusion in the same or later issue of 3rd Wednesday as a regular submission unless the poet chooses not to have them considered (to preserve eligibility for other contests).
We will accept contest poems only from the US and Canada, as we do not have a mechanism in place for international payments.
We will accept contest entries of up to 3 previously unpublished poems of no more than 32 lines each, in any style and on any subject matter. Poems should be uploaded as a single .doc or .docx file with no identifying information within the text of the file. For poems with unusual spacing, do not use tabs. All entries must come through our submissions management portal at Submittable.  If you are not already a Submittable user, registration is free. We will not accept entries by mail or email.  You may enter as many times as you like, but only three poems per entry. 
Winning poems will be published in our spring issue near the end of March, 2026. Winners and honorable mentions will receive a print copy of the magazine. Additional copies can be purchased from Amazon and a free electronic edition will be available from our website.    You can choose to pay via credit card or Pay Pal by selecting your choice when you submit.    No entries will be accepted by mail or email.      Introducing this year’s contest judge: Marilyn L. Taylor
Marilyn, former Poet Laureate of the city of Milwaukee (2004 -2005) and the state of Wisconsin (2009 – 2010), is the author of six poetry collections.  Her award-winning poems and essays have appeared in many anthologies and journals, including Poetry, American Scholar ,Able Muse, American Life in Poetry, and Measure. She also served for five years as a regular poetry columnist for The Writer magazine. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, where she continues to write and teach.

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Regular Poetry Submission

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