American Poetry Journal Gold Star Program Gold Star

CURRENT TEAM MEMBERS

Kyla Sterling, senior poetry editor

Xavier Searle , senior poetry editor

Matthew Henry, poetry editor

Star Zahra, poetry editor

Theresa Senato Edwards, owner, publisher, and EIC

PREVIOUS TEAM MEMBERS

Michelle Whittaker , poetry editor

Lane Falcon, poetry editor

Robin Rosen Chang, poetry editor

Fleur Ann Van Woerkom, poetry reader

J.P. Dancing Bear, Founding Editor, RIP August 24, 2026

Publishing schedule 2027: ISSUES: Open submissions, November 1- 30, 2026, for consideration in APJ's February 2027 online issue. July 1-July 31, for consideration in APJ's October 2027 online issue.

MICRO E-CHAPBOOK: Open submission, March 1-March 31, 2027, for consideration in APJ's Micro E-Chapbook Series, July 2027 online publication. All subject to change, if necessary.

Mission Statement: APJ seeks to publish a diverse range of creative voices in poetry, hybrid work, audio work, and cover art that will connect all creatives and their readers from around the globe. APJ also strives to publish emerging, established, and marginalized voices, taking diversity and inclusivity in publishing into the utmost consideration when choosing work for an issue and/or creative project. APJ looks for emotionally adept, risk-taking work that hones its craft skillfully, honestly, and imaginatively, always keeping not only APJ’s readers in mind but also the journal’s commitment of transparency to the literary community. Overall, we contribute to each project with sincerity, joy, poetic insight, and compassion.

Creative Aesthetic: APJ strives to publish poems we cannot shake off because they’re unique; they’re intestinal; they’re honest; they progress, leave us deep rooted and committed. We look for distinctiveness, want bold metaphors, sonics like we’ve never heard before, a shared purpose in the unfolding of the poem. We want poems that question humanity and engage us in contemporary as well as age-old concepts, but we’d love a dreamscape with imagery that leaves us questioning ourselves. Challenge us without pretentiousness and show us craft woven/broken/spun/sifted through glass—the unimaginable, the courageous, the sublime.

APJ has published work from diverse backgrounds and orientations, from new and established voices that include Dorianne Laux, Terrance Hayes, Wendy Xu, Trace Depass, Faylita Hicks, Philip Metres, Chelsea Dingman, Jessica Cuello, Jill Alexander Essbaum, Kelli Russell Agodon, Martha Silano, Joseph Fasano, and many others.

Quota: This project has established a quota. Submissions will close when it is reached.

Quick Links to Open Calls:

November 2026 One-Week Response Sub Call (closing in 27 days) Fee: usd $5.00
November 2026 Sub Call (closing in 9 days) Fee: usd $3.00

November 2026 Sub Call Fee: usd $3.00 Open

Closes on Thursday, November 12, 2026 11:59 PM EST (in 9 days).

The Submission Period For Consideration In Our February 2027 Online Issue Will be From November 1 - 30, 2026. We Will Have Free Subs On November 13 to Celebrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We will Also have One-Week-Response subs.

Beginning with APJ’s June 2026 Open Reading Period, we will have one day per reading period in which subs will be FREE with a cap of 55 to celebrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). APJ always celebrates DEI. The FREE sub day is an added tribute to submitters and to help us see more diversity in our queue. We will also have one-week-response submissions for a fee of $5 every day during the submission period.

Publishing schedule 2027: ISSUES: Open submissions, November 1- 30, 2026, with November 13 FREE SUB DAY, for consideration in APJ's February 2027 online issue. July 1-July 31, for consideration in APJ's October 2027 online issue with one free sub day to be determined. MICRO E-CHAPBOOK: Open submission, March 1-March 31, 2027, for consideration in APJ's Micro E-Chapbook Series, July 2027 online publication. All subject to change, if necessary.

PLEASE read our previous issues to see what we’re looking for and follow these guidelines carefully before submitting,

We no longer publish book reviews.

Poets and artists will each get paid a $25 honorarium for publication.

American Poetry Journal (APJ) considers submissions of poetry and art in most styles, forms, or genres from all contributors globally. Submit no matter your race, color, religion, national origin/citizenship status, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

Please no inappropriate or offensive work, and no generative AI. APJ understands that work using Natural Language Processing tools (like predictive or corrective AI found in Google Docs, MicroSoft Word, Grammarly etc.) to check for spelling/grammar is fine. However, we ask that all submissions do not use generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Bard, GrammerlyGo or the likes) to draft or compose/create any pieces submitted to APJ. Please do not send easy rhymes and "light" verse as they are less likely to find a home at APJ (sorry). Also, we do not consider translations at this time.

Poetry

For poetry, please send no more than 3 previously unpublished poems in one file, no more than 7 pages in total. Very important: You must only submit one file with your three poems in it. If you try to submit more than one file, you will lose two of them. If this happens, we will only be able to consider what is in your first file and cannot upload another file(s) or refund your submission fee. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please mention it in your email. Also, should your work be accepted elsewhere, please withdraw the submitted poem from your Duosuma submission. If you've been published in APJ before, please wait a year from acceptance before submitting again.

As of June 19, 2026, we can no longer consider multiple submissions. If your submission is declined, please wait until the next issue open reading period to submit.

APJ is looking for poems that are unique and honest, that progress and leave us deep rooted and committed. We look for distinctiveness,

want bold metaphors, sonics like we’ve never heard before, a shared purpose in the unfolding of the poem. We want poems that question humanity and engage us in contemporary as well as age-old concepts, but we’d love a dreamscape with imagery that leaves us questioning ourselves. Challenge us without pretentiousness and show us a mastery of craft.

Cover Art

Submit up to 5 previously unpublished pieces, high res .jpeg (,jpg) or .png, both black/white & color considered.

All submissions should be through Duosuma; please click on a Duosuma button when ready to submit. You do not need to subscribe to Duotrope to submit, but you do need to sign up for a Duotrope account. It's free to sign up. Please include a 50-word third-person bio with a short cover note. Poetry should be submitted in a single .doc, .docx, or PDF file—please do not submit using OneDrive or Google Docs. Art should be attached in high res .jpeg (.jpg) or .png files. Unfortunately, we are not open to email or post submissions at this time.

We have a cap of 400 submissions. However, the reading period may be extended, depending on sufficient response and/or the quality of work submitted.

With regular $3.00 submissions, we aim to reply within 1-2 months of receipt. Please query us if it’s been longer than 2 months. With $5.00 one-week-response submissions, we will respond within one week from the date of submission.

As the creator of the work, you retain copyright upon publication, you agree to grant APJ first serial/electronic rights as well as electronic archival rights. You also agree that if the work is published subsequently (online or in print), APJ will be credited.

There will be a $3.00 fee with APJ submissions for issue reading periods to help pay contributors and poet staff. There will be a one-week-response fee of $5.00 during an open reading period. Thank you in advance!

We nominate for Pushcart and Best of the Net Prizes and promote each issue after publication.

Submit

November 2026 One-Week Response Sub Call Fee: usd $5.00 Open

Closes on Monday, November 30, 2026 11:59 PM EST (in 27 days).

The Submission Period For Consideration In Our February 2027 Online Issue Will be From November 1 - 30, 2026.

This Category is for a One-Week Response on Submissions

PLEASE read our previous issues to see what we’re looking for and follow these guidelines carefully before submitting,

We no longer publish book reviews.

Poets and artists will each get paid a $25 honorarium for publication.

Poetry

As of June 19, 2026, we can no longer consider multiple submissions. If your submission is declined, please wait until the next issue open reading period to submit.

APJ is looking for poems that are unique and honest, that progress and leave us deep rooted and committed. We look for distinctiveness, want bold metaphors, sonics like we’ve never heard before, a shared purpose in the unfolding of the poem. We want poems that question humanity and engage us in contemporary as well as age-old concepts, but we’d love a dreamscape with imagery that leaves us questioning ourselves. Challenge us without pretentiousness and show us a mastery of craft.

Cover Art

Submit up to 5 previously unpublished pieces, high res .jpeg (,jpg) or .png, both black/white & color considered.

We have a cap of 400 submissions overall. However, the reading period may be extended, depending on sufficient response and/or the quality of work submitted.

There will be a $5.00 fee for a one-week response on submissions during this November 2026 call. Thank you in advance!

We nominate for Pushcart and Best of the Net Prizes and promote each issue after publication.

Submit

Micro E-Chapbook Series #3 Temp Closed

Opens on Monday, March 1, 2027 12:00 AM EST (in 117 days).

Our Submission Period for Consideration in our micro e-chapbook Series Will Be From March 1 - 31, 2027, for a July 2027 Online Publication.

APJ's micro e-chapbook open reading period will seek poetry manuscripts of no more than 10 poems (10-12 pages of poetry, not including front and back matter, and must have a title page). Or you can submit 14 pages (not including front and back matter, and must have a title page), if submitting hybrid work. PLEASE, SUBMIT NO MORE THAN 10 POEMS.

Hybrid work may include poetry, art (including full-color images), and audio, which may include mp3's/mp4's of music/sound as a link. Please make sure the poetry, art, and/or music/sound are original. The audio may be of original music/sound that accompanies the collection. Please don't include audio of chapbook poems. If your chap is chosen, we will ask for audio. Also, please don't include any work obtained from the public domain.

Individual work from the manuscript--but not all work--may have been published previously in magazines and/or journals, online or in print, but not in books, chapbooks, or on social media. The collection as a whole must be unpublished.

Simultaneous submissions are permitted. Please let us know immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere. We do not accept translations, but we’d love to see collaborations. You may submit more than one manuscript during the open reading period. All entries will be read by APJ staff. Manuscripts that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be read, and APJ will not refund your submission fee. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Submit no matter your race, color, religion, national origin/citizenship status, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Please no inappropriate or offensive work, and no generative AI. APJ understands that work using Natural Language Processing tools (like predictive or corrective AI found in Google Docs, MicroSoft Word, Grammarly etc.) to check for spelling/grammar is fine. However, we ask that all submissions do not use generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Bard, GrammerlyGo or the likes) to draft or compose/create any pieces submitted to APJ.

All submissions should be through Duosuma; please click on the Duosuma button when ready to submit. You do not need to subscribe to Duotrope to submit, but you do need to sign up for a Duotrope account. It's free to sign up. Please include a 50-word third-person bio with a short cover note. Poetry manuscripts should be submitted in a single .doc, .docx, or PDF file—please do not submit using OneDrive or Google Docs. Hybrid work should be submitted as a full-manuscript pdf, including images. If your manuscript is chosen, you'll be asked to send us high res .jpeg (.jpg) or .png files. If your manuscript includes the reading of poems or other sounds or music, send the manuscript as stated above, and all audio submit through the Google Drive submission feature in Duosuma. Unfortunately, we are not open to email or post submissions for our micro e-chapbook series.

We aim to reply within 1-2 months of receipt. Please query us if it’s been longer than 2 months.

The submission fee is $5.00 to cover submission management and poet staff stipends. This fee will also pay $100 to the selected poet/collaborators (if more than one, to be split equally). Beginning with APJ's 2027 Micro E-Chapbook, #3, there will be a $5.99 fee to read the chaps in our series. This will pay the poet/artist 60% of net proceeds, with 40% going to APJ. Thank you in advance! The submission cap will be 200 submissions. Provided we have sufficient response, and depending on the quality of work submitted, we will select at least one manuscript for the series through this submission window, which may be extended if needed.

Not Open