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The Word Works

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About

Since 1974, The Word Works has been a nonprofit literary and educational organization dedicated to the support and perpetuation of contemporary poetry and literature for the cultural enrichment of humankind. It is a volunteer organization operating without discrimination regarding gender, race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any classification protected by State or Federal discrimination laws. The Word Works carries out its mission through book and online publication, competitions, special projects, and public programs. Developing audience for poetry is a critical goal in its effort to promote and support outstanding literary work.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. (Note: About 14% of publishers always charge fees.)
The fee is USD $20 (above average for publishers that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 1974

Publication Medium

Print Publication Print Publication

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
The Word Works's overall average response time is slower than most publishers.

Poetry Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 June 2027* (approx. 266 days from now) through 31 July 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poetry Collection: No page limits known.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Unknown advance + Unknown royalties Unknown advance. Unknown royalties.

Submissions:

Method: Submission manager.
Reprints: Unknown.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

The Word Works Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 4 reports from 4 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
176 min | 243.3 mean avg | 256.5 median | 284 max days (46.7 std dev)
Pending
16 responses are pending (38 min | 61.6 mean avg | 55.0 median | 97 max days waiting | 81.7 std dev) from 16 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The most common submission fee paid: USD $20.00.
Submissions are acknowledged within 53 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 11 May 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 15 Aug 2025.
Date compiled: 07 Sep 2026 19:50 UTC (less than a minute ago).

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Your Submissions

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Hilary Tham Capital Collection DNQ
The Tenth Gate Prize  Charges fees for all submissions
The Washington Prize  Charges fees for all submissions

Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • For book publishers, it is standard to submit a cover letter, synopsis, and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 06 Sep 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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