Literary Journal

Neologism Poetry Journal

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About the magazine

Neologism Poetry Journal is an independent literary publication founded in 2015 by a collective of poets and editors seeking to create a dedicated space for work that engages with the evolving possibilities of language. From its inception, the journal has prioritized poetry that demonstrates a keen awareness of the materiality of words—their sounds, shapes, and histories—while remaining open to the conceptual and the experimental. Its mission is to publish poems that are as intellectually rigorous as they are emotionally resonant, fostering a community of readers and writers who value precision, innovation, and the unexpected. The journal appears in both print and digital formats, with a biannual print issue and a regularly updated online component that features supplemental interviews, reviews, and audio recordings.

Editorial focus

Lately, here’s what Neologism wants: dreams and strange situations; love in all its forms; erasure (as conversation with source text, as theme, as mode of deconstruction); unique points of view; and meditations on nature from people who know how to pay close attention. Otherwise, anything goes. Uncommonly submitted forms considered a bonus: contrapuntal, haiku, burning haibun, and duplex. Voices of people of color, neurodivergent people, and LGBTQ+ people are welcomed here.

Poetry

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31

Reading feeNo

PaymentNo payment

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Neologism Poetry Journal accepts submissions of poetry year-round through its online portal. Before submitting, poets are strongly encouraged to read at least one full issue—available in print and selected pieces online—to understand the journal's aesthetic, which favors work that is linguistically innovative, structurally deliberate, and resistant to cliché. Submit 3–5 poems in a single document, with a brief cover letter that includes your name, contact information, and any relevant publication credits. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify the journal immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. The editors appreciate a concise, professional approach and typically respond within 3–4 months. For those whose work is declined, the journal offers no individual feedback due to volume, but writers are welcome to submit again after six months with new material.

Response time is within three days, and most often closer to one day. While issues are not specifically themed, I do try to fit the tone of each issue to the season as experienced in New England. In addition to the typical free verse, rhymed and blank verse is welcome, as well as lyric forms. End-rhyming would ideally be rhythmically de-emphasized by enjambment and ornamented or replaced by internal rhyme.

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Submission calls

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