Rattle

Submitting your work

Rattle accepts submissions year-round via its online submission system. Poets should submit up to five poems at a time, with no more than one submission per reading period. The magazine values clarity, emotional resonance, and technical skill; it does not consider translations or previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, but notify immediately if a poem is accepted elsewhere. The Rattle Poetry Prize has a separate deadline (typically July 15) and requires a $25 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription. For the tribute issues, check specific guidelines, as themes and deadlines vary. Always read an issue or sample poems online to understand the editorial style before submitting.

There are no dos and don’ts. We have room to be eclectic, and seek to represent the entire stylistic landscape. Formal poems, epic poems, lyric poems, narrative poems, surreal poems, prose poems, visual poems—it’s all poetry. The most important thing a poem can be is memorable. Does it lodge itself in your gut? Does it sing in there?