Paid Poetry Submissions: –October 1-10, 2024

Sheila-Na-Gig online seeks well-crafted poems with excellent imagery and a strong sense of voice. Our bias leans toward free verse.

Please submit up to THREE previously unpublished poems as one file (.doc, .docx) via the Submittable link (top right-hand corner of our website). We do not mind if your work has appeared previously on your personal website or social media. Include a brief bio in the cover note field. 

Simultaneous submissions are accepted. If you need to withdraw submissions, please just add a “Message” in Submittable. If you write a “note” in Submittable, editors don’t see these. Please do not ask to EDIT submissions while we are considering your work. If your work is accepted, you may make changes at that time.

We award one Editor’s Prize of $100 for each issue. All poems accepted for publication are eligible for this prize.

SUBMISSION FEES:   A no-fee Early-bird option is available (by the 10th of each submission period — for the first 50 submissions only) for those who are unwilling or unable to pay submission fees. We cap our paid submissions ($3.00) at 150. Please note that we meet our submission caps quickly. It is better to submit early.

IMPORTANT: A note on Deadlines. The submission portals will close at 8:00 pm (Pacific) on the deadline dates noted below. We will not reopen the portals, so please be mindful of the cutoffs.

Sheila-Na-Gig online publishes quarterly.

 July 1– July 31 for Fall issue, published in September
October 1 — October 31 for Winter issue, published in December
January 1 — January 31 for Spring issue, published in March
April 1 — April 30 for Summer issue, published in June

We expect to receive 200 submissions for each issue quarterly. Each volume will usually contain 30 to 45 poets (15-22% acceptance rate). Some Sheila-Na-Gig Editions authors (those who have published books with us) will always appear in our issues, but they are not counted among the 30-45 acceptances, to keep that space open to our broader community of writers. Sheila-Na-Gig Editions authors are not eligible for our Editor’s Prize. We strive to reserve space (about 15-20 slots) in each issue for writers new to Sheila-Na-Gig online. 

Editors will select up to six poems yearly (drawn from all of our issues, not each issue) to nominate for the Pushcart Prize and/or The Best of the Net.

Sheila-Na-Gig online acquires First North American Serial Rights. All rights revert back to authors upon publication. If your work is later republished, please acknowledge Sheila-Na-Gig online in subsequent journals.

We are actively seeking submissions from underrepresented populations. BIPOC poets and LGBTQ+ poets are encouraged to submit.