Beyond “Don’t Bore Us”

Decoding the unspoken rules of poetry manuscript submissions.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

I’m excited to invite you to a workshop I’m offering called Build a Poetry Manuscript That Captivates Editors tomorrow, Saturday April 19th. If this post resonates with you, I hope to see you there!

Decoding the Unspoken Rules of Poetry Manuscript Submissions

If you’ve read any number of poetry manuscript submission guidelines, you know they're a special kind of cryptic.

We’re looking for “diverse, wide-ranging, and powerful responses in poetry to the essential and endless questions related to ‘being here.’”

“We want words that address the most pressing issues facing humans and planet earth and aliens and zombies.”

Or just: “Don’t bore us.”

What does any of that actually mean?

Talking with poetry book editors and authors, I've learned that beneath these maddeningly vague directives, editors are looking for certain—dare I say concrete—qualities. Manuscripts that demonstrate those qualities get bumped to the top of the pile.

Joanna Fuhrman, an editor at Hanging Loose Press, acknowledges that every editor at the press has unique preferences, however "one thing we all agree on is the importance of voice. We gravitate toward poems where you can really hear a distinct speaker.”

“A common issue we notice is overwriting—poems that take 10 lines to say what could be expressed in one,” says Fuhrman. “Concision is key, as is attention to sound and music."

Does the Collection Work as a Whole?

Luke Hankins, founder and editor of Orison Press, asks two critical questions: ”Does the collection work as a whole? Even more importantly, does every poem hold its weight and stand on its own, have its own effect?”

Hankins notes: "I can't predict what it's going to be but if there's something on every page that engages my interest and my emotions, that impresses me on a craft level, then those are the manuscripts that get bumped up for serious consideration.” (In other words, attention to craft, plus selectiveness.)

He’s honest about common submission failures: "I see a whole lot of submissions that show promise but that I feel were rushed out to submission. Oftentimes I find myself wishing authors would take more time to revise and refine the manuscript.”

"Poems may be going on too long for their own good, you know, losing their momentum. Or another organization for the poems would amplify the collection a lot better. Sometimes there are simply too many poems in the book, and the weaker ones could be cut.”

Steps to Get Beyond Mediocre

Does your manuscript showcase well-developed voice? Do you have a strategy for identifying the most vital poems—and cutting the rest? Are you still wondering how to refine and shape your collection so that it “works as a whole”?

In my experience, most poets working on first (even second) collections simply don’t know where to focus. I certainly felt that way in the 10+ trial-and-error years it took for me to put together a publishable poetry collection. Ultimately, I was successful, but it wouldn’t have taken so long if I’d known then what I know now. (Proof: The second book took about 3 years.)

Over my years in poetry, I’ve seen too many truly excellent poets simply give up. Don’t give up! The key to building a standout poetry manuscript isn't in cracking some mysterious code. It's about knowing what editors are looking for when they sift through hundreds of manuscripts—and understanding the concrete steps you need to take.

Get the details for the Build a Poetry Manuscript That Captivates Editors workshop. See you there.