Poetry
American Poetry Journal
American Poetry Journal pays a $25 honorarium to each poet and artist it publishes. Submissions carry a $3 fee and are read in windows: the next opens 1 November 2026 for the February 2027 issue. Simultaneous submissions are fine if you say so. Open to contributors globally; no translations.
🟡 Opens soon Verified 2026-10
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 288-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- $25 honorarium per published poet or artistOf the other 63 records quoting in USD on this desk that state a figure, 26 state less, 24 state more, 13 state exactly this. On publication.
- Length
- Poetry: up to 3 poems in one file, 7 pages total. Cover art: up to 5 pieces
- Who can submit
- Open worldwideThe guideline states the call is worldwide. Diaspora writers are explicitly welcome.
- Reading period
- The February 2027 issue window runs 1 November 2026 to 30 November 2026the October 2027 window opens 1 July 2027
- Response time
- One to two months
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are fine, but please mention it in your email. — https://apjpoetry.org/submit (read 2026-10-01)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedThe creator retains copyright on publication and grants APJ first serial/electronic rights as well as electronic archival rights, agreeing that any later publication of the work credits APJ.
- Experience
- Not yet assessedBRYME has read this publication's guideline but has not yet put the experience question to it, so this row is untouched rather than unanswered — it is our gap, not theirs. Treat it exactly as you would an unstated policy.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 1 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Experience — BRYME has not assessed this one yet, so do not read the blank as either a welcome or a bar. Look at who the publication normally publishes before you pitch.
Record last human-checked 2026-10-01. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records quoting in USD on this desk quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- $25 honorarium per published poet or artist
- Word count
- Poetry: up to 3 poems in one file, 7 pages total. Cover art: up to 5 pieces
- Submission
- Online form through Duosuma - a free Duotrope account is required. No email and no postal submissions.
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟡 Opens soon
- Last verified
- 2026-10
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Poetry. Official guideline: American Poetry Journal guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Poems that are "unique and honest", with distinctive imagery and a mastery of craft; the editors say they want bold metaphors and sonics they have not heard before.
- Poems that question humanity and engage contemporary as well as age-old concepts.
- Cover art, black and white or colour, up to 5 pieces at high resolution.
Subjects they avoid
- Work drafted or composed with generative AI (Natural Language Processing tools used only to check spelling and grammar are explicitly allowed).
- Translations - not considered at this time.
- Book reviews - no longer published.
- Easy rhymes and "light" verse, which the page says are less likely to place.
- A second file of poems: the first file is read and the rest are lost, and the fee is not refunded.
- More than one submission per reading period - multiple submissions stopped being considered on 19 June 2026.
Key requirements
- Read https://apjpoetry.org/submit before sending.
- Pay the $3.00 submission fee. One day per reading period is free for a DEI tribute, capped at 55 submissions - 13 November 2026 for the February 2027 issue.
- Poetry: send no more than 3 previously unpublished poems in ONE file of no more than 7 pages. A second file is discarded without refund.
- Cover art: up to 5 previously unpublished pieces as high-resolution .jpeg (.jpg) or .png.
- Include a 50-word third-person bio with a short cover note.
- Submit through Duosuma; a free Duotrope account is required.
- The reading period is capped at 400 submissions and may be extended.
- If previously published in APJ, wait one year from acceptance before submitting again.
Who can submit
Official page: poetry and art in most styles, forms or genres "from all contributors globally", with no country restriction stated.
Rights
The creator retains copyright on publication and grants APJ first serial/electronic rights as well as electronic archival rights, agreeing that any later publication of the work credits APJ.
AI policy
Prohibited
How to write for them
Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.
BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.
How to pitch
Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
Opens in windows. Currently between reading periods.
How to submit
Online form through Duosuma - a free Duotrope account is required. No email and no postal submissions.
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Online form through Duosuma - a free Duotrope account is required. No email and no postal submissions.
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://apjpoetry.org/submit before sending.
- Submit through the Duosuma button on the page. A free Duotrope account is required; APJ does not accept email or postal submissions.
- The February 2027 issue window is open 1 November 2026 to 30 November 2026, with 13 November 2026 free for DEI submissions.
- Poetry goes in a single .doc, .docx or PDF file - not a OneDrive or Google Docs link. Art goes as attached high-resolution image files.
What happens after submission
Expected response: One to two months
If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-10.