Poetry
Shō Poetry Journal
Shō Poetry Journal pays one contributor's copy and charges a $3 reading fee that funds print issues for all contributors, including international ones. It offers a 30-day response time on every Submittable submission, does not accept AI-generated work or art, and reverts rights to the author upon publication.
🟢 Currently accepting Verified 2026-09
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
- Payment is one contributor's copy; $3 reading feeNot applicable — paid in copies.
- Length
- No word or poem limit stated on the submissions page
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
- Reading period
- Not yet assessedBRYME has not recorded a reading period for this market from its guideline page. That is our gap rather than the publication's silence: it does not mean the window is open, and it does not mean there is none. Read the guideline linked on this page before you send.
- Response time
- 30 days on every Submittable submission
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timeSimultaneous submissions are fine as long as you specify this in your cover letter. — https://shopoetryjournal.com/submissions/ (read 2026-09-30)
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedShō Poetry Journal requests first serial rights, plus the right to republish accepted works on its website, use excerpts in its social media feeds, and submit work to venues such as Poetry Daily. Rights revert to the author upon publication, with a request to credit the journal with first publication.
- 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 3 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- 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 2026-09-30. Sources listed at the foot of this page. This record holds no figure BRYME could compare, so no ranking appears above it. Where a rate is quoted per word, it is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- Payment is one contributor's copy; $3 reading fee
- Word count
- No word or poem limit stated on the submissions page
- Submission
- Submittable only — $3 reading fee
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟢 Currently accepting
- Last verified
- 2026-09
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: Shō Poetry Journal guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Poetry.
- Visual art that has not been created or manipulated using AI.
Subjects they avoid
- AI-generated work. Art must not have been created or manipulated using AI.
- Submissions sent by contact form, email or social media — they are discarded.
Key requirements
- Submit via Submittable and pay the $3 reading fee.
- Do not send work by contact form, email or social media.
- Expect a response within 30 days.
- Credit Shō Poetry Journal with first publication if the work is republished elsewhere.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction on the guidelines page.
Rights
Shō Poetry Journal requests first serial rights, plus the right to republish accepted works on its website, use excerpts in its social media feeds, and submit work to venues such as Poetry Daily. Rights revert to the author upon publication, with a request to credit the journal with first publication.
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.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Submittable only — $3 reading fee
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Submittable only — $3 reading fee
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://shopoetryjournal.com/submissions/ before sending.
- Paid in copies, not cash — the $3 fee is what makes the print run and the 30-day turnaround possible.
- Submittable is the only route that will be read.
What happens after submission
Expected response: 30 days on every Submittable submission
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: 2026-09.