Reading Periods
We welcome submissions of poems during our two open reading periods: November 1 - January 1 and March 1 - May 1.
Given the high volume of submissions Radar happily receives, we can only read non-fee submissions at the beginning of each reading period. Please submit early to take advantage of this opportunity. Once the free submission cap is reached, we will continue to accept $3.00 “Tip Jar” submissions for the remainder of the reading period.
During the summer months, we read and administer the Coniston Prize and are open to prize submissions only. Please see the contest page for details.
Poetry Guidelines
Please read the guidelines carefully as they have recently been updated.
We recommend you read our issues to get a sense of our aesthetic before sending your work. We only accept poems only through our submissions manager. Poems sent by email will be deleted.
Submit 3-5 original, previously unpublished poems in a single document. We read blind, so please ensure there is no identifying information on the document that contains your poems. You should include a cover letter and a brief bio in the comments box. We welcome translations as long as all necessary rights have been secured by the translator.
We accept simultaneous submissions and ask that you notify us right away if your work has been accepted elsewhere. For partial withdrawals, simply add a message to your submission on Submittable. We do not accept multiple submissions.
Our goal is to respond to every submitter within 60 days. After 60 days have passed, feel free to query us: radarpoetry (at) gmail (dot) com, or send a message in Submittable.
Unless you are invited to send more work, please wait until our next reading period to submit again. Former contributors should wait 2 years after the publication of their poems in Radar before submitting again to our regular categories. However, former contributors who are eligible may immediately submit to the Coniston Prize.
While we recognize that white space is an active element of poetry, we ask that you consider the limitations of the online format when choosing poems to submit. Also note that long lines may be altered when viewed on a mobile device.
We do not consider AI-generated poems.
We secure first serial rights for poems we publish. Upon publication, all rights revert to the author. We are proud to nominate our contributors for major awards including the Pushcart Prize, Best New Poets, and Best of the Net. We ask that all contributors cite Radar Poetry should their poems be published elsewhere in the future.
We look forward to reading your work!
Enhanced Feedback Option
For an additional fee of $25, you may request up to one page of feedback from the editors on your 3-5 poem submission, which will include notes on craft, content, and tone, as well as suggested revisions.
Visual Art Submissions
Radar Poetry also accepts original submissions of visual art in any medium through Submittable during our two reading periods, March 1-May 1 and November 1-January 1.
Submit 15 to 30 images, in .jpg format, with at least 300 dpi/ppi resolution. Within your submission, include an artist’s statement and brief bio and a link to your website and/or social media. We only consider artwork that has not previously been published in a literary magazine.
Radar promotes and celebrates the artists we publish on social media.
