FAQ

Where can I buy a copy of Shō Poetry Journal?

Online

We sell copies of each issue in our webshop. Sometimes we attend book fairs, including AWP and the Northern Arizona Book Festival in Flagstaff, AZ.

Bookstores that stock Shō Poetry Journal

You can find recent issues of Shō at our favorite independent bookstore in Prescott, AZ:
Peregrine Book Company
219 N Cortez St
Prescott, AZ 86301

Libraries that stock Shō Poetry Journal

Shō Poetry Journal is available to browse at the University of Arizona’s wonderful Poetry Library in Tucson:

University of Arizona Poetry Center Library
1508 E. Helen Street
Tucson, Arizona 85721-0150
520-626-3765

If you work at a library and are interested in subscribing to Shō, please get in touch.

Submissions

Where can I submit my work to Shō Poetry Journal?

Please submit your work to Shō Poetry Journal via Submittable. We accept submissions in summer (June 1 to August 31) and winter (December 1 to 1 March). Submissions sent via email or our contact form will be discarded.

If you are currently incarcerated, or submitting on behalf of an incarcerated writer, you may submit poetry via postal mail during our reading periods. See more information here.

How many times can I submit?

We do not accept multiple submissions. However, once you’ve heard back from us, you may submit again. We do not currently place a cap on the number of times a person may submit during a single reading period, but ask that you submit your best work!

I’ve revised a poem that Shō previously gave me feedback on/that came close. Can I include it in my new submission?

Yes. We are open to reading revised versions of previously-submitted poems if we expressed interest in them or if they’ve since been significantly revised.

Since Shō is a Japanese name, should I send my haiku? Is your focus on Japanese poetic forms or Japanese-themed poetry?

The name Shō was given to Founding Editor Sita Martin by her spiritual teacher, who never told her what it meant. From what we’ve gathered, it’s a Japanese prefix that takes on different meanings depending on the context. The meaning we’ve found most resonant is “to bridge” or “cross over.” Given that it was Sita Martin’s swan song, we like thinking of the birth of Shō as a bridge that helped her cross over from this world to the next.

That said, we are not a Japanese-themed journal. For a taste of the kinds of work we publish, please buy a copy of the latest issue or read our online samples.

Do you solicit work for your issues?

No. At present, all of the work we publish is unsolicited.

Do you accept poetry in translation?

We do not currently accept poetry in translation. Here are a few literary journals that do:

Diode (online)
Hayden’s Ferry Review (print/online)
Michigan Quarterly Review (print)
Poetry Northwest (print/online)
SAND Journal (online)

Why do you charge a reading fee for general submissions on Submittable?

Shō Poetry Journal is run at every stage by three volunteers. As a print journal that is coming out of a 20-year hibernation, we face certain challenges. We consider $3 a fair fee for an expedited response of 30 days (max). Whatever we receive through Submittable fees (after credit card and transaction fees) is used to offset the following:

• The annual fees for using Submittable, plus membership and transaction fees

• The issue’s print run (especially in the face of paper shortages, increased demand, and therefore increased costs; and taking into account our inability to benefit from economies of scale)

• Postage and materials (which currently includes shipping copies to international contributors)

• Contributor copies and contributor discounts

• Membership to CLMP (Community of Literary Magazines and Presses), who help promote our issues

• Website management

• Domain hosting

As we grow, we hope to be able to qualify for funding that will enable us to pay contributors beyond their print copies.

In the meantime, we do what we can. During each reading period, we offer:
– Free submissions to Native American and Canadian First Nations poets;
– At least one pop-up window of free submissions for BIPOC poets (announced in advance on social media).

Starting with Shō No. 6, we also award prize money and free subscriptions for each issue—read about the Sita Martin Prize and Shō Poetry Prize.

We nominate contributors for multiple prizes, including Best New Poets, Best Spiritual Literature (edited and published by Orison Books), and the Pushcart Prize. We submit a copy of each issue to venues such as VerseDaily and New Pages.

Cover Art

Do you accept cover art?

We currently work with a small number of artists who provide art for our covers. You can view our covers here. Cover art for Shō No. 4 and No. 5 were by Korean-American artist Harim Choi, with whom we worked to create artwork tailored to each issue. Cover art for Shō No. 6 and No. 7 featured artwork by Tanya Rastogi.

At present, we are focused on working with early-career artists of color whose work is an aesthetic fit for Shō. We will consider pieces that reproduce well with printer constraints and our 6″x9″ format. We prefer to use artwork that has not appeared online.

Miscellaneous

How can I apply to become a reader, editor, or team member of Shō Poetry Journal?

We are not seeking new volunteers at this time. If our organizational needs change, we will post volunteer opportunities on our Instagram feed and on our homepage.