Most poets write poems to communicate thoughts, feelings, observations, anecdotes, or opinions. Some poets are content to limit their audience to a small circle of family or friends, but many seek a broader audience. While the kinds of venues open to poets are expanding (open mikes, blogs, online bulletin boards, social networks, etc.), the journal and the magazine, whether in print or online, retain their importance as vehicles of expression for poets serious about their craft.

This workshop is designed to help you fine-tune poems so that they are in the best possible shape for submission to journals and magazines, particularly those with a mission of publishing quality writing. In addition, strategies for submission, including timing, networking, writing a cover letter, selecting the best group of poems, observing protocols, and choosing the appropriate journals for your poems will be presented and discussed.

In the seven-week session, you will post a poem each week for Weeks One through Six and then a revision of that poem the next week, both of which will receive comments from the instructor and other participants. Optional exercises in revision will be provided as well. Upon completion of all the assignments, each participant who would like advice on publication will receive suggestions from the instructor for possible placement of a group of each participant’s poems.

Note to teachers interested in professional development courses: This workshop provides an opportunity for teachers of writing to hone their teaching skills in the field of poetry writing in general and revision of poems in particular. Upon completion of the workshop, the Online School of Poetry will provide a letter certifying that you have fulfilled the requirements of the workshop.

To be considered for the workshop, new applicants should send a group of three poems to the instructor at tom@onlineschoolofpoetry.org no later than March 7, 2010.

March 14-May 2, 2010 Cost: $295
(includes a ten dollar registration fee).

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