Comments on: “On Submitting Poems: By Any Means Necessary” by Bruce Cohen http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/ Poetry for Everyone. Wed, 23 May 2012 21:21:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Akua http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-168 Akua Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:11:20 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-168 Thank you. YES. New Year's Resolution: read more, write more, submit more and ignore the pain. & now I want to read your poems. Thank you. YES. New Year’s Resolution: read more, write more, submit more and ignore the pain. & now I want to read your poems.

]]> By: Kathleen Kirk http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-167 Kathleen Kirk Fri, 21 May 2010 12:53:13 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-167 Loved this essay--the humor, the honesty, the common sense. I've been on both sides of it all, and identify with you intensely. I like to think the irresponsibility and lack of professionalism of some editors will indeed send their journals swirling down into a whirlpool...but that's mean-spirited and very unlikely! So I focus on the kindness, generosity, and helpful suggestions of the really good, responsible editors. Hang in there! Loved this essay–the humor, the honesty, the common sense. I’ve been on both sides of it all, and identify with you intensely. I like to think the irresponsibility and lack of professionalism of some editors will indeed send their journals swirling down into a whirlpool…but that’s mean-spirited and very unlikely! So I focus on the kindness, generosity, and helpful suggestions of the really good, responsible editors. Hang in there!

]]> By: Dustin Junkert http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-166 Dustin Junkert Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:11:03 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-166 Good call, Bruce. Great summary of the submission landscape. Loved the bit on the kamikaze crazy poets who apparently submit to the same journal day after day. Who are these people? Anyway, great to see someone so humorously and good-naturedly annoyed by the poetry world. Also, love your poetry. Funny in the most bizarre way. Like the tree-human hybrids slamming maple syrup cannibalistically. (new world deli) brilliant. Good call, Bruce. Great summary of the submission landscape. Loved the bit on the kamikaze crazy poets who apparently submit to the same journal day after day. Who are these people? Anyway, great to see someone so humorously and good-naturedly annoyed by the poetry world.
Also, love your poetry. Funny in the most bizarre way. Like the tree-human hybrids slamming maple syrup cannibalistically. (new world deli) brilliant.

]]> By: What are the most popular magazines that publish poetry? They do not necessarily have to be exclusively poetic? | Publish Poetry http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-165 What are the most popular magazines that publish poetry? They do not necessarily have to be exclusively poetic? | Publish Poetry Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:02:30 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-165 [...] “On Submitting Poems: By Any Means Necessary” by Bruce Cohen … [...] [...] “On Submitting Poems: By Any Means Necessary” by Bruce Cohen … [...]

]]> By: Ellen Litwack http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-164 Ellen Litwack Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:42:39 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-164 Thanks for this. I am just about to start submitting again after years of not. I've been published, felt validated, dismissed, talented and a hack through it all. And yet here we go again! Thanks for this. I am just about to start submitting again after years of not. I’ve been published, felt validated, dismissed, talented and a hack through it all. And yet here we go again!

]]> By: Bruce Cohen http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-163 Bruce Cohen Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:04:09 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-163 Thanks for the kind remarks Robin. I'm profoundly dense. What magazine do you edit? Thanks for the kind remarks Robin. I’m profoundly dense. What magazine do you edit?

]]> By: Robin http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-162 Robin Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:10:57 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-162 Bruce, I'm both an associate editor of a journal who has published you during my internship (think still, think water), and a poet who has received nearly forty rejections since my last acceptance eternal months ago. I'm right with you, through your entire splendid essay. What happened to you with Nimrod and Florida Review causes swear words to swell up inside of me, because I've experienced similar situations, or, a new editorial team assaults me with revision demands upon demands on a poem that was accepted two years ago by the former editor. And, another journal whose name I won't mention either, but think of a pebble and a lake, can kiss my derriere after ignoring three of my queries to just tell me, after eight months, if they're taking my poem or not. Just freaking tell me, for fuch's sake. (Fuchs is the name of a German friend of mine. So for her sake...). It's worse than rejection; it's like being treated as if one doesn't even exist. Meanwhile, the editor's face shows up in the elite poetry journals' covers, she's winning awards and gettin' published all around town, drowning, yes, in that parade of confetti we all want, but neither her nor her colleague, whom we have published, has the common courtesy or professionalism to respond to me, especially me!--a brilliant poet who submitted brilliant poems. Too bad for them, they missed out forever more, on publishing my genius, and I'm not going to read their poems either or like them or respect them until they apologize and beg for forgiveness. I'm very mature like that. Meanwhile, I endeavor to NOT be such a cruel, dismissive editor. Meanwhile, also... I'm inspired to submit to those cranky journals who claim not to accept simultaneous submissions. I'm inspired to infiltrate their "system," pass the SS Spy Team, and deal with their fierce retribution (in the unlikely event that I must withdraw before they reject me), such as putting me on a list like at the local grocery or bookstore where names of people who've written bad checks are listed on a sheet of paper, a wrinkled, fraying, yellowing, curling sheet of paper with all the names of the oh so naughty poets who don't follow the letter of the law. All those poets following their heart.... Suddenly, what is there to be afraid of?? Thanks, Bruce. Bruce, I’m both an associate editor of a journal who has published you during my internship (think still, think water), and a poet who has received nearly forty rejections since my last acceptance eternal months ago. I’m right with you, through your entire splendid essay. What happened to you with Nimrod and Florida Review causes swear words to swell up inside of me, because I’ve experienced similar situations, or, a new editorial team assaults me with revision demands upon demands on a poem that was accepted two years ago by the former editor. And, another journal whose name I won’t mention either, but think of a pebble and a lake, can kiss my derriere after ignoring three of my queries to just tell me, after eight months, if they’re taking my poem or not. Just freaking tell me, for fuch’s sake. (Fuchs is the name of a German friend of mine. So for her sake…). It’s worse than rejection; it’s like being treated as if one doesn’t even exist. Meanwhile, the editor’s face shows up in the elite poetry journals’ covers, she’s winning awards and gettin’ published all around town, drowning, yes, in that parade of confetti we all want, but neither her nor her colleague, whom we have published, has the common courtesy or professionalism to respond to me, especially me!–a brilliant poet who submitted brilliant poems. Too bad for them, they missed out forever more, on publishing my genius, and I’m not going to read their poems either or like them or respect them until they apologize and beg for forgiveness. I’m very mature like that. Meanwhile, I endeavor to NOT be such a cruel, dismissive editor. Meanwhile, also… I’m inspired to submit to those cranky journals who claim not to accept simultaneous submissions. I’m inspired to infiltrate their “system,” pass the SS Spy Team, and deal with their fierce retribution (in the unlikely event that I must withdraw before they reject me), such as putting me on a list like at the local grocery or bookstore where names of people who’ve written bad checks are listed on a sheet of paper, a wrinkled, fraying, yellowing, curling sheet of paper with all the names of the oh so naughty poets who don’t follow the letter of the law. All those poets following their heart…. Suddenly, what is there to be afraid of?? Thanks, Bruce.

]]> By: Cafais http://www.rattle.com/poetry/2009/06/on-submitting-poems-by-bruce-cohen/#comment-161 Cafais Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:27:52 +0000 http://www.rattle.com/blog/?p=1571#comment-161 Great essay! I couldn't agree more with your comments on journals that have a "no simultaneous submissions" policy. To me, it seems that a journal with this policy is simply not interested in work from non-established poets. Although I disagree with the policy, I honor it, and I do not submit to those journals. There are many, many fine journals (including this one) that accept simultaneous submissions. We should do whatever we can to support these journals. Great essay!

I couldn’t agree more with your comments on journals that have a “no simultaneous submissions” policy. To me, it seems that a journal with this policy is simply not interested in work from non-established poets. Although I disagree with the policy, I honor it, and I do not submit to those journals. There are many, many fine journals (including this one) that accept simultaneous submissions. We should do whatever we can to support these journals.

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