Poetry Submissions

Established in 1967, the Pitt Poetry Series annually publishes books by poets who have previously published full-length collections of poetry. We pride ourselves on the eclectic nature of our list. We are not tied to any particular style or school of writing, but we do demand that any book of poetry we publish be of exceptional merit.

Submissions to the Pitt Poetry Series are open to any poet writing in English who has published at least one full-length poetry collection. The qualification of prior full-length publication is defined as a book of 48 or more pages, exclusive of front matter, in a recognized publisher’s print edition of at least 500 copies.

Poets who have not published a book before, or only in limited editions of less than 500 copies, or who have published chapbooks, should refer to the rules for our first-book competition, the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize.

Manuscripts for the Poetry Series should be sent during the annual submission period of August 1 – September 30.

All submissions must be sent through our Submittable system, which allows you to enter your manuscript, provide your contact information, and check the status of your submission.

Manuscripts should be 48 pages or more. The most up-to-date guidelines can be found on our Submittable page during the open submission period.

Each manuscript must be accompanied by a $25.00 fee, paid through Submittable at the time of your submission.

Manuscripts being considered by other publishers are allowed, but if a manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere, please withdraw your manuscript through Submittable.

The Press receives more than 1,500 manuscripts during each open period. Each manuscript is read with the care it deserves, but the large number of submissions means that we are unable to provide critiques or enter into correspondence of any sort with writers other than those whose manuscripts are accepted for publication.

If you have any questions about these guidelines, please email eomalley@upress.pitt.edu.