The Sun Place Poets' submissions for Issue One: Volta: Poetry for Change are now open until November 16, 2026. Please note that submissions may close earlier should we hit our cap before the deadline.

Open to new and established Poets, we want your poetry that explores how social justice impacts you and our community. Show us the moments that have been stifled, unheard, or ignored from the mainstream of the public. Give us what you carry and what the world needs to hear to change. Issue One’s theme asks us to think about how language is a place where our lived experience, activism, and hope for the future collide. We ask that you read and follow our Submission Guidelines closely.

Please submit your poems using the Google Form on our website. To support our blind review system, please ensure your manuscript file is free of identifying information; only enter personal information, including your cover letter and bio, where prompted on the form.

The Sun Place Poets welcomes poetry of all styles—from traditional forms like sonnets, lyrics, or haikus to free verse, prose poetry, and experimental structures. We believe that poetry, like language itself, is always evolving, and we want to highlight the diverse interpretations reshaping the way we think about this art and the world from which it arises.

We recognize the various interpretations of social justice will explore moments of discomfort, but we do not accept submissions that use language which is explicitly hateful, violent, derogatory, or graphic.

In an attempt to highlight emerging voices, we also won't consider poems that have been previously published in books, magazines, or newspapers, both in print or online, but we will consider those that have only been self-published to blogs or social media accounts. Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere by contacting sun.place.poets.publisher@gmail.com.

In an effort to promote transparency, we’d like to disclose that The Sun Place Poets editors are allowed to submit one poem, which will be evaluated based on the same standards we use to review all submissions.

Please submit up to 3 typed poems, no more than 30 lines each, or one poem of no more than 60 lines. In your file, begin each poem on a new page and clearly label by title. In your submission, begin each poem in a fresh document, clearly named by the poem’s title.

Please submit each poem as a separate document (Google .docs/Word .docx). For each poem, include the title and word count at the top of the page. Except in the cases of experimental form all text should be 11.5-12 pt., single-spaced, and in a legible font such as Times New Roman or Arial. We aim to be as fair as possible while reading submissions, so we ask that you remove your name and any other identifying information from the manuscript.

We love hearing the story behind how a poem was made.Though submissions are read anonymously and your work will be judged on its own merit, we ask that you submit a short cover letter with your submission. Your cover letter should introduce yourself, tell us how you heard about The Sun Place Poets, and provide brief context for your poem(s) that you'd like our editors to know. For examples of how to write a cover letter, check out our newsletter.

At the end of your letter, please include a short author bio to be included in the contributor information of our anthology upon your work’s acceptance. Your bio should be written in the third person and not exceed 100 words. Pen name preferences will be respected. For examples of how to write a bio, see our newsletter.

Please note that once your poems have been submitted, Poets are not allowed to resubmit or revise them, except at request of the editors following acceptance. We will not disregard a poem for minor errors, and you will have the opportunity to make small changes during our two-week revision window should your work be accepted.

Submission Deadline Date: November 16, 2026

Email Submissions: sun.place.poets.publisher@gmail.com

The Sun Place Poets believes creativity is an integral part of the human condition. We do not accept submissions that have been generated by artificial intelligence of any kind. By submitting your work to us, you agree that your poetry is your original creation. Submissions that use AI will be immediately disqualified.

All rights remain with the Poet. By submitting to The Sun Place Poets, contributors grant first publication rights only. Rights revert immediately to the creator after publication. If your work is republished elsewhere, please credit The Sun Place Poets as the first place of publication.

We aim to respond to all submissions by January 30th, 2027, with our expected launch at the end of April, National Poetry Month.