THE OPEN READING PERIOD – No Fee!
IMPORTANT! OUR SUBMISSION GUIDELINES HAVE CHANGED – READ CAREFULLY!
Sorry, the 2024 Open Reading Period has ended. Please consider entering the Muriel Craft Bailey Annual Poetry Contest(open April 1 to July 15; $25 entry plus Submittable fee).
JANUARY 1st THROUGH MARCH 31st EACH YEAR (online and postmark deadline). NO EXTENSIONS. See you next year!
“Dandelion” by Kevin Morrow
THE COMSTOCK REVIEW
Spring / Summer 2023
Vol 37 Issue 1
Open JAN. 1 – MARCH 31st
There is NO FEE for the Open Reading Period.
The Comstock Review is proud of its long-established reputation of publishing the finest known and unknown poets anywhere. We choose our poems solely on the basis of what we consider their artistic merits. We are not swayed by long publishing histories. We are not afraid of the avant garde but shy from the overly obscure, the patently religious, and needlessly graphic language.
Our editors appreciate: well-crafted verse, traditional or nontraditional, consistency of metaphor, refreshing distinctive imagery and diction, effective use of poetic devices and sonic qualities, a theme or approach that casts new light on the world and the human condition, and a poem that tickles your brain long after the page has turned.
Updated Guidelines – read carefully!
1. We do not publish poems under 10 lines or over 60 lines including stanza breaks, epigraphs etc.
2. The maximum line length cannot exceed 70 characters including spaces and punctuation.
3. Poems must be original, unpublished in ANY medium, print or electronic. Do NOT submit AI-generated poetry.
4. The Comstock Review reserves the first refusal rights in the case of simultaneous submission. Notify us immediately of withdrawals.
5. Submit your poems as Word documents. Editors’ eyes appreciate the use of standard fonts and size such as Times New Roman 12 or Calibri 12
6. Limit each online submission to 5 poems. You may submit more than once per reading period.
7. Do not put your name on your poem submission document(s), so judging can be impartial. (When submitting poems by mail, DO put your name on the BACK of each sheet of paper)
8. Replies will be sent up to 2 months after the close of the reading period.
Acceptances are published in either Issue 1 or Issue 2 of the current year. Candidates for Pushcart nominations are selected from the current year’s accepted poems.
REMEMBER – There is NO FEE for poems submitted during this Open Reading Period.
IF SUBMITTING BY MAIL Send poems to: The Comstock Review, att. Open Reading, 4956 St. John Drive, Syracuse, NY 13215 (poems will not be returned).
IF SUBMITTING or SUBSCRIBING ONLINE, USE THE BUTTON BELOW:
We’re looking forward to your submissions!
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Comstock Review nominations for the Pushcart Prize:
2023
2022:
Rebecca Brock, “Sometime In The Late Age of A Long Marriage”
Linda Neal Reising, “After Learning That a Woman And Her Baby Were Killed In The Bombing Of A Ukrainian Hospital”
Frank Dixon Graham, “Tractor”
Deborah Doolittle, “Elizabeth Bishop’s Fish”
Sharon Charde, “Things”
Judith M. Montgomery, “Mother’s Day At Aspen Ridge Assisted Living”