we are open for general submissions!
thank you for considering boats against the current as a home for your work. we are now accepting poetry submissions which will be published online on our website in 2024.
(if you would like to submit poetry for our next print issue, that will be a separate submission process in 2024).
for online publications, we welcome poetry about any topic. content about art, nature, introspection, loss, relationships (including friendships), healing, the universe, grief, and vulnerability is particularly welcome. work that portrays the experiences and voices of historically underrepresented individuals is encouraged. content that includes anything racist, homophobic, or sexist will not be accepted for publication. vulgar language should be avoided in a submission unless it enhances the poetry in some way.
with all that said, what we’re most excited about is poetry that approaches old topics in new ways. excite us with your words and images!
here are some specific guidelines:
email your submission to us @ editor@boatsagainstthecurrent.org (this is a new email!)
include your name and a short third-person bio in the body of the email
in a Word Document or Google Doc Link include:
1-5 poems
your name and contact information
a brief third-person bio
social media handles (if any)
please only submit previously unpublished poetry (this includes social media and personal blogs)
simultaneous submissions are allowed but you must email us immediately (within the same email thread as your original submission) and withdraw your submission if it gets accepted elsewhere
at this time, we are not able to offer payment for the poetry we publish
while we don’t charge a reading fee at the time, consider buying some of our merch to support the magazine!
we respond to every submission within 2 months. if you have not heard from us after 2 full months, feel free to follow up by sending another email (in your original submission email thread).
poems accepted during our open reading period will be published online on our website (not in a print issue). we will open for submissions later in the year for our second print edition. poets will need to submit in a separate process to be considered for the print issue.
thank you and we look forward to reading your poetry!
we can’t wait to read your poetry!
email your submission to editor@boatsagainstthecurrent.org