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Resources for poets, poetry editors, and writers in all genres, listed alphabetically:
American Library Association promotes reading among all age groups, produces publications, and sponsors prestigious awards for writing and artistic excellence.
Annual writing contest sponsored by Writers-Editors Network encourages well-written poetry, fiction, nonfiction, book chapters, and all genres for children. (Note: Mary Sayler is one of the judges for this international competition, so do not enter poems or writings she has read since they must be disqualified.) Entries can be mailed early but postmarked no later than March 15.
Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) website posts contact information and a search box for finding reputable literary agents interested in your writing genre.
Bible Gateway includes many translations in many languages to help you double-check Bible references and compare wordings, which often deepens understanding and biblical insight.
Bible People blog by Mary Sayler introduces the people of God to our biblical heritage.
Bible Prayers blog by Mary Sayler is gradually posting almost all of the prayers in the Bible once or twice a week in brief, ecumenical articles (200 to 500 words) with pertinent questions for your private devotions or discussion in a Bible study group.
Children’s Book Awards site lists recipients of major U. S. awards for children’s authors.
Children’s Book Council, a nonprofit organization for publishers of children’s trade books, encourages literacy and educational efforts among publishers of all sizes. This website also posts a Members’ List with editorial needs and contact information for publishers of children’s books.
Critique Service offers a thorough reading of your work with practical ideas, light editing, and an objective evaluation of your poems, chapbook, poetry book, or short devotionals.
English Grammar and other sites to help vocabulary, punctuation, and use of English:
- Associated Press (AP) Manual of Style offers subscriptions to their Stylebook and “Ask An Editor” features on the Internet.
- Chicago Manual of Style provides poets, writers, editors, students, and researchers the online tools needed for proofreading and properly citing sources.
- Dictionary.com provides definitions, thesaurus, and examples of usage.
- Easy English includes quick online tests to help you see what you need to study.
- English the Easy Way aims to help you speak and write like a native.
- Guide To Grammar & Writing website instructs you in the correct usage of grammar, syntax, and punctuation as you edit or revise your poems and poetic writings.
- Learn English website guides you into good grammar and ways to construct a sentence.
- Learners’ Dictionary defines words in American English and guides your pronunciation.
- Online Resources For Writers has hotlinks to websites with instructive information about grammar, punctuation, proofreading, and other aids for editing poems and manuscripts.
- Online Writing Lab by Purdue covers English grammar and punctuation.
- Parts of Speech provided by students can help your everyday use of English.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab includes articles and educational info to help you increase your skill in using English grammar, punctuation, and syntax in poems, fiction, and nonfiction.
- Really Learn English discusses parts of speech and their correct usage.
- Write with Jean website presents clear information for speaking and writing in English.
In a Christian Writer’s Life blog by Mary Sayler offers information about all genres of writing for all age groups of Catholic, Protestant, and secular readers. Followers ask questions of general interest to writers, post helpful comments, and suggest topics for future blog discussions.
Library of Congress archives national and historical documents about the U.S. to help you find accurate information for research projects, poems, historical novels, nonfiction books, children’s picture books, or educational materials. The LOC also provides an info-packed poetry page.
Poetry Awards, Writing Groups, and Educational Information on traditional forms of poetry, free verse poems, poetry techniques, or bio’s of well-published poets:
- Academy of American Poets website archives articles, information, and a variety of poems by classical and contemporary poets for you to study and enjoy.
- Modern American Poetry website, provided by the University of Illinois, Department of English, offers excellent resources to study and enjoy. For instance, you will not only find poems by well-established American poets but also essays, biographies, and literary criticism of their poems.
- National Association for Poetry Therapy posts educational resources, journal and other member benefits to promote growth and healing through language, symbol, and story.
- National Book Foundation encourages literary excellence and presents prestigious annual awards in many genres, including poetry.
- Newbery Medal is given annually to poets or writers for excellence in children’s literature.
- Nobel Prize is presented in many categories, including poetry and literature.
- Poetry Editor Blog discusses reading, writing, revising, editing, and marketing poems. Followers can suggest topics, post encouraging comments, or ask questions of general interest to poets.
- Poetry Editor Website helps poets to help their poems and become their own best poetry editors by providing free articles and resource on this website and The Poetry Editor blog. For a minimal fee, The Poetry Editor has also provided professional feedback since 1983 through reasonably priced critiques, poetry edits, and also writing consults for your children’s picture book texts and book proposals of your full-length fiction or nonfiction written for any age group.
- Poetry Foundation offers a variety of excellent resources for poets ranging from a glossary of poetic terms and poetry tours to information about children’s poetry to the works of great American poets and the prestigious Poetry magazine.
- Poetry International Web posts poems and biographies of poets from around the world.
- Poetry Society Of America, founded in 1910, is the oldest poetry organization in the U.S. and continues to bring excellent information and encouragement to poets at all levels.
- Poets & Writers magazine posts contests and editorial calls for poems, essays, and fiction to be published in an anthology, book, poetry chapbook, e-zine, or literary journal. Traditionally published poets and authors can also be listed in the P&W online directory. To see an example of their Directory of Poets, visit the listing for Mary Sayler.
- Pulitzer Prizes acknowledge outstanding works of literary excellence in all genres.
- Songwriting Lab includes news, articles, and exercises to help you write songs and lyrics.
- Writers-Editors Network offers members information about job postings, marketing news, and editorial updates. The site also posts guidelines for their international writing contest with an annual deadline of March 15. [Note: Mary Sayler is one of the judges and must disqualify poems, children’s stories, or other manuscripts she has previously seen.]
Poetry on the Internet to study, quote, or acknowledge poets whose poetry you like:
- American Verse Project primarily includes works in the public domain. You can search these either by the name of the poet or by the title of a classical poem.
- EnglishVerse.com archives classical works of the traditional English poets.
- Hymn Lyrics can be found in full on many sites, but this one presents the printed version first, allowing you to select audio if you want to hear the tune.
- Norton Anthology of Poetry online offers excellent articles, info, and poems.
- Public Domain Poetry posts over 30,000 poems, which can be freely quoted and used without permission but with proper credit and public acknowledgment given to the poet.
Publishers of traditional books, periodicals, e-zines, and textbooks for all age groups:
- Book Publishing Markets on this website include contact information and current needs for religious publishers (primarily Christian or Jewish) and also traditional book markets for children’s writers, health writers, cookbook writers, poets, and others.
- Duotrope Digest lists around 3500 traditional publications for poems and fiction. You can search the site by genre, theme, or payment. Most of the poetry journals, literary e-zines, or magazines listed also include hotlinks to the publishers’ websites and writers’ guidelines.
- Electronic Poetry Center posts poems and information about digital publications.
- Literary Magazines posted by Poets & Writers include publishers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction sometimes accepted via electronic submissions.
- Literary Magazines website posts articles, reviews, and links to poetry publishers.
- NewPages.com website provides hotlinks to all sorts of resources for poets and writers, from literary reviews of books and magazines to conferences, contests, and calls for submissions of your poems, flash fiction, essays, art, photographs, and creative nonfiction.
- Poetry publishing markets list companies alphabetically with hotlinks to each publisher.
- Preditors & Editors site lists hotlinks to book publishers and other services for writers.
- Publishers Weekly posts reviews and national or international news on book publishing. You can also sign up for weekly newsletters e-mailed to you in such specialized areas as religious writing or children’s books.
- Self-published poems need proofing and editing of the final draft before self-publishing. For a reasonable fee, a professional critique can help you to improve the readability and marketability of your poems, whereas a final edit of your final draft will correct flaws and give your book of poems or poetry chapbook the professional quality it deserves.
- Small Presses who publish books of poetry and, occasionally, literary fiction and nonfiction books are listed on this site maintained by Poets & Writers.
Publishers of traditional books and periodicals for children:
- Children’s Book Publishers and also companies who publish books for parents are listed on this website with contact information for submitting your query or book proposal.
- Children’s Magazine Guide indexes around 60 periodicals for children.
- Colossal Directory of Children’s Publishers alphabetically lists names of children’s book publishers along with their current needs, interests, and editorial contact information.
- School Book Publishing Companies, listed by a representative of textbook companies, may be interested in your book proposal. (If you need feedback in a consult on your full-length children’s book or a fiction or nonfiction manuscript, a book proposal will help your writing to stay on track as you write and give you a book proposal package to present to a traditional book publisher.)
- Self-published picture books for children need a professional writing consult to assess the readability and marketability of your work before you spend money on self-publishing.
RhymeZone provides a search box for you to find rhymes for your poems but also similar-sounding words, synonyms, antonyms, and interesting quotations related to a word.
Rhyming word search gives you online options to use in your poems, such as end-rhyme, double rhyme, and even rhymes based on the first syllable of a word.
United States Copyright Office tells you how to register and protect your poems, children’s picture book, nonfiction book, or other writings, which is especially needed if you self-publish a book. Otherwise, a traditional book publisher will take care of the application and officially register the copyright in your name - if your book contract specifies that you’ll retain the copyright.
Writing Consultation with The Poetry Editor gives you a professional opinion of your children’s picture book or the book proposal for your full-length fiction or nonfiction before you approach a traditional publisher or self-publish the manuscript yourself. That same book proposal will help you to keep your book on track as you write and also become part of the book proposal package you eventually send to the editor of a traditional publishing company.
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