In print since 1980, Plainsongs is an established poetry journal produced by Hastings College Press in Hastings, Nebraska. They are looking for poetry composed of living language as vital and expansive as the great plains. And, they prefer verse that lives in the present while honoring its modernist and post-modernist heritage.

Plainsongs publishes both free verse and formal poetry in a wide range of styles, from experimental to traditional. They hope to represent the vastness of wide-open Midwestern landscape by curating a diverse collection of voices, both new and established.

Plainsongs is published twice a year in print. They accept submissions year-round; however, they hold two main reading periods a year and might not reply as quickly to submissions received at other times. Accordingly, they recommend submitting by December 15 or June 15 for a timely response. Poets who submit around those deadlines can expect a reply within eight to ten weeks, while poets who submit at other times can expect to wait longer for a response.

Poets may submit up to six poems of any length, although they prefer poems between 14 and 70 lines. Plainsongs accepts submissions online, not via email or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors immediately withdraw work published elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work.

All poets published in Plainsongs receive a copy of the journal in which their work appears. In addition, Plainsongs honor three poems from each issue with a $50 award. They publish each of these poems alongside a short essay about the poem written by the Plainsongs Reader’s Board.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Plainsongs, please visit their website here.

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