Why do poets spend so much time revising their work?
Shouldn’t you just write from the heart and let it go at
that? It depends on what your plan is for that poem.
Maybe you’ve written something for a friend or family
member, personalized it, said what you want to say,
and are pretty sure they’ll like it. Leave it as is---you’re
giving them a special gift to treasure.
But if your goal is to get a poem published, it’s a whole
different scenario. In this case, you want the piece to
stand out from other submissions. And that usually
involves extra work.
Journals vary widely regarding what they want and how
they want you to submit it. Of course, we want you to
send work to Spirit Fire Review; but wherever you send it,
study the guidelines. And get familiar with the journal.
Does your submission fit with what they publish? Is it
new, interesting, from a unique perspective? Have you
fixed typos and grammar issues? Does it look professional?
All yeses? Super. If not, work on it until they are. Then
go for it!
These tips may be geared more toward writers, but we also welcome
submissions from artists, including musicians and photographers.