WRITERS INFORMATION NETWORK
The Professional Association for Christian Writers

Use the following questionnaire to evaluate your own poetry or as guidelines for a critique group. This is designed to follow through the complete process from writing to submission and resubmission. As a guideline, it is not definitive, but may serve well as a springboard for discussion.

1. THE HOOK

Is the title catchy? Appropriate to the mood of the poem? Does the first line grab the reader's attention?

2. SOUNDS

Do the words sound good together? Is the imagery consistent? Have I overworked cliches? Do the sounds give onomatopoeia-like imagery? Does it flow smoothly? Have I removed inversions? Have I used punctuation clearly and correctly?

3. MOOD

Do all words support the mood I'm creating? Have I captured a single experience? Does the beginning draw the reader into the experience? Does the middle build upon the drama or effect of the poem? Does the ending have emotional impact?

4. THEME

Is my idea fresh? unique? new twist on old fact? Have I researched to check facts for accuracy? Does each line support the idea in a unified way? Does the last line carry the strongest visual or verbal expression of that idea?

5. RHYTHM

Does the meter fit the theme and moody of the poem? Do the words or word order distract from the natural rhythm of the poem? If the meter has a pattern, is it consistent? If the pattern breaks, is it logical to the thought and mood conveyed? If free verse, do the line breaks support breaks in meaning, in speech pattern, in emotional impact?

 6. RHYMES

Are the rhymes contrived? Did I have to change the sentence order or grammatical structure to achieve it? Are they true rhymes? Assonant? consonant? Do they interfere with the overall mood or enhance it? Do they support the rhythm pattern? Is the rhyming pattern consistent?

7. EDITING

Have I cut out everything that "isn't" a poem? Is the theme, mood and pattern followed unified? Does the poem "show" rather than "tell" the message? Does the poem assume the reader knows an important point of the idea? Can this be added? Have I given my idea time to mature so that my final version reflects completeness, tautness, crispness, bursting with energy (restrained or volcanic)?

8. AUDIENCE

Is the poem too personal (poignant) for you to share? Is the poem for people with specific interests? needs? Is the poem theme a universal one? Would it fit in a greeting card? Political journal? Woman's magazine? Children's magazine? Religious Publication? Modern Maturity?

9. PROOFREADING

Are all words spelled correctly? Does punctuation add to or distract from meaning? Is it double-spaced? (Or single-spaced if that fits the requirements of the magazine you're sending to?) Is it centered on the page? Does the format appeal to the eye? If the poem goes to a second page, is it indicated at the bottom of the first page (more or continued next page)? Is the writer's name on every page? Is the writer's name, address, phone number in upper left hand corner of the first page of the poem? Are the rights offered (first rights, second or reprint rights), genre and number of lines (Poetry: 12 lines), and copyright, name and year (c Your Name, 1999) in upper right hand corner of the first page of the poem? Margins: Is there an inch-and-a-half at the bottom? An Inch-and-a-half before the first line on page 2 and succeeding pages?

10. MAILING

Is an SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) enclosed with the submission? Is the editors name spelled correctly? Address correct? Are 3 to 5 poems folded in 3rds for a #10 envelope? Are you working on more poems/submissions rather than watching the mailbox for your poems to return? Have you planned a resubmit list; returned poems should be resubmitted within a week?

11. RECORDS

Did you keep a xerox copy of final draft? Did you keep a copy of all letters? Did you record date sent / date returned / where sent? 3x5 card file or loose leaf notebook or manila folders or calendar diary Did you research magazines you submit to by: type of poems preferred (subject matter) audience / readership rhymed / unrhymed / free verse / metered If published, did you record date, issue, remuneration? Are you keeping a folio of published poems?

12. STATUS QUERY

If you haven't heard within 8 to 10 weeks, a status query may be in order. Politely state the name of poem(s), and date submitted, and ask if they arrived in tact. To make it easier for the publisher, send a SASE, or better yet a SAS Postcard where you've typed:

Dear Poet: (or your name)

_____ Your poem arrived on my desk in tact. Will contact you ASAP.

_____ Your poems did not arrive. Please send duplicates.

13. COVER LETTER

Not all editors require or want a cover letter. However, if you are required to write one you might include the following:

Biographical information: anything related to the poems or magazine interest

Education background

Family (if applicable)

Writing experience, published?

Research: interviews, books, magazines, questionnaires

Audience appeal

14. PUBLIC READING

Did you practice intonation and stress for dramatic effect? Did you pick poems appropriate for the kind of audience you will face? Did you rehearse your introduction to your poem? Keep it brief. How idea came or the circumstances. Where published (if appropriate). Do Not Apologize for poem. Do Not Explain the poem Take note of audience reaction, comments, laughter (if intended) for future presentation adjustments.

 DOWNFALLS OF POETRY IF YOU HAVEN'T REALIZED WHY YOURS COME BACK

1. Wrong market. Pick carefully when you choose the periodical to which you send your manuscripts. Does it use the sort of poetry you are offering? Are there better markets for what you have?

2. Too long verse. Periodicals that use long poems are scarce these days. Find the limit and keep within it before you submit. Many periodicals now have limits of 20 lines.

3. Tired verse, quaint verse: some poets have a way of writing pretty little nothings that sound as if they were echoes of other pretty little nothings one has been hearing for a long, long time. If you can't write with freshness, putting life and vigor into what you say, and avoiding the old bromides and cliches, just skip it please.

4. Sloppy presentation; poorly written.

5. Too personal, overdramatic.

6. Romance; too sentimental

7. Misspelled words.

8. Failure to polish one's work.

9. Cliches and redundancy.

10. Triteness -- in both style and content.

11. Shallow thought; lacks spark.

12. Artificiality, obscurity, superficiality, super-sweet, doggerel, no zip.

WHAT SOME RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS LOOK FOR IN CONSIDERING A POEM FOR PUBLICATION:

a. One thought -- preferably short and simple.

b. Theologically sound yet evangelistic in nature.

c. Beneficial to the wide range of DECISION readers.

d. Saying something in a fresh and different way.

e. Does not preach to the reader.

f. Is understandable yet intelligently said.

g. If a similar poem or topic has been used recently in the magazine, they will either reject it or file it for future use.

h. Correct vocabulary and grammar.

i. A clincher or twist at the end.

j. They just like it.

Prepared by Elaine Wright Colvin Writers Information Network

PURCHASE SALLY STUART'S 2004 CHRISTIAN WRITERS MARKET GUIDE HAROLD SHAW PUBLISHERS

HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE PUBLICATIONS THAT PUBLISH POETRY. SEND FOR SAMPLE COPIES AND WRITERS GUIDELINES TO DETERMINE IF ANY OF YOUR POETRY IS APPROPRIATE TO SUBMIT TO THEIR PUBLICATION.

PURCHASE THE BOOK:

WRITING AND MARKETING POETRY
by DENELLA KIMURA
$6.95 + shipping
KIMURA CREATIONS
PO BOX 785
BENICIA CA 94510-0785