Before you send any work in, check the Writers' Guidelines, which are usually either on the website or inside the magazine. Pay attention to word count and any themes that might be requested. If a contest has a DEADLINE, make sure that your work arrives before deadline!

Send your best work; and have a teacher, friend or parent check your manuscript for typos first. Use white paper, 8 1/2" x 11' and black ink with a normal font like Times / 12.

Follow the guidelines carefully. For example, type your name and page # on each page, unless requested NOT to--sometimes contests want "blind" manuscripts with a separate cover sheet that has your title listed on it.

Every submission needs a cover letter and a SASE (self-addressed-stamped-envelope) so that the publisher can reply to your submission. Don't be discouraged if at first you don't succeed. Every rejection slip brings you one step closer to being published. Make sure to keep copies of any work that you submit. When your work is published, you will receive a copy of the issue, and sometimes payment, too. Keep copies or "clips" of all your published work. Best of luck in your efforts!  
  

Hanging Loose Magazine has published high school writers in every issue, and they have put together several anthologies of high school writing: Hanging Loose Press, 231 Wyckoff St., Brooklyn, NY 11217. www.hangingloosepress.com.

Imagine, a magazine for students 12 -18 yrs publishes stories, poems, essays and book reviews. Editor, CTY/Imagine, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Or visit them on the web at www.jhu.edu/gifted/imagine/guidelines. Also offers variety of academic opportunities.

Merlyn's Pen: An annual publication of essays, stories & poems by students in grades 6 - 12. Check out at www.merlynspen.com. Large archive of resources for writers and teachers.

New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and their Dreams, for girls age 8 - 14. Check out their website and guidelines before submitting work. www.newmoon.org. New Moon, 34 East Superior St, #200, Duluth, MN 55802.

River of Words sponsors an annual poetry and art contest for students www.riverofwords.org.

Skipping Stones features multi-cultural, international perspective. Poetry, personal-experience essays and short stories. www.skippingstones.org. Skipping Stones, P.O. Box 3939, Eugene, OR 97403.

Stone Soup : Publishes poems and stories by kids through age 13. www.stonesoup.com.

Scholastic has annual competition for writers, photographers and artists. For grades 7 - 12. Website has complete information on entries and examples of past award winners. www.artandwriting.org.

Teen Ink publishes poetry and short prose on-line and in print. Read a sample before submitting your work.   Information about workshops, college programs and related writer resources. www.teenink.com

Waging Peace . A wealth of peace resources, including poetry and essay contests, www.wagingpeace.org.

Writing Magazine , Weekly Reader, 200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06912. For grades 6-10. Editor Sandhya Nankani says "we are always looking to publish student writing." Email her at snankani@weeklyreader.com for guidelines.

The Tracking Way , a new magazine for young people featuring art, poetry, and writing by teens, and with contributors of all ages. From the smallest detail of an animal's track to the larger things we can track ? our own place in the world, as well as where others have been and what they have left behind ? The Tracking Way has got it all. It's a practical guide, a place for authentic communication, and a way to stay close to the Earth that is common to all of us. www.inthisplace.org/magazine.html

Other Poetry Resources, Online

Academy of American Poets . Find a poet, find a poem. www.poets.org

Center for the Art of Translation promotes literature and translation. Home of Poetry Inside Out , a bilingual school-based program. Anthologies available. www.catranslation.org.

California Poets in the Schools, 1333 Balboa Street, San Francisco, CA 94118. (415) 221-4201. www.cpits.org. Places professional writers in classrooms throughout California.

Carnegie Library . Resources and literature for children and teens. www.clpgh.org.

Inner Spark summer program for students in 8 th -12 th grade passionate about music, creative writing, dance, film, visual art, animation, or theatre. Find their website at www.csssa.org.

New York Public Library . Literary resources for students, writers & teachers. www.nypl.org.

Oyate , 2702 Matthews St, Berkeley, CA 94702. Native American Studies. Oyate is the Dakota name for people. www.oyate.org.

Poets & Writers is published bimonthly with interviews, publication opportunities, and links to other literary sites. www.pw.org.

San Francisco State University Poetry Archives. Wide range of video, audio, written work by living and historic poets. Diverse range of styles and voices. www.sfsu.edu/~poetry/

 

Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 5 Union Square West, NYC 10003-3306. Publishes catalog of writing tools and offers comprehensive website with many literary links. www.twc.org.

Teaching Tolerance. Lesson plans, posters free to educators and students. www.tolerance.org.

Write Girl provides mentoring, creative writing workshops, performance and publication opportunities for teen girls in the Los Angeles region. Find them at www.writegirl.org

Writers Corps, a project of the SF Arts Commission, reaches out to youth ages 6-14 in a variety of neighborhood and school centers. www.writerscorps-sf.org

Youth Speaks   Written and spoken word in the SF Bay Area. www.youthspeaks.org

826 Valencia Street Project . In San Francisco's Mission District, writing programs for all age groups. Poetry, science fiction, experimental writing, bookmaking, tutoring. They welcome English language learners. Check it out at www.826valencia.org. In Los Angeles, find program details at www.826la.org.

Updated by Karen Lewis -- kwills@mcn.org, May 2005.



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