Let’s figure this one out:
If I write four lines
with five words per line,
that gives me twenty words.
~By Roger Legon
POETRY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Four and Twenty welcomes submissions that artfully handle short form poetry. The guidelines are simple. All poems must be four lines or fewer in length and contain no more than twenty words (hence, Four and Twenty). All submissions are judged on the author’s ability to create a vivid picture, evoke an emotional response, and use creative wordplay. All poetic forms that fit the journal’s guidelines (such as haiku, senryu, sapphic, and tanaga) are welcome, but authors are not limited to these forms. There is no set theme for the journal. A new issue of the journal is released the third Tuesday of each month.
Four and Twenty is published for a general audience of poetry lovers, so out of deference to our younger readers (and their parents) we ask for no erotica or gratuitous profanity. We’d prefer not to place an age restriction on our site.
We accept submissions on an ongoing basis. At the end of each month, we gather all entries submitted that month and evaluate them for the issue set to release two months out. For example, all poems submitted in February will be considered for publication in the issue set to release the third Tuesday of April. Our submission calendar is posted on the bottom of this page.
WAYS TO SUBMIT
Please submit a maximum of four submissions in one month to us via our online submission form or via e-mail. With all submissions, please include your name and e-mail address. We do not need your author bio at the time of submission.
By submitting your work to us, you agree to the terms posted in the “Rights and Permissions” section of this page.
To submit via our online submission form (preferred):
Click on the link below to open our online submission form. Poems submitted using this form are posted directly to our records.
Click here to access our online submission form.
To submit via e-mail:
Please send all e-mailed submissions to 4and20@declarationediting.com. We prefer that you submit your poems in the body of your e-mail; however, if your poems contain special formatting, you can submit them in an attached .DOC or .RTF file.
ARTWORK SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Artists submitting work to be considered as cover art may submit up to three original images. As with the poems we publish, we are open to an array of themes. Images that tell a story or give a strong sense of place are of particular interest to us. We are partial to illustrations, but will also consider photos. If accepted for publication, cover art will be cropped to fit a 7″ by 3.5″ space.
Artist submitting work to accompany submitted poetry may submit one image per poem submitted. If accepted for publication, Artwork that accompanies poetry will be cropped to fit a 7′” by 2.75″ space.
All submissions must be sent electronically to 4and20@declarationediting.com. All files should have a minimum quality of 300 dpi. Please submit files in one of the following formats: TIFF, JPEG, PNG, EPS, or PDF. Please do not submit native Photoshop or Illustrator files.
All artwork is subject to the same rights agreement as the poetry we publish.
RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS
By submitting your poetry to Four and Twenty, you attest that your writing is your own original creation and that your submitted poem or poems have not appeared in any other publication.
You also agree to the following terms by virtue of submitting to Four and Twenty:
If your writing is selected for publication, we ask for first North American serial rights and first electronic rights. In addition, we ask that none of the accepted writing appear anywhere online or in print in North America for thirty days after its exclusive appearance on our website. After this period, reproduction rights revert back to the writer. We also ask for the right to archive your work on our website for one year after the initial publication. (You are free to publish your work elsewhere after the exclusive thirty-day publication time has elapsed.) In any subsequent release of the material (online or in print), we ask that you acknowledge Four and Twenty.
In addition to appearing on this site, all selected poems will appear online at Declaration Editing’s website (www.declarationediting.com) and blog (www.declarationediting.wordpress.com).
Currently, there is no print edition of the journal. In the event of a print anthology, reproduction of your work will be subject to a separate agreement. At this time we offer no compensation for accepted work.
SUBMISSION CALENDAR
Poems submitted in January are considered for the March issue.
Poems submitted in February are considered for the April issue.
Poems submitted in March are considered for the May issue.
Poems submitted in April are considered for the June issue.
Poems submitted in May are considered for the July issue.
Poems submitted in June are considered for the August issue.
Poems submitted in July are considered for the September issue.
Poems submitted in August are considered for the October issue.
Poems submitted in September are considered for the November issue.
Poems submitted in October are considered for the December issue.
Poems submitted in November are considered for the January issue.
Poems submitted in December are considered for the February issue.
