Poetry Manuscript Submissions
We are currently closed for submissions.
At Poem Stellium, we approach poetry publishing with intention.
As an independent publisher, our focus is on bringing forward voices that carry depth, meaning and impact. We are here to create space for poets whose work holds weight — work that speaks, challenges, connects and stays with the reader.
Publishing is a responsibility, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.
We are not looking to publish widely. We are looking to publish carefully.
When we select a manuscript, it is because we believe in the work, the voice behind it and its potential to resonate beyond the page.
What We Accept
We currently accept full-length poetry manuscripts only.
We do not accept fiction, non-fiction or hybrid manuscripts through this submission route.
Manuscript length: 30–60 pages, with a maximum of 80 pages.
We accept:
• Original, unpublished manuscripts
• Previously self-published manuscripts where the author retains the necessary rights to the work
There Is No Fee to Be Published
Poem Stellium does not charge authors a publishing fee when we select their manuscript for publication.
If we choose to publish your collection, we are choosing to invest in your work.
Poem Stellium will cover the standard in-house costs associated with preparing and publishing your book through our platform, including:
• ISBN registration
• Interior formatting and preparation
• In-house cover design
• Publication setup
We don’t believe an author’s ability to pay should determine whether their manuscript deserves the opportunity to be published.
Because we invest our own time, resources and care into every book we take on, we are intentionally selective about the manuscripts we publish.
How to Submit
When Poetry Manuscript Submissions are open:
• Complete the Poetry Manuscript Submission Form below
• Upload your full manuscript as a PDF
• Please allow up to 8 weeks for a response
Please do not submit manuscripts by email unless you have been specifically invited or instructed by Poem Stellium to do so.
Due to the time involved in reading full manuscripts, we are unable to provide individual feedback for unsuccessful submissions.
Before submitting, we strongly encourage you to spend some time exploring Poem Stellium. Read some of the work we have previously published, learn more about the platform and familiarise yourself with what we do.
We want writers to understand who we are and consider whether Poem Stellium genuinely feels like the right home for their work.
If Your Manuscript Is Accepted
If your manuscript is selected, you will work with Poem Stellium to prepare your collection for publication.
Our standard publishing process includes:
• Interior formatting and preparation for publication
• In-house cover design
• ISBN registration
• Publication through Poem Stellium
• Support with promoting your published collection
Authors retain the copyright to their original work.
Before publication, you will receive a publishing agreement clearly setting out the relationship between you and Poem Stellium, including royalties, rights, responsibilities and how income from book sales will be shared.
We want authors to understand the publishing relationship they are entering into, so you will have the opportunity to read and discuss the agreement before proceeding.
Editing
We expect manuscripts submitted to Poem Stellium to already be at a stage where the author considers the collection complete and ready for publication.
Where appropriate, we may suggest changes to structure, ordering, presentation or individual pieces as part of preparing the collection for publication.
More substantial editing or developmental work falls outside our standard publishing process. If we believe a manuscript would benefit from additional editorial work before publication, this will be discussed with the author before proceeding.
No additional paid service will ever be added without discussing it with the author first.
Cover Design
Poem Stellium provides an in-house cover design as part of the publishing process.
Our covers are created within our existing design capabilities and may include typography, photography, minimalist design, simple graphic elements or other creative approaches suited to the individual collection.
A poetry book does not need an elaborate cover to be beautiful. Our focus is on creating something intentional, considered and appropriate for the work inside it.
Authors will be involved in conversations around the direction of their cover, although final design decisions remain with Poem Stellium as the publisher.
If an author requires specialist artwork, illustration or design beyond what we can reasonably provide in-house, this may need to be commissioned separately. Any potential additional costs will always be discussed and agreed beforehand.
Authors may also propose their own artwork or professionally commissioned cover design. This must be discussed with Poem Stellium before publication and will need to meet the technical and production requirements of the finished book.
Royalties, Rights & Publication
Poem Stellium does not take ownership of an author’s poetry.
Authors retain copyright to their original work while granting Poem Stellium the rights necessary to publish and distribute the agreed edition of the book, as outlined in the publishing agreement.
Income generated through book sales will be shared between the author and Poem Stellium according to the royalty terms agreed before publication.
As the publisher, Poem Stellium’s share contributes towards the ongoing costs and work involved in producing, maintaining, distributing and promoting our publications and allows us to continue investing in future writers.
Full royalty information and publishing terms will be provided before an author enters into an agreement with Poem Stellium.
Before You Submit
Please only send us a manuscript that you genuinely feel is ready to be considered for publication.
We are interested in poetry rooted in lived experience, imagination, identity, psychology, relationships, culture, memory, healing, the body, nature and the many ways we understand ourselves, one another and the world around us.
These are not restrictions.
We are interested in work that has something to say.
We welcome writers from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences, and particularly value work from voices that have historically been overlooked or underrepresented within traditional publishing spaces.
Most importantly, send us the work that feels like yours.
We appreciate you trusting Poem Stellium with it.