Special Call: Poems in Pairs, Translations, Collaborative or Conversation Poems, Poems in Couplets, Poems about Halves or Binaries, etc.

Tab Journal is seeking poetry related to the general idea of “two” for its next print issue, to be published in January 2024.

There is no fee to submit. While Tab Journal currently doesn’t have funding to compensate all contributors for the entire 2024 volume, we do plan to compensate each contributor to the print issue with $75 each.

Distribution of the print issue is to our mailing list of all former Tab Journal contributors, at the AWP Bookfair and other literary events, and to university and high school classes by request. In addition, a pdf and audio is shared on the Tab Journal website.

Past print issues have taken the form of a poster, a pouch, a set of postcards, and other innovative ways to consider the reading experience. Take a look at the website to get a sense of previous print issues that have launched each volume year. If you’d like to receive a sample, use the Contact form to request.

Use this form to submit your poems to this Special Call ONLY. If no other submission forms are available, that means regular submissions are closed, and you should check back in a few weeks for regular submissions.

Basic general guidelines for submissions (e.g., not previously published, author over 18 years old) still apply.

If no other submission forms are available, that means regular submissions are closed, and you should check back in a few weeks for regular submissions.e

Please do not submit more than once to this Special Call. If another submission for this call is requested by an editor, it can be done through messaging in the initial submission.

If you are experiencing problems with this form or require assistance, please contact the staff using the Contact form on the website; if you don’t get response within two weeks, you are welcome to contact the Editor. We will be happy to assist in filling it out together.

Deadline

Tuesday, July 18 (first-round consideration)

Sunday, September 10 (final consideration)

Things to consider before you submit:

The unifying concept is applied loosely. The Creative Director and Editor work through a dynamic process of design and curation, in which each informs the other, and the resulting collection of poems often doesn’t announce the concept overtly. Don’t let the general idea box you in too much. There’s a space in the submission form so that you can offer your sense of how the work connects to the concept.

Shorter is probably better. Because of the page size of the next print issue, poems of 24 lines or shorter and lines of 75 characters or shorter may be especially appealing. Longer lines but fewer lines is also fine because we can use both portrait and landscape orientation, so go ahead and send what you have, but know that very long poems won’t work with the design.

Use the Submittable form for the Special Call for Poems. While Tab Journal usually encourages a submission of 3-5 poems, poets may submit 1-5 poems in a single file to this special call.

If the poem is a collaboration or translation, include the contact information and bio note of the additional author in the cover letter section. Translations should also indicate that the author has granted permission or that the work is no longer under copyright. Original-language versions should be included with the translations.

No visual poems. The design and format for the next issue doesn’t render visual poems well enough for them to be considered. Do send visual poems using the form for visual poems when we are open for regular submissions.

The reading and selection of poems for the print issue is done by the Editor and Creative Director. Submissions for this special call do not go through the usual anonymous screening by the regular staff readers.