Writing poetry for the South African market
Craft poetry in one (or more) of South Africa's official languages, which include Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Xhosa, and seven others. Some presses, such as Chimurenga, also accept submissions in European languages like French and Portuguese.
Selection
Select the best from among your poems as possible submissions to publishers. Editors have to read a large number of submitted material, so only send poems that make you stand out from the crowd. (See individual publisher websites for information on simultaneous submissions, having your work read at one time by more than one company.)
Finding a publisher
Visit South African Journals and Magazines (see Resources below), a listing of literary (and other) journals published in South Africa. This page contains links to the websites of individual publishers, who will have contact and submission information.
Submission
Follow individual publishers' guidelines on submission, including formatting, length and number of poems, language, and electronic vs. post submission. Once you have submitted your work, unless otherwise specified, wait for a publisher to contact you about your submission.
