Submissions

What Are We Looking For?

We are interested in publishing short poems of 14 lines or fewer. All kinds of poetry are welcome, from haiku to experimental freeform. We may also consider very short prose (fiction or non-fiction) of no more than 100 words.

We are particularly interested in, though not limited to, publishing those who consider themselves outsiders—whether in poetry or the wider world. The voices who usually go unheard. We enjoy poetry that is a little different, a little subversive; writing that is earthy, liminal and wild. Make us stop and think. Let us be surprised and delighted.

We do not publish:

• Graphic violence or body horror
• Work that is racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise harmful
• Anything generated, in whole or in part, by artificial intelligence (AI)

We welcome simultaneous submissions.

How to Submit

Please send your submission to submissions@barbara.pub

Include in the body of your email (no attachments):

• Your poem or prose piece
• Your name
• The name you want to be published under (if different)
• Your website and/or social media handle (optional)

Please format your subject line as: Your Name: Title of Your Piece

What Happens Next?

If accepted, your poem will be published in barbara, along with your chosen credit (name and website/socials), and you will be credited on our website. You will receive a complimentary digital copy of barbara, which we encourage you to print, copy and distribute freely and widely in paper form.

We may choose to include your poem in a future edition of our anthology, spine. If your work appears in spine, you’ll receive a complimentary digital copy and the option to purchase print copies at cost price (the cost of printing and shipping). If you do not wish to be considered for spine, please let us know in your submission.

Rights and Copyright

By submitting, you confirm that:

• The work is your own creation
• You are the sole copyright holder and have the right to grant us permission to publish it
• It has not been generated, wholly or partly, by AI tools or software
• It does not infringe on any third-party rights

You retain full copyright of your work. You grant barbara the non-exclusive right to publish your work in print and digital formats, including one broadside and one future anthology (spine).

If your work is later published elsewhere, please credit barbara as the first place of publication. One of our goals is to get the names of our authors out there in the world, and your poems read widely. Let’s support each other in delighting the world with our wild words.

Payment

Barbara is just the two of us and our African milk tree, in our living room, with our typewriters. It is not a profitable adventure, and as such, we are unable to offer monetary payment.