What is your timeline for reviewing submissions?
Due to the journal’s ramp-up period and initial public relations efforts, Blast Furnace’s inaugural edition had a broader timeline for its call for submissions. Going forward, the submission period will be shorter, about 90 days for review of received poems. We strive to respond to all submitters within 15 days following the submission deadline for each issue. For the Spring 2011 issue, the submission period will begin January 15 and end March 31, with decisions and notifications on accepts being made by the end of the following month.
What percentage of submitted poems is typically accepted for publication?
Since the journal is new, we don’t have a concrete analysis of acceptance percentage. Blast Furnace does plan to measure this statistic over its first year of quarterly issue publication, and will provide the results at the close of 2011/early 2012.
Why wasn’t my poem accepted for publication?
Since Blast Furnace’s initial call for submissions, the journal has received hundreds of poems from poets within the United States and beyond. We thoroughly review each and every poem multiple times before making a decision. If your poem is not chosen, don’t take it personally. The sheer volume of work received creates a challenging decision process, one that results in turning away poems we enjoy reading. That said, we encourage all submitters to read our Mission & Values, along with the themes listed in each quarterly call for submissions.
If my work is rejected, may I submit again?
If the poem or poems you submit are not selected, you are welcome to submit revisions or other poems for consideration for an upcoming edition of Blast Furnace. We feature themed issues, though we do consider work outside of those themes.
If my work is published, may I submit again?
Yes, however, please kindly wait two years before submitting again.
Do widely-known, widely-published poets have a greater chance of their work being accepted and posted to your journal than newer poets who are, therefore, newer to being published?
While we will feature two interviews with established, well-known poets, one interview with a Pittsburgh-based poet (the city where we are based), and one interview with an up-and-coming poet annually, name recognition does not influence whether we accept a writer’s actual work. When Blast Furnace reviews submitted poetry, we ask: Are we moved? Is the poem's structure/ form sound and are its line and stanza breaks meaningful? Do its metaphors and images work? What about overall language/word choice? Is its voice unique? What of the music of the piece? Thus, if a renown writer’s work appears in our journal, it has everything to do with the impact and quality of the piece, not the poet’s credentials.
Do you offer a “hard copy” version of the journal?
Not yet, but we may launch an annual chapbook contest in late 2011. Stay tuned for more details…
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