SPILLWAY: Submission Guidelines
Spillway will now be published twice a year in June and December.
The new editor is Susan Terris.
Most of the issues will be themed; so check the web site for present and future themes.
Reading periods:
July 1 to September 1—Decisions made in September for early December publication.
February 1 to April 1—Decisions made in April for early June publication.
Theme for December 2010 issue: "All in the Family"
We are interested in poems dealing with families—yours or others'. We are also looking for dual submissions from families that have more than one poet: husbands/wives, partners, parents/children, sisters/brothers etc. Surprise us. We are always looking for an unusual approach to a theme.
Theme for June 2011 issue: "First Time"
What does this mean? Mostly we want you to tell us: first doll, first bike, first period, first sex, first marathon, first scar, first car, first marriage, etc. Figure out interesting ways to approach this theme. But another strong focus of this issue will be first-time publication—yes, poets who have never been published before. Spillway has always relished the idea of publishing "firsts". Many of us are proud to say that our first ever publication was in the pages of Spillway. We’d like this tradition to continue.
To Submit:
Please (online submission only) send your work to:
In the subject line, list your last name, your first name, and whether the submission is poetry or an interview, a review, an article.
In the body of the email, please provide a short cover letter including your contact information and a brief bio. Your submission should be in a single document. Don’t send separate emails for each poem. Please only make one submission per reading period.
Send your work as an attachment in Word or Adobe formats (.doc or .pdf).
Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.
Spillway acquires only the first serial publication rights of accepted work.
Copyright is asserted on behalf of the author; all reprint rights revert to the author upon publication, but we ask that you mention Spillway as first publication appearance.
Genre Submission Details:
Poetry: 3-5 poems
Interviews, articles, & reviews: we’re happy to consider these, but please query first.
Consider ordering a subscription to Spillway to take a look at the kinds of poems we like to publish.
- For a one year subscription, send a check for $16 (includes shipping and handling).
- For a two year subscription, send a check for $28 (includes shipping and handling).
- Single Copy $9 plus $3 shipping and handling.
Checks should be made out to Spillway and mailed to:
Spillway/Tebot Bach
PO Box 7887
Huntington Beach, CA 92615-7887
Susan Terris' poetry books include CONTRARIWISE, NATURAL DEFENSES, and FIRE IS FAVORABLE TO THE DREAMER. Her work has appeared in many publications, including The Iowa Review, Field, The Journal, Colorado Review, Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, The Southern Review, Denver Quarterly, and Ploughshares. She had a poem from Field published in PUSHCART PRIZE XXXI. Ms. Terris had 2 new chapbooks published in 2009: THE WONDER BREAD YEARS and DOUBLE-EDGED and had had two more published in 2010: BAR NONE and CHAPBOOK ON THE MARKETING OF THE CHAPBOOK. Her next book HOMELESSNESS OF SELF will be published in 2011 by Arctos Press. Check out her web site at: http://www.susanterris.com.
For 7 years, with CB Follett, she edited RUNES, A Review Of Poetry. Now she is the new editor of Spillway. In addition, she is a poetry editor for two online publications: Pedestal Magazine and In Posse Review. Ms. Terris does private editing of manuscripts. She also teaches workshops on the making and marketing of chapbooks. In addition, with CB Follett, she runs a series of weekend workshops taught by USC professor & poet David St. John.