Now that you know what the market listings mean, it’s time to find magazines that might be a good match for your poetry. Several reference books are available for this purpose:
The Poet’s Market—Published by Writer’s Digest books, this is probably the most thorough reference guide containing publishers of poetry. It has hundreds of listings, abbreviated guidelines, and contact information. It contains a subject index that will help you quickly to locate appropriate markets.
The Christian Writer’s Market—If you write Christian poetry or poetry on broad religious themes, you may have trouble publishing your work in the secular marketplace. Although the Poet’s Market does contain religious poetry magazines, you will find more such magazines in Sally Stuart’s reference, The Christian Writer’s Market.
The Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses—If you are an unpublished poet, it might be best to get your start in small circulation magazines. This Dustbook publication specializes in bringing you market information about hundreds of small magazines.
Poets & Writers Magazine—Each issue of Poets & Writers magazine contains a classified ad section listing numerous markets. The advantage of using this magazine is that you know these markets are actively seeking submissions. Market guide books are updated only once a year, and some of the magazines listed may have ceased publication or closed their submission period. You can also access these classifieds on the Poets & Writers website.