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30–80 poems for a full-length; 16–28 for a chapbook · from $1,800

Poetry collections that hold together as collections.

Single-author collections, themed chapbooks, and contest-ready manuscripts. Edited by working poets.

Talk to the poetry team See pricing

You have fifty or eighty or a hundred poems. You suspect they are not yet a book. What you need is an editor who can see the through-line and help you order the manuscript so it works as one piece.

Poetry mood

What poetry feels like, in five frames.

Visual reference for the voice, palette, and reader mood the books in this category live in.

Sub-genres we work in

The poetry categories with their own conventions.

Sub-genres each have their own structural rules, word-count norms, and reader expectations. We assign by sub-genre, not just by parent.

Sub-genre Full-length collection (60+ pages) Sub-genre Chapbook (16–32 pages) Sub-genre Themed collection Sub-genre Verse memoir Sub-genre Spoken-word collection (page version) Sub-genre Translation collection

Genre conventions

The rules we will not break unless you ask.

Every category has conventions its readers expect. The right time to break them is on purpose, with eyes open. The wrong time is by accident.

  • Manuscript ordering matters as much as line. A great poem in the wrong slot reads weaker.
  • Section breaks earn their place. Three sections is the default; one or five also works when the manuscript asks for it.
  • Open and close strong. The opening and closing poems set and resolve the manuscript's question.
  • Prize-eligible manuscripts follow specific contest rules (page count, anonymity, formatting). We know them.
  • Self-publishing poetry is a niche choice. We are honest about when small-press submission is the better path.

Sample covers

Poetry covers we shipped this year.

Each cover is a real project. Drag through to see the visual language we work in for this category.

  • Poetry title — cover concept 1
  • Poetry title — cover concept 2
  • Poetry title — cover concept 3
  • Poetry title — cover concept 4
  • Poetry title — cover concept 5
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  • Poetry title — cover concept 7
  • Poetry title — cover concept 8

Comp titles

Books that share your shelf, and the choice we'd ask you to make about which one to compete on.

On the discovery call, we ask which two of these your book most resembles, and which one you refuse to be compared to. The answer shapes the outline.

  • Milk and Honey Rupi Kaur
  • Bright Dead Things Ada Limón
  • Whereas Layli Long Soldier
  • Magical Negro Morgan Parker
Poetry — what a project looks like 01:08 60-second tour of a poetry engagement from outline to launch.

Services for this genre

What a typical engagement looks like.

The studio

The team behind every genre.

See the full team →

Poetry — FAQ

Questions we get from poetry authors every week.

Should I self-publish poetry or submit to small presses?

Small-press submission is usually the better path for poets who want institutional recognition (prizes, MFA-job currency, reviews in The Rumpus). Self-publishing works well for poets with an audience already (Instagram poets, spoken-word performers) and is fine for personal projects. We will tell you honestly on the call which path fits.

What's the difference between line editing and manuscript editing for poetry?

Line editing tightens individual poems. Manuscript editing orders the collection, identifies which poems do not belong, and shapes the arc. Most first collections need manuscript editing more than they need line editing.

Do you handle book design for poetry specifically?

Yes — poetry typesetting has its own conventions (page breaks per poem, table of contents formatting, generous margins) that fiction typesetting does not. We use a poetry-trained typesetter.

Other genres

Twelve in total. Different team for each.

Ready when you are

Ready to talk about your poetry project?

A 30-minute discovery call with a senior editor — no sales script, no pressure. We'll tell you whether we're the right fit for your project, what it would cost, and how long it would take.

Book a discovery call See pricing