Help for 200 (poem drafts)?

United States
June 30, 2025 10:52pm CST
We haven't got to 300 yet, but I looked through my Pages queue and "Poetry" folder on my computer, and so it's time to call the Spartans. I should clarify that I have an English B.A. and 4 published poems in my rearview mirror, so I do have a decent chance of getting published should I actually get through the task of revising and submitting these pieces of work. How do I decide which poems to revise for journal submission, and which ones to abandon as lost causes? Also, how do I deal with the varying requirements for journal submission? This totally overwhelmed me before. I can't keep track of what every Journal wants and thus I have no idea which poem fits where. I most certainly don't have the time or money to read them all. Maybe I need a spreadsheet as some sort of journal vibes and requirements tracking tool. My poems are free verse, and some of them are long. Some of them are narrative poems, and most are dark and moody type. Any advice welcome. You don't need to be a poetry expert, mostly just looking for help with economies of scale. How do I break down this task down into smaller portions? I need a plan. One of the things that would bother me was I would try to submit ONE poem and then see a Journal that might fit another of my poems, which would lead to overwhelm. It would be good to have all the poems and all the journals straightened up before I try to marry them together, if that makes any sense. Don't get me started on poetry contests, that's another complication altogether.
1 person likes this
1 response
@sw8sincere (5767)
• Philippines
1 Jul
You’ve already done a huge amount of groundwork. Good job!
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Jul
I like the encouragement, but I could actually use some real help. Like, organization help, help with managing complex tasks, etc.
1 person likes this