Guidelines on  submissions 

​ PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN OUR SUBMISSION SYSTEM –
​WE NOW USE THE DUOSUMA SUBMISSION MANAGER
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You can find all the information about  submitting  via  DUOSUMA by clicking here

   Submission Guidelines for Poems


       
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When our submission window is open you can access our DUOSUMA submissions portal using our submissions page, but please read the guidelines first!  By submitting your work you give permission for The Alchemy Spoon to publish that work and confirm that it has not been published previously in books, magazines, webpages or on social media. The copyright of all submissions remains with the author, if the work is accepted for publication in The Alchemy Spoon  then the author agrees that any subsequent publication will acknowledge The Alchemy Spoon as first publisher. Once accepted then we are not able to accept any corrections or edits other than typographical  errors or  those requested by the editors.

We run The Alchemy Spoon on a break even basis so are not able to offer free copies to contributors - we do however send a discount code to those with poems in the issue which gives a 50% discount on the price of one copy.

• You will be asked to create a free account with Duotrope if you are not already registered  with them
• All your poems must be in ONE word-compatible document  
• You can submit up to 3 poems, you MUST enter the title of each poem (piece) on Duosuma when you submit
• Poems should be in 12 point Times New Roman with a maximum 40 lines not including the title 
• Our pages have a page width of 16cm and print width of 11.5cm (4.5 inches) between margins so poems with very long lines can be difficult to format.
• Enter  a  brief bio, maximum of 50 words, in the third person  in the  Duotrope submission manager 
• Start a new page for each poem with your name at the end of the poem  on each page 

  

• We are only able to accept submissions from those over 18
• Simultaneous submissions are permitted but please tell us straightaway if a poem is accepted for publication elsewhere
• We aim for a speedy turn-round and will respond to every submission but we don’t offer individual feedback
• No changes can be made after submission
• Authors retain all rights. However, if a poem is subsequently published elsewhere, please acknowledge that it first appeared in The Alchemy Spoon 
• Our submission window for Issue 16 will open on  1st  -   30th   June 2025 and the theme will be 'food'
• Please note our policy on the use of AI in poems or images submitted
• If you have a poem published in Issue 15 we ask that you wait for Issue 17 before submitting again 

   Submission Guidelines for Essays

• If you have an essay on some cutting-edge poetry-related topic, please email us or use the contact form to discuss this  

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   Submission Guidelines for Artwork

• We are looking for original artwork to feature on future magazine covers and within the pages.  Portrait-orientated images work best (or images suitable for cropping).  Low resolution images should be sent at the submission stage but higher res files will be needed (2480 pixels x 3508 pixels) at print stage
• Email us  up to 3 low res images (png or jpg) inserted into one word-compatible document together with a cover letter listing the artworks  with your name, address, email, and a bio of about 50 words in the third person 
• We look forward to seeing your work and will choose artwork corresponding to the theme of the issue, or if it is eye-catchingly good ​ – email us at [email protected]

   Submission Guidelines for Reviews

• If you would like to recommend a poetry collection or submit a review of a collection then please email us or use the contact form