What Is a Simultaneous Submission in Poetry?
Quick answer: A simultaneous submission in poetry means sending the same poem to journals or contests at once. How the etiquette works and why most markets allow it.
A simultaneous submission means sending the same poem to more than one journal, magazine, or contest at the same time. Most poetry markets allow it, on one strict condition: the moment any of them accepts the poem, you withdraw it from all the others immediately. It is the standard way experienced poets submit, because response times of three to six months would otherwise make publishing glacial.
The term confuses beginners because it sounds like a violation, when it is actually the system working as designed. The thing that is genuinely forbidden almost everywhere is letting an accepted poem remain under consideration elsewhere, or worse, accepting two offers on the same poem. The etiquette is simple, but it is enforced by reputation, and editors talk.
How it works in practice
Suppose you send the same five poems to four journals in January. In March, journal B accepts two of them. That day, you log in to the other three journals' submission systems, or email their editors, and withdraw those two poems by name, leaving the other three under consideration. Nothing else is required, and no editor is offended; this is Tuesday in the literary world.
Most submission platforms have a withdrawal or note function built in precisely for this. For partial withdrawals, a short message naming the accepted poems is the convention, with thanks and no apology needed.
Who forbids it, and why
A minority of journals, often ones with fast response times, request exclusive submissions: they promise a quick answer in exchange for a clear field. Contests forbid simultaneous entries more often than journals do, because prizes usually carry first publication rights and a double win creates an unresolvable conflict. The guidelines always say which policy applies; the absence of any statement is generally read as permission.
Respect exclusivity when you accept it. Sending poems to a no-simultaneous market while they sit elsewhere is the kind of shortcut that surfaces at the worst moment, typically when both places say yes.
Related terms people mix up
A multiple submission is sending several different poems to the same market, which is normal and usually capped by the guidelines at three to six poems. Prior publication is a different issue again: simultaneous submission concerns where a poem currently is, publication history concerns where it has already been. A poem can be unpublished and simultaneously submitted, and that is the healthiest state for a strong new poem: in front of several editors, on the record nowhere.
Contests with short cycles reduce the need for simultaneity; a monthly competition that announces results on the 30th, as Writory does, only takes a poem off the table for a few weeks.
What poets can take from this
- Assume simultaneous submissions are allowed unless guidelines say otherwise, and confirm before entering contests.
- Withdraw accepted poems from all other markets the same day the acceptance arrives.
- Track every poem's locations in a spreadsheet; partial withdrawals are where records save you.
- Honour exclusivity windows you agreed to, even when a better market opens.
- Keep each batch to markets of similar tier so an acceptance anywhere feels like a win.
Try it yourself
Write a poem about being in two places at once, a heart, a letter, a migrating bird, and end it at the moment a choice becomes unavoidable.
Questions
What happens if two journals accept the same poem?
You must decline one immediately, with honesty and apology, and you will burn some goodwill. It usually means a withdrawal was missed. Keep records and withdraw on the day of acceptance and it never happens.
How do I withdraw a poem from a submission?
Use the withdrawal function on the journal's submission platform, or email the editors naming the poem and the reason. For withdrawing some poems from a batch, add a note rather than withdrawing the whole submission.
Are simultaneous submissions allowed in poetry contests?
Less often than at journals. Many contests require exclusivity during judging because prizes include first publication. Check each contest's rules, and prefer short judging windows when you want to submit widely.
By the Writory editorial team, reviewed by working poets. Updated July 2026.
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