“I directed my mind to know, investigate, and seek wisdom and explanations,” Ecclesiates 7:25.

Resources for Poems & Poetic Manuscripts

These resources will help you to research, write, and edit your poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and children’s picture books. To help you market your poetic writing, hotlinks to traditional publishers have also been included.
 

Academy of American Poets site archives articles, information, and a variety of poems by classical and contemporary poets to study and enjoy.

AgentQuery houses a searchable database on the Internet to help you find an agent who’s open to queries and to clients writing in your genre.

American Library Association promotes reading among all age groups, produces publications, and sponsors prestigious awards for writing and artistic excellence.

American Verse Project primarily includes works in the public domain. You can search these either by the name of the poet or by the title of a classical poem.

Annual writing contest sponsored by the Writers-Editors Network encourages entries of fiction, nonfiction, book chapters, poetry, and all genres of manuscripts for children. Mary Sayler judges the last two categories and looks forward to well-written religious themes. Entries can be mailed early but must be postmarked no later than March 15th.

Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) website posts contact information and a search box for finding literary agents with a history of placing books in your genre.

Book Publishing Markets on this website include contact information and current needs for religious publishers (primarily Christian or Jewish) and also traditional book markets for children’s writers, health writers, cookbook writers, and others.

Caldecott Medal presented annually by the American Library Association to award artistic excellent in children’s picture book illustrations.

Catholic Poets & Writers Blog discusses writing for Catholic and catholic Christians.

Children’s Book Awards site includes major awards in the U. S. and lists recipients.

Children’s Magazine Guide indexes 60 secular periodicals for children.

Christian Poets & Writers Blog discusses the Christian writing life and provides a place for Followers to ask about fiction, nonfiction, or poetry for Christian readers.

Christian Writers Fellowship International offers networking and a bi-monthly newsletter Cross & Quill with writing tips, news, conference updates, editorial requests, and marketing information about all genres of books and periodicals for all age groups.

Christian Writing Market is THE marketing help for Christian poets and writers. The website lists books and periodicals with additional information and annual updates on editors, publishing needs, and contact information in the Christian Writers’ Market Guide by Sally Stuart (available through her website and in many bookstores.) For regular updates throughout the year on Christian publishing and marketing trends of special interest to Christian writers and poets, check out Sally’s blog.

Churchmouse Publications, an innovative web-based Christian syndicate debuting on the Internet, offers editors, publishers, and other patrons a wide range of inspirational materials from which to choose, such as the faith-based poems from the “Saints Alive” collection of poetry by Mary Harwell Sayler. [For Mary’s devotionals and children’s story on Churchmouse, type in her last name for your search.]

Colossal Directory of Children’s Publishers posts an alphabetical listing of the company names, current needs, and editorial contact information for an extensive list of publishers of children’s books.

Copyright information can be found online for those who intend to self-publish. If you place your manuscript with a traditional publisher, however, this will be taken care of for you. Just be sure your contract specifies that the copyright will be in your name.

Critique Service offers a thorough reading of your work with practical ideas, light editing, professional feedback, and an objective evaluation (by mail or email) of your poetry, children’s poems, picture book texts, devotionals, and other inspired writings.

Duotrope’s Digest lists poetry and fiction markets for over 2400 publications. You can search the site by genre, theme, and even payment scale! Most of the magazines, journals, and publishing houses also include hotlinks to their company websites.

EnglishVerse.com archives the classical works of traditional English poets.

Guide To Grammar & Writing instructs you in the correct usage of grammar, syntax, and punctuation as you edit or revise your inspired writings.

Hymn Lyrics can be found in full on many websites, but this one presents the printed version first, allowing you to select audio when you’re ready to hear the tune. This resource can be particularly helpful to Christian poets and songwriters.

Library of Congress archives national and historical documents useful for your poetry writing projects and children’s picture books or poems requiring research on the U. S.

Mary Sayler Blog provides Followers a place to ask a question about writing, revising, or marketing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for readers in all age groups.

National Book Foundation encourages literary excellence and presents prestigious annual awards in many genres

Newbery Medal presented annually for excellence in children’s literature. (See ALA.)

Nobel Prize presented in many categories, including poetry and literature.

Online Resources For Writers links to secular but helpful websites offering instructive information about grammar, punctuation, proofreading, and more.

Online Writing Lab by Purdue covers English grammar and punctuation.

Poetry Editor since 1983 has helped poets to help their poem.

Poetry Of Course Blog provides Followers a place to ask a question about poetry.

Poetry Tool posted by the Poetry Foundation includes archived articles and all sorts of tools to help you discover poets, poems, and poetry.

Poets & Writers magazine posts editorial calls for poems, essays, and fiction of various lengths to be published in an anthology, book, chapbook, or magazine. Published poets and authors who met certain criteria can be listed in the P&W online directory. For an example, see the listing for Mary Sayler in the Directory of Poets.

Prayer Space on the Upper Room website of the United Methodist Church leads you through prayer methods that use Holy Scripture (Lectio Divina), icons, or visualization as taught by St. Ignatius. You’ll also find a quick but insightful “Spiritual Types” test that may help you find direction for your poems, devotionals, and other inspired writings.

Publishers Weekly website posts national and international news and reviews on all aspects of book publishing. You can also sign up for weekly newsletters emailed to you in such specialized areas as religious writing and children’s books. If you want your own book reviewed by PW, their submission guidelines lists the specific requirements.

Pulitzer Prize acknowledges outstanding works and literary excellence in all genres.

RhymeZone provides a search box for you to find rhymes, similar-sounding words, synonyms, antonyms, and quotations related to your word choice. 

Rhyming word search gives you such online options as end-rhyme, double rhyme, and even rhymes based on the first syllable of a word.

Self-published Poems or Manuscripts often need professional feedback or editing prior to publication. A professional critique can help you to correct the flaws and add a finishing touch to your poems, children’s picture book, manuscript, or book proposal.

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) provides marketing and publishing information for children’s writers and artists.

United States Copyright Office tells how to register and protect your poems, picture book texts, and other writings, which you mainly need to do if you plan to self-publish.

Virtual Medieval Church & Its Writings from the University of St. Thomas has a “you are there” approach to Christianity and the highly poetic religious works of Catholic and catholic Christian poets, mystics, philosophers, and theologians. Come ready to meet Julian of Norwich, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, and others.

Writers-Editors Network helps editors to locate writers for upcoming projects and provides writer-members with writing tips and such professional resources as marketing news, job postings, and editorial updates. The site also posts guidelines for their annual writing contest with an annual deadline of March 15..