“The true harvest of my life is intangible - a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched…”
-Henry David Thoreau
“The true harvest of my life is intangible - a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched…”
-Henry David Thoreau
White Stag is looking for full length poetry manuscripts in the scope of our thematic elements, which can include themes of alchemy & the occult, mysticism & spirituality, folklore & mythos, the speculative or supranatural, or intersections of witchcraft & activism. These themes are not limited to any specific belief, culture, race, or region. We welcome the chance to read all experiences & points of view, with the exception of work that praises or elicits racism, cultural appropriation, homophobia, xenophobia, transphobia, pedophilia, misogyny, ableism, or animal cruelty. Anything that contains hateful rhetoric or elicits violence against any person or group of peoples will not be responded to. Do not send it. We also do not publish any work that is AI generated - send only authentic work.
If you’re not already familiar with the poetry we publish, we encourage you to purchase one of our books or anthologies to get a sense of what we’re looking for prior to sending us your manuscript. It is also good to note that we work in a collaborative effort with our authors in the editing, design & layout, & promotion of their book.
We are only accepting previously unpublished poetry manuscripts. It is fine if individual poems or excerpts from the manuscript were previously published in other journals. We are not accepting pitches for this open reading period. All manuscripts / projects must be finalized & well edited before being sent to us. Simultaneous submissions are allowable, but please notify us right away if you’re manuscript has been selected elsewhere.
Please include a title page, table of contents, & all body of work in one document. Please do not include a cover image or cover letter in the document. All manuscripts should be a minimum of 25 pages & not exceeding 150 pages (page count does not include table of contents, acknowledgments, or author information).
Send your manuscript as an attached doc, docx, or pdf to editor@whitestagjournal.com with the subject line [YOUR AUTHOR NAME - BOOK TITLE]. Failure to add this subject line may result in delayed response, due to how we filter our emails. Please include a short bio & any necessary notes / goals regarding your poetry manuscript in the body of the email.
Because of the high volume of manuscripts we receive, we will not be able to publish everyone’s work. We are looking for unique voices, visceral language, emotionally charged poems, & interesting subject matter. We are especially looking for diverse manuscripts that showcase ritual, culture, & folklore in various forms.
If we choose your manuscript & you agree to publish with White Stag, you will be offered a contract with a $50 honorarium, 40% royalties based on total profit of each copy sold, 15 free copies + additional copies at printer cost, & other opportunities as outlined in your offer letter. *Our offers are non-negotiable.
You must be a US resident or have a US mailing address to publish manuscripts with White Stag at this time. Please allow up to 90 days for a response. Open reading closes February 1, 2026. There is no fee to submit or publish with us.