If you’re a poet who wants to be published, reach real readers, and earn fair pay for your work — Rattle is one of the most open and rewarding platforms to consider.

It’s also one of the most respected poetry magazines in the U.S., with a strong reputation for publishing emotionally resonant work from both new voices and literary heavyweights.

They specialize in poems that stir emotion, spark thought, and stay with the reader — whether written in free verse or traditional forms.

In this guide, we’ll go through everything you need to know to write for Rattle.

Let’s get started.

What is Rattle?

Rattle is a California-based literary magazine founded in 1995 and published by the nonprofit Rattle Foundation.

Their mission is simple but powerful:
to promote the practice of poetry as a living, breathing part of everyday life.

They believe poetry shouldn’t just live in classrooms or academia — it should be accessible, emotional, and relevant to everyone.

At its heart, Rattle is about community.

They’ve published work from over 4,500 poets, including Pulitzer Prize winners and U.S. Poets Laureate — but they’re just as proud of their 755 first-time published poets.

Whether you’re a lawyer, landscaper, homemaker, or student, your poetry is welcome here.

They publish a quarterly print issue (March, June, September, December), each about 100 pages long and usually centered around a tribute theme — past themes have included:

• Sonnets
• African American poets
• Visual poetry
• Cowboy poets

But they also publish online daily and are active in promoting poetry across formats.

What kind of content do they accept?

Rattle accepts two main types of poetry submissions — both of which are always open and free to submit:

General poems (print)

These are the poems published in Rattle’s quarterly print magazine.

You can send up to four poems at a time, in any form or length. Free verse, traditional forms, humorous, heartbreaking, quiet, or loud — they’re open to anything that moves, surprises, or stays with the reader.

They especially value diversity, both in voice and style. If you notice a subject or style they haven’t published often, send it in. That’s what they want more of.

Poets Respond (online)

This special section is published on Rattle’s website each Sunday (sometimes also Tuesdays and Thursdays).

These poems must:

• Respond to a recent news story or public event that happened within the past week
• Be written within that same week

It’s a chance for poetry to react in real-time to the world —
something Rattle believes is often missing from the art form.

If accepted, the poem is published online and emailed to 10,000+ subscribers.

You can submit to Poets Respond as often as you like, even if you have other submissions pending. Just include a short note explaining what the poem is responding to.

Other content

Rattle also publishes:

• Translations
• Book reviews

But poetry is the heart of their mission.

What are their writing guidelines?

To keep things fair and focused on the writing, Rattle uses blind review.

That means editors don’t see your name, bio, or credentials when reading your poems — every piece is judged solely on its own merit.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Submit up to 4 poems per submission (can be grouped into a 4-page file)
• Do not include your name or contact info in the poem file
• Poems must be previously unpublished in books, magazines, or formal collections (blogs/socials are okay)
• Simultaneous submissions are allowed — just notify them if accepted elsewhere
• Submissions cannot be revised after submission. That said, typos or minor errors won’t hurt your chances — proofreading is what editors are for.
• Poems must be written by humans. AI-assisted poems are okay only if you explain how it was used

Bonus: Every free submission is automatically considered for the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor, which awards $2,000 annually to one standout poem.

Who can write for them?

Anyone —
from anywhere around the world.

Rattle doesn’t care if you’re a literary heavyweight or someone scribbling poems in your notebook between shifts. Your poem gets the same shot as anyone else’s.

They don’t read bios until after selecting work.
All that matters is the poem.

How much do they pay?

Rattle is one of the best-paying poetry markets out there:

• Print Magazine: $200 per poem + a one-year subscription
• Poets Respond (Online): $100 per poem + subscription
• Neil Postman Award: $2,000 prize (all free submissions qualify)

Contributors can also pre-order extra copies of their issue at production cost.

You retain all rights after publication —
Rattle only asks for First Rights, meaning they just want to publish it first.
After that, the rights go back to you.

Note:
You do not get paid just for submitting.
You get paid if your piece is accepted and published.

Why should I write for them?

Because they genuinely care about poetry —
not just as a product, but as a shared experience.

Most of what they publish comes from everyday writers who submitted on a whim or with hope — not from a pool of handpicked insiders.

The playing field is level because they read submissions blind. They’re not chasing credentials or names — they’re chasing feeling.

And when they find it?
They pay you fairly.

They also know poetry doesn’t live in a vacuum. Through their Poets Respond series, they give writers a platform to reflect on what’s happening in the world — in real time.

They’ve built a responsive, open-hearted space that values honest emotion, good writing, and deep resonance.

More than anything, they’ve created a community —
one where first-timers and Pulitzer winners are side by side, and where poems are chosen not for who wrote them, but for what they say and how they say it.

How do I get started?

Here’s a quick guide to submitting:

1. Read their work
Visit Rattle.com to read recent poems and get a feel for what they publish — and what they might be missing in style, voice, or subject matter that you can offer.

2. Prepare your submission

• Up to four unpublished poems
• No identifying info in the file
• A short contributor note (first person — who you are and why you love poetry)

3. Submit online
Use their Submittable page.

If submitting to Poets Respond:
Include a brief note explaining what news story or event your poem is responding to.
Deadline is Friday at midnight (PST) for Sunday publication.

Prefer mail?
Rattle accepts postal submissions too:

Rattle
12411 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604

Include your name, phone number, and mailing address.
No return envelope needed —
they’ll contact you only if your poem is accepted.

Before you submit:
Paid writing opportunities like these are limited — and they exist because editors are still willing to accept unsolicited submissions from writers around the world. To help keep these opportunities open, don’t submit AI-generated content or low-effort work clearly intended as spam. It wastes the editors’ time and takes away chances from real writers who care about the craft. Respect the opportunity. Respect the process. And respect the people reading your work.

Ready to submit your poems?
Head over to their website to get started.

WRITE FOR RATTLE ➤

Final thoughts

If you believe poetry still has the power to stir something deep — to make someone pause, reflect, laugh, cry, or feel seen — then Rattle is a home worth considering.

This is not some closed-off ivory tower, nor a gatekept literary circle. It’s a living space for poets from all walks of life and from every corner of the globe.

Whether you’re writing about personal grief, cultural identity, small joys, or the chaos of the world around us — Rattle offers you a stage.

And not just a place to be read, but to be heard —
by thousands of readers every month, across print, email, and online.

So if there’s a poem in you that won’t stay quiet, don’t hold it back.

Send it in.

Whether it ends up in a quarterly issue or speaks out through Poets Respond, your words could be the ones that linger — that rattle in a stranger’s chest.

That’s what poetry does.
That’s what Rattle believes in.

Looking for more sites that pay you to write?

Here’s a curated list of sites that pay writers.

You’ll find magazines, websites, and platforms in all kinds of niches, from poetry, fiction, and greeting cards to travel, lifestyle, parenting, and more.

Each site includes everything you need to know — from the type of content they’re looking for, to how much they pay, to how to submit your work — so you can confidently land your next paid writing gig.

SEE THE FULL LIST ➤