Creatrix Submission Guidelines

Submissions for poetry are only accepted from financial WA Poets Inc members. To become a member click here.

Submissions for haiku are open to all persons interested in haiku (please read the guidelines below before submitting).

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Submission Closing Dates

Deadlines for submissions is midnight (Perth, Western Australia time) on the following dates:

  • 10th February for the March issue
  • 10th May for the June issue
  • 10th August for the September issue
  • 10th November for the December issue

Disclaimer

WA Poets Inc and Creatrix do not assume liability for copyright infringement or failure to acknowledge previously published work. Rights revert to the author upon publication. WA Poets Inc and Creatrix reserve the right to post any accepted work on its web page or in print form.

Copyright of material in Creatrix remains with individual contributors and cannot be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the authors.

Creatrix Poetry Submission Guidelines

To submit, complete the POETRY submission form on Submittable.

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We are looking for good quality, well-crafted poetry; there is no guarantee that submitted poems will be accepted.

Failure to adhere to the guidelines will result in your submission being rejected.

  • We accept a maximum of TWO unpublished and original poems per poet (unpublished refers to poems that have NOT appeared in print or online as part of an electronic journal or poetry blog that specialises in publishing other people’s poetry).
  • Each poem must be submitted as a separate Microsoft Word OR pdf document attachment.
  • Theme is open. (no theme)
  • A maximum of 60 lines, though less is preferred.
  • Entries must be formatted using 12-point Times New Roman font.
  • Line spacing for submissions to be single-spaced.
  • Each submitted poem must have a title (at the top).
  • Please DO NOT include any names, material or cover page that could identify you as the author in the submission document/s. Kindly verify the submission documents for this before uploading. Submission/s will be disqualified if you compromise this.

Currently, we cannot pay contributors, but your poetry will be showcased.

Selectors: for poetry are by invitation from the following; Peter Jeffery OAM (Honorary Selector), Mike Greenacre, Chris Palazzolo, Veronica Lake, Chris Arnold, Ross Jackson, Kevin Gillam, Jan Napier and Helen Budge.
Submissions Manager: Jaya Penelope.
Founding members of Creatrix Online Poetry Journal: Peter Jeffery, Andrew Burke, Maureen Sexton, Veronica Lake and Jeremy Balius.

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Policy on Reviews of WAPI Member’s Poetry Books

WAPI has decided on the following policy for  reviews of members poetry books.

WAPI will publish a single review for each issue of CREATRIX for a limited trial period, and any financial member can submit a review for consideration,

  • In length reviews will be an ideal 600 to 800 words but if the analysis is good the editors will consider an extended review.
  • The editors have right of acceptance and rejection and the submitter will be notified accordingly but no further correspondence will be entered.
  • On occasion the editors may commission a review in line with WAPI policy.

Creatrix Haiku and Senryu Submission Guidelines

Haiku selectors are; Rose van Son, Coral Carter, Barry Sanbrook and Gary De Piazzi.

To avoid disappointment, please follow the submission guidelines.
Failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in your submission being rejected.

Haiku and Senryu Submission Guidelines

  • Publication submissions are accepted from all persons interested in writing haiku and senryu.
  • Submissions of up to EIGHT haiku/senryu per person are accepted for each issue.
  • All haiku and senryu must be unpublished and the author’s original work (unpublished refers to haiku that have NOT appeared in print or online as part of an electronic journal or poetry blog that specialises in publishing other people’s haiku).
  • All Haiku poems up to a maximum of eight (8) can be submitted as in one Microsoft Word OR PDF document attachment. 
  • Entries must be formatted using 12-point Times New Roman font.
  • Line spacing for submissions to be single-spaced.
  • Please DO NOT include any names, material or cover page that could identify you as the author in the submission document/s. Kindly verify the submission documents for this before uploading. Submission/s will be disqualified if you compromise this.

Elements of an Acceptable Haiku and Senryu

  • Brevity is the key in haiku. Around 12 syllables or less is ideal, but we accept up to 17 syllables. Every word should have an impact, unnecessary words should be removed.
  • Three lines is the most common setting in English language haiku but we will also consider 1, 2 and 4 line haiku.
  • Preferably does not use poetic tools like intentional end rhyme, overt similes or metaphors, clichés, etc. Nor do haiku use capital letters, except for proper nouns. Don’t try to be ‘clever’ or ‘abstract’. Keep it simple and straightforward.
  • Captures a moment in time, a powerful image, therefore must be written in present tense.
  • Preferably infers an awe or a reverence of nature and uses a nature reference, however, we also accept senryu. Senryu emphasize human foibles and may be humorous.
  • Relates to the senses.
  • Haiku ideally have two parts, usually as a fragment and a phrase. These two parts are usually presented as two juxtaposed images that have a connection that may give the reader an ‘aha’ moment. Haiku can be written as a single image haiku as well, but you still need two parts to the haiku, or a pause (cutting or kireji) after either the first or second line. Even a run on sentence can be acceptable if there is a natural pause when reading the haiku. 

Checklist

Here is a checklist of questions to assist with revising/editing haiku.

  • Read it aloud several times.
  • Can you clearly hear the two parts of the haiku – the fragment and the phrase?
  • Is it written in present tense?
  • Does it capture a moment in time? Is it a powerful image?
  • Could any words be substituted for better ones? Every word should have an impact!
  • Can others understand the haiku?
  • Has rewriting the haiku in other ways been tried e.g. have you tried reversing the ‘fragment’ and ‘the phrase’?
  • Have you removed unnecessary articles (‘a’ and ‘the’)? Do not remove articles just to make the haiku shorter.
  • Have you removed poetic tools like intentional end rhyme, overt similes or metaphors, clichés, etc?
  • Does the haiku capture the moment of inspiration? Can others get the moment of inspiration – the ‘aha’ moment?

We are looking for the ‘aha’ factor.

For more information on how to write haiku and senyru and what the editors are looking for, go to the Haiku Information section below.

Founding members of Creatrix Online Haiku Journal: Maureen Sexton, John Bird and Nicholas Barwell.

Haiku Information

Many people write haiku in three lines, although traditionally Japanese haiku were often written in a single line, and modern haiku writers often write haiku in one, two or three lines.

In Japan, haiku were written in seventeen on or onji. The word on in Japanese means sound, and onji means sound symbol. Because of the difference in languages, the use of seventeen syllables in English forms a longer haiku than it would in Japanese language. In keeping with one of the most important rules of haiku – brevity, and to try to approximate Japanese language more closely, it is preferable to write English haiku in approximately twelve syllables, or as few syllables as possible.

Haiku in Japan usually contains a season word or words and a kigo is used to decide which words relate to which seasons. However, in Australia, because our seasons are different, many don’t use a kigo and try instead to use Australian season references, depending on who their intended audience is. See Australian Haiku Dreaming –http://users.mullum.com.au/jbird/dreaming/ozku.html for more on Australian season references.

Haiku usually has a distinct grammatical break, or kireji. Sometimes a dash is used to highlight the kireji, again depending on the intended audience. It also depends on whether a single image haiku is being written or a haiku using juxtaposition. It is preferable to use one or two clear, contrasting images.

Senryu is similar, except it emphasizes humor and human foibles instead of seasons, and may not use kigo or kireji.

Links to Haiku sites:

For haiku definitions go to: https://australianhaikusociety.org/category/haiku/haiku-definitions/

Haiku Oz: The Australian Haiku Association –  https://australianhaikusociety.org/

Australian Haiku Dreaming – http://users.mullum.com.au/jbird/dreaming/ozku.html

Haiku NewZ includes an ever-growing collection of articles about haiku, senryu, tanka, haibun, etc, as well as a collection of links to other online resources. The link to the site is: https://poetrysociety.org.nz. Hover your mouse over Affiliates, choose Haiku NewZ and then the sub-section you want.

Haiku XpresSions publishes haiku from around the world in the magazine FreeXpresSion. Send up to ten unpublished haiku at a time, not on offer elsewhere, to the Haiku Editor, Cynthia Rowe (cynthia.rowe@ozemail.com.au), including your postal address. Any writer whose work is published receives a complimentary copy of FreeXpresSion magazine.

Haiku and photography website: http://raysweb.net/haiku/

The Heron’s Nest, USA – http://www.theheronsnest.com/

Haiku Society of America:  http://www.hsa-haiku.org/

Haiku World – http://www.haikuworld.org/

World Haiku Association – http://www.worldhaiku.net/

HIA International Haiku Association – http://www.haiku-hia.com/index_en.html

Writer’s Digest/Poetic Asides: http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/

Haiku Talk: A general discussion list for writers and others interested in haiku and related genres. A forum for news and views. – http://geraldengland.co.uk/hk/

Haiku 2000: A series of webpages supporting and expanding on the material in The Art of Haiku 2000: a guide to haiku, senryu, tanka, haibun, sedoka, sijo and other related genres, published by New Hope International. – http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/nhi/hk2000.htm

Wonder Haiku Worlds – a community portal for haiku and related forms: http://www.wonderhaikuworlds.com/

World Haiku Review:  http://athenaeum-contents.blogspot.com/

Modern Haiku Magazine: http://www.modernhaiku.org/

Simply Haiku: http://simplyhaiku.com/

Tiny Words publishes one haiku per day: http://tinywords.com/about/

Frogpond, the journal of the Haiku Society of America: http://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/index.html

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