Poets & Writers Directory

Criteria for Listing

Thank you for your interest in applying to be listed in the Poets & Writers Directory. Before applying, please read the Evaluation Criteria below to see if you are eligible for listing. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Directory Administrators.

Evaluation Criteria:

Applications are evaluated on a point system. Poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction writers, spoken word artists, and translators (of writing translated into English) are invited to apply. You must have 12 points in a genre to be listed in that category; i.e. you must have 12 poetry points to be listed as a poet.

The following count as points for listing:

  • A published book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction (personal essays or memoirs) written in or translated into English (12 points)
  • A published chapbook written in or translated into English (6 points)
  • A published novella written in or translated into English (6 points)
  • A poem or work of fiction or creative nonfiction (personal essays or memoirs) written in or translated into English and published in an edited literary journal or anthology (2 points)
  • A spoken word performance (not readings) (2 points)

The following do not count as points for listing:

  • Journalism or scholarly texts (biography, history, how to, travel guides, book reviews)
  • Publications from hybrid or vanity presses that ask authors to pay all or some of the costs associated with publishing, marketing and/or distribution; require authors to buy copies of their book; or crowdfund
  • Publications that only publish writing or books by members of a closed group
  • Self-published work, or work from presses that do not offer authors standard book contracts
  • Writing for children under the age of 12
  • Credits from publications that do not regularly publish poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction
  • Work published by a journal, including a personal blog; anthology; or press for which you make editorial decisions
  • Plays or dramatic treatments
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