Midcoast Poetry Journal

Call for Submissions

Midcoast Poets!

Midcoast Poetry Journal Publishing is accepting submissions for Midcoast Poetry Journal Volume 3. Poets residing in Midcoast Maine may submit up to 3 poems for consideration. We request a voluntary $10 donation to help defray printing costs. Publication is not dependent on donating. If you choose to make a donation, please send checks payable to: Midcoast Poetry Journal, 15 North Street, Thomaston, Maine 04861 or use the Donate button. Thank you.

Poems should be submitted as a single Word document and be accompanied by a brief bio of the poet. Poems will be reviewed by the all‑volunteer editorial staff of the Midcoast Poetry Journal for approval and publication.

Please send submissions to info@MidcoastPoetryCalendar.com (subject line MPJ 3). You will be notified via email of our receipt of your submission. Each poet published will receive one free copy of the journal.

Deadline is January 31st, 2026

Download Midcoast Poetry Journal Volume 3 submission poster.

Midcoast Poetry Journal Volumes 1 and 2

     Midcoast Poetry Journal Volume 1 (with 28 Midcoast Maine Poets) and Volume 2 (with 48 Midcoast Maine Poets) paperbacks are available locally (only $10) in Rockport at Barnswallow Books, in Rockland at Hello Hello Books and Jensen’s Pharmacy, in Port Clyde at the Herring Gut Coastal Science Center and in Thomaston at Weskeag Farms and Thomaston Grocery.

Both volumes are also available at Amazon.

     The Midcoast Poetry Journals are published by Midcoast Poetry Journal Publishing, a part of the Midcoast Poetry Calendar, and also an IRS approved second name for the organization.

Midcoast Poetry Calendar is a 501(c)(3) public charity formed as a Maine Public Benefit Corporation to help connect Midcoast Maine poets, poetry groups and poetry organizations, and to help poets plan and promote public poetry events.

The Midcoast Poetry Calendar and its Midcoast Poetry Journal project are sponsored and staffed by the organization’s founders and other volunteers from Rockport Public Library Poets’ Corner and Thomaston Public Library Poets’ Corner and by the time and support of other Midcoast Maine poets.

No fees were associated with publishing poets’ works in the first Volume 1 April edition or its updated Volume 1 June edition. For the second 2025 volume, the board of directors voted to request a suggested “poet’s donation” of $10 per 3 poems submitted for reading to help defray paperback publishing costs. That donation was voluntary and not required. All poems and poets are treated equally.

Each poet published in a Midcoast Poetry Journal volume receives one copy of that journal volume. Additional copies are available for fans, friends, family, and poetry lovers to purchase for $10 at our poetry reading events.

We also donate copies of the Midcoast Poetry Journal to libraries in Midcoast Maine.

The Midcoast Poetry Journal project was started to help meet our goal to “connect Midcoast Maine poets.”

     Book Binding Workshop   We offer book binding workshops for any and all ages. Simple DIY process that creates “perfect bound” handmade books reminiscent of binding techniques that go back to the beginnings of bookbinding. Available to visit classrooms. To schedule a demonstration, email info@MidcoastPoetryCalendar.com. Thanks.

     We also have experience publishing electronic poetry books as PDFs and as paperback and electronic books using Kindle Direct Publishing tools. We plan to make our PDF editions of the Midcoast Poetry Journal available here for donations to our supporting public libraries. You can see examples of PDF chapbooks on Rockport Public Library Poets’ Corner chapbooks page and PDF poetry books on Bill Eberle’s poetry books page.

     We also offer seminars on bookbinding and publishing upon request.