Current & Recent Submissions

Poetry Submissions Opening Soon!

The award-winning Buckman Journal is pleased to open submissions for the annual Ibby Rivers Poetry Prize, named after the one-and-only Elizabeth Rivers. The winning poet will receive a $300.00 prize and have their work featured in Buckman Journal Issue 015. The prize is open to Oregon and SW Washington residents only. There is no entry fee. We will accept submissions during National Poetry Month from April 11th-20th. 

Please send no more than five pages of unpublished poems. Simultaneous submissions are fine, just be sure to withdraw promptly if accepted elsewhere. All styles are welcome, however, Buckman favors the brave: poets who honor the form as a textual, sonic, and visual art, use words in an unexpected manner, and deploy "I" judiciously. The best poetry, in our view, should always address language itself as the subject. 

 As always, Buckman pays to license work with the copyright reverting to the author after the initial publication date, which will be in January 2026. 

Please submit .docx or .pdf files only, use a readable font, and be sure to include the following in your cover letter: Name, author's name (if different), a brief autobiographical bio, and preferred pronouns. Keep these brief, please.   

We hope to read and respond to all submissions within two weeks of the submission closing date, and definitely within one month. Feel free to share this opportunity with other local writers. Aside from the winner, we may also seek to publish selections from additional poets who submit in future issues of Buckman Journal.   

We thank you for your sharing your work with us and look forward to reading your words! 


Buckman Journal: Trance (closed)

Update 01/02/2025 - Submissions are now closed for both art & writing! We will be replying to all applicants shortly.

Buckman Journal is an independent, award-winning publication anthologizing Portland writers and artists of all genres and mediums, published twice a year. We are opening submissions to all Portland and Pacific Northwest creatives for our 14th installment. As always, there is no entry fee.

The theme for this issue is TRANCE. Consider the trance and lay your own one on us. The word and the state it references is mysterious, with many possible meanings and applications, show us how you take it. Think of trance not just in content, but form—how can your language or characters weave one? How can your visuals spellbind us?

Ibby Rivers Poetry Prize (closed)

A 2024 Poetry Prize winner was chosen and will be announced and featured in the forthcoming 13th issue, Buckman Journal: Preserve & Decay. Selections from three additional poets will also be printed. 


Buckman Publishing Submission Box

located at the Mothership 1033 SE Main St, Suite 4 (inside Honey Latte Cafe).

Our team is always looking for new ways to connect with our creative communities here in Portland and are often overwhelmed with the wealth of talent this city provides. Our schedules are packed with events, readings and art openings, live music and plays, and we are thrilled to launch another avenue for connection: our very own in-person submission box! We invite y’all to drop off sample words, zines, art, etc., for possible future publication with Buckman or as an addition to our Zine Library here at the Mothership. Please include your contact information with the item you drop off. Or, if you want to throw in a postcard / tell us about an event we may not know about, please do!

*DISCLAIMER*: materials will not be returned. As a small team, we will not be able to respond to all submissions. You will hear from us if your work is a good fit for collaboration.