Open Call for Poetry Manuscripts

Codhill Press is pleased to announce an open call for poetry manuscripts for our annual Guest Editor Series.

Each year, a Guest Editor—a past Codhill Poetry Award winner—selects one manuscript for publication, expanding our poetry catalog while honoring Codhill’s literary legacy. Previous selections include Happy Poems & Other Lies by Jeddie Sophronius (2024) and The Beautiful Language of Our Desire by Dale Going (forthcoming, June 2025).

2025 Theme: Wonder and Mercy

Poets are invited to submit full-length collections exploring the theme of Wonder and Mercy between May 1 and June 30, 2025. Each year’s theme reflects the Guest Editor’s literary interests while remaining broad enough to welcome diverse interpretations. This year, we seek poetry that opens new perspectives and invites mystery. Wonder is surprising and delightful. Mercy is deeply human, honest, and interconnective.

We are looking for poems that refresh our sense of the everyday—writing that elevates the ordinary and reminds us that nothing is truly ordinary. Send us your strange beauty, your gut-wrenching honesty, your magical realism—work that intrigues, moves, and ultimately offers hope.

Danielle Hanson. Photo: Kelley Klein

Meet the 2025 Guest Editor:
Danielle Hanson

We are thrilled to welcome Danielle Hanson as this year’s Guest Editor.

Danielle is the author of The Night Is What It Eats (forthcoming, Elixir Press Prize), Fraying Edge of Sky (Codhill Press Poetry Prize), and Ambushing Water (Finalist, Georgia Author of the Year). She edited Objects in This Mirror: An Anthology of Legacy (Press 53) and a volume of literary criticism. Her poetry was adapted into a puppet show at Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts.

She currently serves as Marketing Director for Sundress Publications, Managing Editor for their imprint Doubleback Books, and teaches poetry at the University of California, Irvine. She is also the Poet Laureate of Costa Mesa, California.

“I am honored to serve in the Codhill Press Guest Editorship, following Robert Krut—a former classmate, long-time friend, and poet I deeply admire. Codhill published my second poetry collection, edited by the late Pauline Uchmanowicz. Pauline’s expert, generous editing profoundly shaped my approach to poetry. I am grateful to continue her legacy and contribute to Codhill’s tradition of publishing work that expands our view of the world.

For this year’s theme, Wonder and Mercy, I want to read poetry that offers a much-needed refresh of the everyday. Send us your magical realism, your strange beauty, your gut-wrenching honesty. Make this place better through your art.”

Passing the Baton

Each Guest Editor serves a two-year term, selecting one manuscript annually. Our outgoing Guest Editor, Robert Krut, will pass the baton to Danielle this year. Krut’s forthcoming book, Oh Oblivion, will be released by Codhill Press in October 2025.

“Not only is Danielle a poet I admire, but she is a passionate and insightful reader—I’ve relied on her recommendations for years. She’s a perfect fit for the Guest Editorship, and I look forward to seeing the work she brings forward.”

Submission Guidelines

  • Submission Period: May 1 – June 30, 2025
  • Manuscript Length: 48–80 pages (excluding front matter)
  • How to Submit: All submissions must be made through Submittable
  • Cover Letter: Include a brief bio and a note on how your manuscript engages with the theme
  • Additional Materials: Table of contents required; acknowledgments page optional
  • Simultaneous Submissions: Allowed; notify us immediately if accepted elsewhere
  • Reading Fee: None
  • Eligibility: Open to emerging and established poets
  • Language: Manuscripts must be in English and not previously published work
  • Publication Details: Selected books will be published by Codhill Press and distributed by Codhill and SUNY Press; authors receive 20 complimentary copies
  • Selection Notification: September 1, 2025
  • Codhill Press particularly welcomes submissions from writers historically underrepresented in, or marginalized by, traditional literary institutions.

About the Guest Editor Series

The Codhill Press Guest Editor Series is dedicated to bringing fresh, vital poetry into readers’ hands. Guest Editors—selected from previous Codhill Poetry Award winners—serve two-year terms, each selecting two new titles. The series aims to elevate underpublished voices while building on Codhill’s rich literary tradition.

We look forward to reading your work.

Submissions are open between May 1 and June 30, 2025.