About The Ibis
The Ibis is a new poetry anthology dedicated to the voices of Ohio. Named for the sacred bird of Thoth, Egyptian god of writing and wisdom, The Ibis seeks to gather the words of those who have called Ohio home.
Volume 1 will be published in October 2026 as a print-on-demand edition and distributed free of charge as a PDF. Both current and former Ohio residents are welcome to submit.
What We Are Looking For
We are open to poetry of any style, form, length, and subject matter. There are no thematic requirements. We want original work that represents the breadth of poetic practice in Ohio - from formal verse to experimental, from narrative to lyric, from the page to the stage. Send us what matters to you.
Eligibility
Submitting poets must currently live in Ohio or have lived in Ohio at some point. That is the only geographic requirement. There are no restrictions on age, publication history, or affiliation.
Submission Guidelines
- Format
- Submit your work as a .docx or .pdf file. We accept these formats to ensure your intended formatting, spacing, and visual arrangement are preserved exactly as you designed them. Do not submit work as plain text, in the body of an email, or via shared links such as Google Docs.
- Number of poems
- Submit up to 3 poems per poet. Each poem should begin on a new page within your file, or you may submit each poem as a separate file.
- Original work
- All submissions must be original, previously unpublished work.
- Simultaneous submissions
- We allow simultaneous submissions. If your work is accepted elsewhere before we respond, please notify us immediately so we can withdraw it from consideration.
- Bio
- Include a 50 - 75 word biographical note with your submission. Write in third person.
How to Submit
Send your submission to [email protected] with the subject line:
The Ibis Volume 1: [Your Name]
Attach your poem file(s). Include your bio either in the body of the email or as a separate document.
Compensation & Rights
This is an unpaid publication. Contributors will be credited in the anthology and will have a dedicated, individually linkable page on The Ibis website. Print-on-demand copies will be available at cost for contributors.
We request first digital publication rights only. All rights revert to the poet upon publication. You are free to republish your work anywhere after The Ibis Volume 1 is released in October 2026.
Timeline
| Submissions open | April 1, 2026 |
| Submissions close | May 31, 2026 |
| Decisions sent | August 1, 2026 |
| Publication | October 2026 |
All submitting poets will receive a response, whether accepted or declined.
Questions
Contact us at [email protected].
The Ibis is published by Apollo Press.