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SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO SUBMISSIONS@AMBROSIAHAIKU.COM.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND SUBMISSIONS TO ANY OTHER ADDRESS.
SUBMISSIONS SCHEDULE
There is a set submission period of two months with no early closures. The
HTML digital issue will be posted online just before the print and PDF digital editions go to press.
This procedure will give everyone the same opportunity
to submit poems to Ambrosia and have their submissions considered for the current issue.
We publish in the print edition, that is, 4.25" x 6.87" paperback pocket book, and in the digital edition,
both HTML and PDF ebook formats.
EDITORIAL POLICY Please read carefully.
Ambrosia specializes in fine single haiku. Haiku in sets and sequences, collaborative haiku sequences,
and senryu are not wanted.
All selection decisions will be made at the sole discretion of the editor.
Ambrosia’s Haiku Selection Criteria:
Ambrosia holds that a haiku in English, to be fine, must have the traditional shape and duration of haiku, its metre and music, and exhibit some aspects of traditional Japanese poetic aesthetics.
Ambrosia seeks to publish the finest of single haiku in “short-long-short duration” tercets. While haiku might be written on one or two lines, we feel that the tercet best preserves the intrinsic form of haiku that are written in English. The three lines of the tercet replicate the three metrical phrases of Japanese haiku. We do not count syllables; the short-long-short duration criterion reflects the traditional aural shape of spoken haiku (i.e., the 5-7-5 of Japanese sound units). English syllables vary greatly in aural duration and mere syllable-counting is insufficient. Likewise, we do not care about the printed length of lines; the visual length of lines is irrelevant.
We prefer haiku that are written in a natural, modern, English idiom with great care for the sound of the verse when spoken. Artificial “poetic language” is not appreciated; nor is fractured English (“tontoism”) and faux Japanese phraseology. A haiku, to be fine, must be mellifluous.
The tercet form somewhat obviates cutting-words (kireji). The use of an em-dash or ellipsis to represent such a function is acceptable.
Since haiku in English are written primarily by poets in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, India, and South Africa, requiring the use of Japanese season words (kigo) would be nonsensical. While some fine efforts for international season-word almanacs (saijiki) exist and others are underway, the instant communication amongst all points on the globe that now exists raises the question of the survival of the original season-word concept. Ambrosia does not require the use of kigo, per se, but we strongly prefer haiku that utilize the tradition of a context-setting word, like a kigo, which conveys much information in a tiny space. Such context-setting words can be seasonal, but also can be place-specific, time-specific, or event-specific, etc..
We do not require that all haiku include some natural scenery, by any means, however, nature is the fundamental element of haiku, along with humanity’s place in it. The space between skyscrapers, full of wind and pigeons, is as much “nature” as is any hidden valley. Senryu, which Ambrosia does not publish, generally emphasize human foibles and frailties, usually satirically, ironically, humorously.
Essential to fine haiku is the traditional poetic aesthetics of Japan. This is not simply because it is ancient tradition, rather, it is because the haiku’s extreme brevity is only made possible by the techniques that flow from those aesthetics. This is not the place for an essay on Japanese aesthetics. Suffice it to say that haiku will be powerfully moving only if they embody aesthetic principles such as karumi, wabi-sabi, yūgen, ma, aware, makoto, fûgetsu, fueki, hosomi, sono mama, ushin and mushin, miyabi, furyu, and kokoro, etc.. It is impossible to discuss aesthetics in these brief guidelines. Donald Keene suggests that four particularly important aspects of Japanese aesthetics are suggestion, irregularity, simplicity, and perishability—this is a good place to start. In any case, Ambrosia considers these aesthetics as necessary, not in order to pay homage to the tradition, but because without their understanding and skillful use, writing haiku worth reading is difficult, if not impossible.
Lastly, Ambrosia is looking for powerful haiku. Whether they are achingly beautiful, painfully poignant, joyfully lightsome, startling epiphanies, wry, humbling, or awesome, haiku should touch the reader powerfully. For us, our most damning critique is “So what?”
NO SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Please do not submit anything on offer anywhere else. We are not in the market
for works under consideration for publication elsewhere. Please, also, do not re-submit any work that Ambrosia
has turned down previously.
NOT PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED: We primarily seek to publish fine haiku that have not been previously published.
Each poet is personally responsible for noting in the submission any previous publication of any submitted work.
We, of course, reserve the discretion to select previously published work of extraordinary merit, from time to time.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an edited review. We DO NOT publish everything that is submitted to us. We
reserve the right to exercise editorial discretion in ALL cases. If, for any reason, you
cannot cope with rejection, better not to make submissions. We use only a portion of the
submissions that we receive. There are plenty of other websites which are unedited and where
you can post your poems with no editorial interference if that is what you seek. We do
occasionally publish poets who have previously been published in Ambrosia; that does
not mean that anyone has carte blanche to be published here. When we do reject a poem or poems,
we generally will not notify you individually. The issue is posted online just before the print publication; those
submissions published are accepted and
those that are not published were not accepted. Occasionally, we may want to offer some editorial
comment, assistance, guidance, etc., in which case, we will respond to your submission
before publication.
HOW TO SUBMIT FOR AMBROSIA
SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO SUBMISSIONS@AMBROSIAHAIKU.COM.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
NOTE: You must be 16 or older to submit anything to
EMAIL POLICY:
We will not include any email address with your Contributor Note unless you specifically request it.
If you want your email address to be published online and in the print and ebook editions, please say so
in your submission email. No live links will be included in any case.
THERE IS NO PAYMENT FOR CONTRIBUTORS
READ OUR COPYRIGHT POLICY & OUR PRIVACY POLICY
CONTRIBUTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES
Include this personal information with your email submission:
SUBJECT LINE: "Ambrosia submission - [Your Name]"
BODY OF EMAIL:
1. Contributor Note: your full name and residential location (city, State/Province, and country).
Feel free to copy and paste the above list to your email, for convenience's sake. Just highlight
the list, then hit EDIT and COPY; then send in an email to the SUBMISSIONS email address and, in the body of your email,
hit EDIT and PASTE, and you will have the list to fill in. Add your poetry submission after
your personal information WITHIN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL.
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