Breadcrumb Scabs

A Poetry Magazine About the Human Condition

Press & Media Coverage

Our Presence in the Literary World

Since our founding, Breadcrumb Scabs has worked to create space for honest, unflinching confessional poetry. Our commitment to queer voices, women writers, and raw emotional truth has earned recognition within the independent literary publishing community.

Our Mission

Breadcrumb Scabs publishes monthly poetry issues celebrating the gritty, complicated beauty of human experience. We specialize in confessional poetry that refuses to sanitize emotion or shy away from difficult subjects. Our editorial vision emphasizes:

What Makes Us Different

In a literary landscape that often prioritizes aesthetic distance and intellectual coolness, we champion poetry that makes readers feel - even when that feeling is discomfort. We believe the best confessional poetry combines technical craft with emotional courage, using precise language to explore experiences that resist easy articulation.

Our tagline says it all: Guilt. Grit. Sex. Scabs. We publish poetry about the human condition in all its messy, vulnerable, complicated glory.

Editorial Philosophy

The confessional poetry movement, as documented by the Poetry Foundation, revolutionized American literature by insisting that personal experience - particularly experiences of mental illness, sexuality, and trauma - had literary value. We continue that tradition while expanding it to include contemporary voices and perspectives.

We actively seek work by queer poets, women writers, and others whose experiences challenge mainstream narratives. We believe poetry should be accessible to all readers, not locked behind academic paywalls or geographic boundaries.

Publishing Model

Every monthly issue is available as a free PDF download, with affordable print editions for readers who prefer physical books. This hybrid model allows us to reach maximum readership while covering basic production costs.

Our rapid response time to submissions (median 10 days) demonstrates respect for poets' time and work. We believe poets deserve timely, personal communication about their submissions.

Community Impact

Beyond publishing poetry, we've helped foster a community of writers committed to honest, risk-taking verse. Our contributors often read and support each other's work, creating networks of mutual encouragement that extend beyond our pages.

We've been particularly proud to publish early work by emerging poets who've gone on to wider recognition, serving as a launching pad for authentic voices that might not fit easily into mainstream literary publications.

For Journalists & Reviewers

Key Facts

Sample Issues

Reviewers and journalists are welcome to request complimentary copies of recent issues. Browse our archives to see the range of work we've published.

Interview Requests

For interviews or additional information, contact us through our submission email. We're happy to discuss our editorial vision, the state of contemporary confessional poetry, and the importance of independent literary publishing.

Recognition & Community Standing

While we don't chase mainstream literary prizes, we're proud of our standing within the independent publishing community. We're tracked on Duotrope, recognized by poets seeking homes for honest confessional work, and referenced by workshops and writing groups focused on personal poetry.

Our commitment to rapid response times, accessible pricing, and editorial transparency has earned us respect among poets tired of the traditional literary magazine model's long delays and impersonal communications.

Looking Forward

As we continue publishing monthly issues, we remain committed to our founding vision: creating space for poetry that refuses to flinch from difficult truths, that trusts readers with emotional complexity, and that celebrates the messy, vulnerable, gritty beauty of authentic human experience.

The contemporary poetry landscape needs publications willing to champion raw honesty over polished distance, emotional courage over intellectual coolness, and diverse voices over aesthetic conformity. We're proud to serve that role.

Connect With Us

Follow our ongoing work:

For press inquiries, review copies, or additional information, please contact us via email.