women's poetry list (wompo) is having an interesting discussion(!) about submitting poetry; a post on this thread although I didn't post to list -- couldn't control the snippy tone -- too much time stuccoing the wall:

As someone also outside academia, who tends to send to eZines I know will accept the work rather than thinking too hard about it, I heartily disagree that this [The work should stand on its own without the poet's history and support materials nearby whispering, "Choose me because so many others have done so."] is what publishing your work does. It might be what some in "pobiz" think about "publishing credits" but publishing work is about having people read it, building / relating to an audience and to poetry and poets in general. Publishing your work is about being a living poet.

I have to admit, I am peevish on this subject, especially since as a reviewer (well, I used to review, when I used to write, before we bought a house) very frequently I am sent self-published work to review, work apparently not read by anyone but the author. Seems to me if you are going to be a writer, you have to struggle like everyone else does with the writing process and with the publishing process, and with history, and with at least the idea of readers, if you want to be recognised by your peers as "serious."