Her early poetry featured in AUP Poets 2 (2002) and her first collection, Clung (Auckland University Press, 2004), won the 2005 NZSA Jessie Mackay Award for Best First Book of Poetry. She has published poems in journals, e-zines, anthologies and Best New Zealand Poems 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008. Yelich has won competitions, and her second collection of poetry, get some (AUP, 2008) was a finalist in the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.