I still remember the first time I submitted work to a literary magazine. My favorite undergraduate writing professor made everyone in the class submit work to a small, local journal for the experience. I think she was pretty aware none of us were ready yet, but I appreciated the push. It led to my very first rejection letter and to a copy of the journal that declined to publish me!
Fast forward many years, and while I wouldn’t say I have the submission process down to a science, I have definitely put my work out there enough times that I feel, if not comfortable, competent at it.
Where to Begin?
What if you’ve never submitted anything in your life? Or the last time you submitted, everything was done with printed materials? (Some places still do accept hard copies; in fact, some still only accept physical drafts in the mail).
First, you want to make sure that whatever you’re sending out—poetry, fiction, nonfiction, a book-length manuscript, or anything else—is in the best shape possible. You’re probably rolling your eyes at that, but sometimes it’s hard to know when our own work is “ready”, so to speak. I highly recommend having a trusted friend, partner, or even a writing group give you feedback, so you can get your draft in the best shape possible before even embarking on the submission process. It’s pointless to start sharing your work with agents and editors and other journal readers if it still needs work. You may end up getting rejected by a publication that might have accepted your work with as little as one more edit.
Brass Tacks
Okay, still with me? Let’s get into this submission stuff! For this blog, I’m going to focus on sending your work to literary magazines, since submitting longer works to agents and editors (a.k.a. querying) is a whole other beast that we’ll tackle another day. The next step in the process is research. Yes, I know. This isn’t what I signed up for! I just want to get my work published! But before you get any closer to that goal, you have to know where your work might be a good fit in terms of genre, subject matter, and length. Also, which magazines are currently accepting work?
Though the internet isn’t without its drawbacks, I think it’s a very helpful resource for finding a place to submit. Gone are the days when you’d have to either go to the library or buy a giant tome that listed a bunch of publications and what they’re looking for. The shelf life for each volume was pretty limited anyway. Publications might change their guidelines, close their submission window unexpectedly, or fold altogether, so it was hard to know if the information you were getting was as accurate and current as possible. Now you can go online and find helpful, (mostly) updated resources to aid you in creating a list of places you want to send your literary babies.
Here are a few specific online tools that you can use to help you begin your search:
This site is great because it’s free and offers tools for searching literary magazines, contests, writing programs, and so much more. This is a good place to start if you’re new to the process and aren’t looking to spend any money.
Next up, Duotrope is a popular writer’s tool that has resources for finding places to publish your work, but also has a built-in submission tracker, which is pretty handy (I prefer to just keep a spreadsheet, but do what works best for you!). This service isn’t free, however. It’s $5/month, or $50 for a year-long subscription. Think of it as skimping on one fancy coffee drink per month (less if you can afford to pay the annual fee in a lump sum).
This up and coming website offers a slightly different service. Each month, the site’s creators put together a list of places offering publication opportunities, which saves you the extra step of doing the research yourself. There’s the free “short list”, which isn’t as personalized, but is still a helpful tool. Literistic also offers a “long list”, tailored to your particular interests (genres, contests, fellowships, etc.), which costs $8.50/month or $58/year (They were having a sale a year ago, so I subscribed and haven’t looked back).
If you don’t want to use a specific tool, you can try your hand at googling journals to see what’s out there, but I recommend starting off with a free service to help scaffold your search (and to save you some time and energy!).
Print magazines, like Poets & Writers and The Writer also have sections that list journals and other publications looking for work, so that’s another great option to get you started.
The Vibe of the Publication
While you certainly can submit wherever they’re taking work, it’s best to be a little more focused in your efforts. If possible, get a copy of the journal, or read some of the free online content. Does your work seem like it would be a good fit? Is the journal publishing magical realist microfiction, and you’re looking to place a 30-page sci-fi story? Now you know this is unlikely to be the home for your work. Pay attention to aesthetics, length requests, and any other clues, subtle in the writing, or overtly advertised in the “About” section of the journal.
Nuts & Bolts of a Cover Letter
Most literary magazines will require a cover letter that introduces you and your work. Some will read it alongside your work; others will read your submission blind (separating the creative piece and cover letter, and only going to the letter later, perhaps when they’ve decided they might publish your work). Either way, you want to take the time to craft a thoughtful, succinct letter. Here’s a good example to get you started.
In graduate school I worked as the fiction editor for my school’s literary journal. I saw a lot of interesting cover letters, but here are a few suggestions for what to do/not to do in yours:
- Do mention if you’ve been published elsewhere, but be selective.
- Don’t submit a cover letter that is a wall of text listing every last place your work has ever appeared.
- Do tell the editors a little about yourself, but keep it relevant.
- Don’t send pictures or enclose other items if you’re submitting via snail mail.
- Do your best to find out who the editor is for the genre you’re submitting in.
- Don’t misspell the editor’s name or misgender them (sometimes a quick online search can help, but if you’re still uncertain, you can simply say “Fiction Editor”, etc.)
- Don’t go onto a second page. Any relevant information should fit on a single page.
Usually, you can have a letter template that you tweak to make sure it fits the specifics of the particular journal you’re submitting to. Just be sure to update the name of the editor and journal! There’s nothing more embarrassing than hitting “submit” and realizing your letter is addressed to the wrong person or place.
What’s Next?
Now, it’s time to actually submit. Whether it’s a digital or paper submission, it’s crucial to follow the publication’s guidelines. Some want you to include your name on the manuscript; others don’t want it to appear anywhere on the draft. Many places allow simultaneous submissions (submitting your piece to more than one place at once—not to be confused with multiple submissions, which means submitting more than one piece to the same journal at one time). Some places very specifically ask you not to do this, while others simply ask that you notify them if you place your work elsewhere (which is another reason it’s crucial to track what you submit and where). Whatever they ask for (within reason!), make sure you follow the guidelines. Many publications won’t even read a piece if it violates the rules its set in place. Also, keep in mind that some publications require a small fee (usually in the range of $2-5). This is often how they keep the lights on. There are still places that don’t charge, though, so you may just have to narrow the search if you’re looking for free submissions (which, let’s face it, is most of the time).
Submit and Wait
Or don’t (wait, that is). It’s hard not to obsess over the work that you’ve put out into the world for strangers to read and, well, judge, but I recommend putting it from your mind as much as you can. Keep submitting. Get a good spreadsheet going so you can keep track of your submissions, but don’t linger over it. Many journals use online submissions and if you’re really interested in seeing your work’s progress, you can download apps to see where you’ve submitted and (roughly) where in the process your work is. A submission tool many lit mags use is Submittable, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t check the app from time to time to see if my active submissions have progressed from “received” to “in-progress”.
So there you have it, Plume’s quick(ish) and dirty guide to submitting your work! It’s a technical aspect of this beautiful thing we call writing, but if you are interested in getting your work out into the world, it’s a necessary skill to work on. Happy writing and submitting!
While you’re here, we still have a week and a half left in the Plume Kickstarter, and we’d love for you to check it out and possibly donate (or just share with your friends!). Be sure to sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.