What exactly is a literary magazine?
A literary magazine is a collection of artistic works gathered and published typically by independent presses. They’re anthologies, magazines, exhibitions, and everything in between. Art of all shapes and forms has a place in the litmag community, but our page in specific is dedicated to young writers.
Why should I submit to a literary magazine?
As young, emerging writers, one of the biggest hurdles we face is getting our work out into the world. Publishing an entire book is a long, complicated process, not to mention that’s after you’ve already drafted, edited, and repeatedly redrafted your manuscript. Literary magazines provide an incredible opportunity to “test the waters.” In other words, they offer the space for you to experiment with submitting, working with editors, and having your writing on a public platform –– without the extensive commitment of a full-length novel or chapbook. They’re also a great way to earn recognition, make connections, find motivation, and sometimes even get personalized feedback from experienced writers!
But P&Q, I don’t even know where to start!
We know that it can be a daunting experience to jump into, which is why we made this document to define and outline all the terms and processes you’ll come across in your budding litmag career.
How do I find literary magazines to submit to?
There’s tons of literary magazines out there just waiting to receive your incredible hard work, but finding the right one in the goliath of the Internet can be difficult to get started on. Here are some of our favorite ways to find literary magazines.
ChillSubs (https://www.chillsubs.com/browse/magazines) –– Without a doubt, ChillSubs is the best way to easily find contests, presses, residencies, and, of course, magazines! Their “Browse” feature allows you to filter through their entire 3000+ magazine database to find the right one based on your preferences, such as response time, submission windows, and even contributor demographics. It’s an amazing tool, especially if you’re new to the game. We’re not sponsored, we just love ChillSubs. (P.S. If all the terms on there are making your head spin, check out our litmag glossary at the end of this guide)
Contributor Bios –– It might seem silly, but most authors will have their other publications in their bios! If you’re familiar with a writer’s work or just love their style, their past appearances can provide a great way to do a little more exploring.
Social Media –– One of the best things about writing in the 21st century is the easily accessible community. Editors, rookies, and seasoned writers can all find common ground to discuss pieces, share tips, and support each other. Hop on Twitter or Instagram, find a magazine or a writer, and go through their interactions! Not only will you find more information about what magazines are looking for and how they work with contributors, but you can also get to know the editors and submission managers who will be reviewing your writing. It can be a nice way to ease the pressure. Not sure where to hop in? Check out P&Q’s Twitter and Instagram!
Driftwood Press –– Driftwood Press is an awesome independent literary magazine that went the extra mile and created a “Where Else to Submit” page on their website. Similar to ChillSubs, this page allows you to filter through a huge list of publication opportunities based on your preferences. Check them out! → https://www.driftwoodpress.com/submission-opportunities
How do I decide which one to submit to?
At the end of the day, this decision will be entirely up to you, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, here are some criteria to consider when submitting your work!
First things first, do you already have a piece of work you’re looking to submit? Or are you planning on writing a piece tailored specifically for a certain magazine? Both are completely valid options, but they’ll obviously change your process. For the sake of this guide, we’ll say you have a piece you love that you want to put in the world. How do you know which magazine is the right home for your art?
Archives –– Most literary magazines will have some kind of demonstration of past work they’ve published, like a recent anthology or old archives. Take some time to read through some of these, get a feel for what types of writing they seem to be looking for. For instance, are most of their fiction pieces surrealist, fantastical, or contemporary? Do they seem to prefer character-centered or plot-centered stories? A lot of times, magazines will have a “type,” per se, when looking through submissions, especially if you’re sending in work for a themed anthology or a prompt. Other times, a magazine’s preference might be to have none at all!
Response Time –– Magazines will usually provide some form of a time frame that you can reference when figuring out how long it’ll take to hear back. Some will take months, others will only take days. Make sure to be aware of this before submitting your work. If you just want to get the wheels turning, are you going to want to wait six months to hear back about your piece? But of course, editors are humans and need a good amount of time to thoroughly examine your work if they’re receiving a high volume of submissions. If you’re just starting out, it might be less nerve-wracking to submit to a smaller magazine with a quick response time.
Feedback –– Certain magazines and editors will offer personalized feedback on your submission, regardless of whether or not they accept it. It’s a phenomenal opportunity to get free advice from an experienced professional writer! However, because it’s so time-consuming, keep in mind only particular magazines will do it. But if it’s something you’re looking for, they are most certainly out there! If you’re looking for where to start, The Colored Lens (https://thecoloredlens.com/) and The Milk Candy Review (https://milkcandyreview.home.blog/) both offer quick and personalized feedback.
There’s a handful of other things to consider as well, like if you want the anthology to be printed, magazines’ social media presences, and or if they offer payment for your work. But when push comes to shove, the most important factor is that the magazine aligns with how you want your work to be presented in a public sphere. Keep submitting, keep trying out new things, and as time goes on, you’ll feel much more confident. The hardest step is the first!
What should I put in my bio?
Bios can be bizarre to write out if it’s your first time. The general guidelines for bios are: name, general location, past or forthcoming publications, where else people can find you, and a fun fact or two, if you wish. They should be written in third-person and only a couple sentences. Here’s a super basic example:
Romeo Montague is a poet currently based in Verona. He has work published or forthcoming in Macbeth Review, Othello, and King Lear Lit. More of his writing can be found at notarealwebsite.com or at his Twitter, @melodramaticromeo. He enjoys falling in love spontaneously and shopping for poison.
When you’re starting out, you might not have any publications or other places to be found, and that’s totally okay. Keep it simple! People aren’t going to judge you for only have one (or no) past publications. If anything, they’ll be impressed that you’ve already started putting yourself out there. Just have fun with it!
What do I write in my cover letter?
If you’re submitting through email, most magazines (unless explicitly stated otherwise) expect some form of cover letter in the body. Typically, this will include your name, the title of your piece(s), and the respective word count. Here’s an example:
Dear King Lear Lit, Thank you so much for taking the time to read my piece, “I Love Juliet”. It is approximately 1,200 words. I am an emerging writer who is trying to gain experience in the field of literary magazines, so I greatly appreciate your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you! Best, Romeo Montague [bio here, if magazine asks for it to be included in email] |
Super simple, super succinct. But keep in mind that this is a standard approach! Some editors, especially of the larger magazines, will expect a little more. Here’s a couple articles written by editors you can read for more specifics:
LITMAG GLOSSARY
Shunn Manuscript Format → Some magazines will ask for your work to be formatted in the “Shunn Manuscript Format” or a standard manuscript format. Here’s a super detailed guide on what exactly that means: https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/
Simultaneous Submission → This means that you’re submitting the same piece to multiple magazines. Make sure to check that all the magazines you’re submitting to take simultaneous submissions, since some will state they do not. If they do, you must disclose that in your cover letter! If the piece gets accepted elsewhere before the other can respond, you should follow up with the latter and cordially clarify that you’re withdrawing your piece because it’s been accepted elsewhere.
Expedited Submission → If a magazine offers “Expedited Submissions,” it means that they have the option for you to pay a small fee and get a very quick response. This can be a really nice way to hear back shortly and support an independent magazine!
Masthead → A fancy term for saying “The People Who Run the Magazine.” It can be interesting and informative to read about the people who will be reviewing your work!
Pushcart Prize/Best of Net → Two annual competitions in which independent editors can nominate their favorite works to be considered for the Pushcart Prize or the Best of Net award!