How to Submit to a Literary Journal

How to Submit to a Literary Journal

A Guide for Undergraduate Students

The benefits of publishing early are many. Through publishing, students build their records for graduate school and gain the know-how necessary to submit their work later in life. Publications such as Poetry, The New Yorker, Ploughshares, and other popular journals may be tempting when preparing a submission packet, but these magazines are usually selective and tend to publish writers who already have a reputation forproducing consistently good work. Regional magazines, smaller magazines, and publications specifically aimed towards undergraduate students are good choices for a submission at the early stage of a writer’s career. This guide will provide you with the tools necessary to prepare and submit your writing to magazines looking for writers like you.

Step 1: Selecting Pieces for Submission

Literary magazines differ in their submission requirements. Most will accept anywhere from 3-5 poems or 10-15 pages of prose. Remember to check the submission requirements listed on a magazine’s website (some websites are listed in this packet). In addition to page and length requirements, many magazines release themed issues. This means that you will have to submit pieces that relate to the theme on which the magazine will focus in the upcoming issue. Become as familiar with the magazine’s website as you possibly can, and take notes of the specific requirements.

Select pieces that you have worked on for some time, pieces that you have revised many times over, and pieces that you have shared with others, incorporating their suggestions. The benefits of peer review cannot be overstated. Another pair of eyes might catch that misplaced comma, or suggest a more workable metaphor in place of an exhausted idiom. It may be that your work is aimed at too narrow an audience, in which case your readers may be able to point out perspectives you did not take into consideration in your first draft.

As a rule, it takes two weeks before a writer is detached enough from a piece of writing to look at it objectively. Before that, writers tend to coddle their work. They are too involved in the creative process to view their piece the way an editor might. This inability to “see” one’s own work in an objective light results in many bruised egos. Spend some time away from the piece you are working on, and come back to it later. Make it a priority to revise your drafts as many times as possible before submitting them to a literary magazine.

Step 2: Formatting Your Work

Some magazines will ask for your name and address on every page submitted. Others will ask that you resist the urge to put your name on any page but the cover letter (this is especially true of magazines that use blind jury policies). Check and double-check the submission guidelines listed on the magazine’s website. In most cases, prose should be double-spaced and poetry should be single-spaced. Do not center poetry. Try not to choose a flashy or over-stylized font. Page margins should be set at 1 inch unless specified otherwise. If the magazine requires you to submit your name and address on every page, be sure you head it at the top right corner.

It is also important to print and bind your work appropriately. Print your work in black ink. Using various colored fonts will only distract readers, and editors usually find these kinds of alterations superfluous and gimmicky. They often interpret excessive formatting as an attempt to mask poor quality writing. As a general rule, usepaperclips on your manuscripts, not staples.

Step 3: The Cover Letter

The reasons for including a cover letter are threefold: to provide editors with a brief bio to include in the contributor’s section of their magazines, to introduce yourself formally as a writer, and to express gratitude to the readers who will spend time looking closely at your work. Not all literary journals require or want you to include a cover letter. Again, check the submission guidelines on the magazine’s website.

If you decide to submit a cover letter, there are several things to include. For instance, you will want to mention any college degrees you have earned, any schools you are attending, any magazines in which your work has appeared in the past, and any awards you have won related to your writing. If you are lucky enough to work in a field of writing or learning, you may want to include information about your career. For undergraduate students, it is often helpful to have feedback on your work. If this is the case, you may wish to request (kindly) in your cover letter that you would like your manuscript returned to you with criticism. Not all editors will accommodate this request; many simply do not have the time. Either way, it never hurts to ask. Lastly, it is usually a good idea to thank the readers for their time. There is a sample cover letter at the end of this tipsheet for easy reference.

Step 4: Mailing It Off

When mailing your submission to an editor, be sure to place it in an envelope large enough to accommodate the pages. You will need to send not only the submission itself, but a self-addressed, stamped envelope of adequate size in which they can reply to you. If you specified in your cover letter that you would like your work returned, be sure the self-addressed envelope is large enough for your submission packet, otherwise it will not be sent. Be sure that your submission does not arrive postage-due. This is probably the best way to make a poor first impression on an editor.

After you mail your work out, the only thing left to do is wait patiently. It usually takes around 6 months to a year for a literary magazine to reply. Again, check and double-check the magazine’s website for these specifics. Do not call or email asking about the status of your submission. After their indicated timeframe has passed, if you still haven’t heard anything, feel free to write a kind-worded letter inquiring about your work. Most editors respond well to letters, but almost none will reply to emails or telephone calls. One tip to keep your mind off the long waiting period: keep sending your work out! If you have submissions pending at all times, it will keep you from dwelling on decisions that are out of your control. Concentrate on the future, and keep writing.

A Brief List of Literary Magazines

Most of these magazines accept and publish work from undergraduate writers. Be sure to become familiar with them before submitting. The best way to gauge an editor’s taste in writing is to read the type of writing that s/he is publishing. Many of these journals are regionally specific to Kentucky or Appalachia, and some are specific to undergraduate students. Check the website for more information.

Carillon

Center for Transformative Learning, Berea College

The Licking River Review

Limestone

Heartland Review

Wind

The Chaffin Journal

Georgetown Review

Kudzu

Appalachian Heritage

The Allegheny Review

Hanging Loose

Donald Scribbler

CPO Box 498

Berea College

Berea, KY 40404

April 17, 2007

Mick McDonald, Editor

The Heritage Review

Pinkerton Press

P.O. Box 32

Tarragon Junction, KY 40083

Dear Mr. McDonald,

Please consider my short story, “The Flibbity-Gibbet,” for publication in the next issue of The Heritage

Review. My writing has appeared in Scribble Magazine, The Freelance Review, and Mountain Quarterly.

In 2005, my chapbook was a finalist in the Virginia Wolf Writing Competition sponsored by Duddley

Press. I currently work as an Office Assistant in the Berea College Admissions Office. I am pursuing a

B.A. in English at Berea College.

Thank you for reading and considering my writing for your next issue. Whether or not my work is of

interest to your readers, I wish you best of luck with The Heritage Review. I look forward to hearing from

you.

Sincerely,

Donald Scribbler

Donald Scribbler

Center for Transformative Learning

Peer Consultation

Stephenson Hall CPO 2136 x3404