Dos and Don’ts of Submitting to Literary Magazines

Submitting to literary magazines is one of the best things an aspiring author can do for their career. Just as you list your qualifications when applying for a new job, being able to list previous publications in literary magazines is a great way to show an agent that your work has been well-received by others in the industry.

To help you find the right publication for you, we’ve compiled a list of 2018’s best literary magazines that accept unsolicited submissions. Filter through over 100 carefully vetted publications by format, traffic, and category to pinpoint the one that could launch your writing career.

But not so fast! Before you start sending your words out to the world, read our dos and don’ts for submitting to literary magazines:

DO read literary magazines — especially the ones you’re planning on submitting to. This one seems obvious, but it’s important as you need to ensure that what you’re sending is in line with the tone of the magazine.

DON’T go on a wild copy/paste spree. Submitting to as many outlets at once might seem like a good way to increase your chances of being published, but it’s not. Take the time to carefully craft a cover letter each time you submit a piece of writing — one that will let the editor know that you understand their magazine and audience. Copying and pasting the same email to dozens of editors will look like spam and not put you in their good favor.

DO follow guidelines to a tee. Every magazine has submission instructions, and they’re not there as a mere suggestion. The fastest way to rule your writing out of consideration is to submit to the wrong person, to send your writing in the wrong format, or to do anything else that disregards the magazine’s submission guide.

DON’T rush into it. There’s nothing worse than submitting a short story, poem, or piece of non-fiction and then realizing after the fact that there’s a glaring typo in the first sentence. Or that the piece could’ve been ten times if you’d only changed this one bit. Yes, you want to make sure you’re meeting submission deadlines. But you should also take the time to make sure you’re submitting your absolute best work every time.