Introduction

In my last news article, Resources for Young Writers, I collected links to magazines specifically for young people. In this article, you will find all you need to know in order to submit to online journals and magazines in print. If you’ve never submitted to a magazine before, or if you just want to know a little more about publishing, have no fear. With the help of deviants like `PinkyMcCoversong and ^lovetodeviate, this article will help you find your footing.

In this article:

Some things to keep an eye out for in magazines
Advice from `PinkyMcCoversong
Advice from ^lovetodeviate
Links to helpful information
Links to online magazines and a site which will help you find a magazine you’d like to submit to

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Taking Precautions

Before sending in your work, give the magazine you’re submitting to a good look. Most of the information in this section can be found on the submission page, but just in case, I’ve brainstormed some of the questions it would be safe answer about before submitting.

Is there a fee?

Do they accept unsolicited work? (Unsolicited work is the writing you submit to a magazine, which the staff does not pick out or ask for. Often, when a magazine doesn’t want people to send in new work at a certain time, they’ll say something along the lines of, ‘Not currently accepting any unsolicited manuscripts at this time.’ It may also mean that they personally hand pick the work they include in their journals.)

Are you allowed to send in material yourself, or do you need an agent?

Are you sure this is not a scam?

What types of writing do they accept?

Can you submit previously published work?

What is their copyright policy?

It pays to give their submission rules a careful look, and to make sure the writing you’re sending in is appropriate for what they’re looking for.

What age do you have to be to submit to a magazine?

As long as there’s not rule that you have to be above or below a certain age, age doesn’t apply. If you start submitting now, you’ll know more later on, and you’ll gain experience. You may even get published!

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A Word From `PinkyMcCoversong

Rejection and how to deal with it

Rejection is sort of a given. You have to expect that most of your responses WILL be rejection letters. But you can't win if you don't play. When I get a rejection, I just send my poems out to another journal. And, of course, put the rejection letter in my shoe box!

Scams?

I've never really experienced a "scam" magazine. I never really even think about that. But, basically, if it's on duotrope.com it's legit. Generally, a magazine should NOT have a reading fee, but some contests DO have reading fees. That's normal. You just have to watch out for vanity presses like poetry.com.

Advice about sending in your work, and what not to do

Research the market, and only send work if it is appropriate for that magazine. Editors hate getting work that doesn't suit them at all (it just implies that the writer has never read their magazine). Keep careful track of what you submit where to avoid sending work to more than one mag (if the mags you're sending to don't accept simultaneous submissions) and so that you can promply notify mags you've sent your work to if the piece is accepted elsewhere. Be polite and professional. Never start a cover letter with "dear sirs" - find an appropriate contact.

Polish your work before sending it out. Listen to what other writers have to say (in workshops, or in critique here on dA). If you get rejected DO NOT write back to the editor and complain/flame etc. Word gets around.

And if you fail, try, try again.

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The ^lovetodeviate Corner

Advice about sending in your work, and what not to do

Read the submission guidelines very carefully and follow every one of them. Guidelines vary from magazine to magazine, and while some things stay relatively uniform ("Don't use fancy fonts", for example), there are differences in the number of poems you can send in, the word length of prose pieces, whether they accept email and simultaneous submissions, whether the work must be attached to the email or included in the body of the email, and so on. I usually read the guidelines once before organising my submission, and once after, so that I'm sure I haven't made any mistakes. After all, you're asking the editor(s) to publish your work; why annoy them with things they don't want?

Don't use fancy fonts. Really, it looks unprofessional and can be difficult to read.
Experiment only if the poem demands it, and be very careful about which magazine you are sending experimental work to.

Read the magazine you are submitting to. It's as simple as that. Even if you cannot/do not want to subscribe to the magazine, you should find ways to familiarise yourself with the magazine's likes and dislikes. Look for archives of previously published work on the website; read the editorials and the manifesto, if there is one. Otherwise you might end up having good work rejected simply because it does not suit the magazine.

In the case of having to meet someone face to face, how do you handle an editor who wants to change your work?

Sometimes editors accept your work provided you make certain edits. This is a tricky situation. You may want to run in the opposite direction, thinking the editor is out to ruin your work. Or, you may want to make the edits just for the sake of getting published. Neither situation is good. It's best to consider the advice, let it sink in, and then decide what to do. Be courteous throughout the whole procedure. Put the piece of writing above your ego/desires and see what's best for it. If you think the edits will be to the detriment of the writing, politely refuse. But I have to say that all the suggestions I've received so far from editors have been useful and led to the improvement of the poems I had sent in. I think many writers will agree that positive communication between editor and writer is mutually beneficial.

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Helpful Links

How to Deal with Rejection

Soyouwanna Get a Short Story Published?

Three Positive Ways for Writers to Deal with Rejection

How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Magazines: A No-Fuss Guide to Getting Published

How To Submit Poetry Manuscripts To Magazines

Submitting Short Stories to Online Magazines

A list of instructional articles written by deviants

A list of instructional articles (Collected by *Writers-Workshop)

Tips and Helpful Information

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Before you get going:

The list below consists of mostly online magazines, 90% found on Newpages.com, which is an excellent place to find reputable journals and magazines to submit to.

On Newpages, you can find detailed descriptions of literary magazines in print as well as information about the online literary magazines that I’ve listed below.

To find more magazines, go to Duotrope. There, you can find publishers of specific types of writing!

So dig in, start researching, and share your creative genius!


Online Magazines

Run by People on dA

Read This Magazine

Soundzine

Mimesis

The Roundtable Review

Fuselight


Contemporary and Edgy

Sub-Lit

Thieves Jargon

Mad Hatter’s Review


Specific

American Popular Culture - American literature

Terrian - Nature and Inspirational

Steel City Review - Science fiction

Raving Dove - Literature against violence

Panamowa - Open to mostly feminist subjects / emerging female writers


All Magazines

Earthshine (Only accepts poetry)

Wild River Review

Storyglossia

Spindle Magazine

SNReview

Ramble Underground

Prick of the Spindle

Pif Magazine

Rain Farm Press

Our Stories

Elsewhere Journal

Diodepoetry

Dark Sky Magazine

Clapboard House

Cadillac Cicatrix

The Big Ugly Review

Barnwood International Poetry Mag

Babel Fruit

Arch Literary Journal

The Apple Valley Review

Anderbo

The Adirondack Review

Triquarterly

Pomegranate

Umbrella Journal

Quay Journal

Juked

Frigg

365tommorrows