How To Get Published In A Literary Magazine

Introduction

Online literary magazines (sometimes also called literary journals), or lit mags for short, are websites that publish written work such as poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction. Some also share content similar to that found in physical magazines, like comics, interviews, opinion pieces, and art. These lit mags often publish content sent to them by aspiring authors. Most of them allow anyone to send content and are generally pretty casual. Almost every literary magazine requires you to include a cover letter (sometimes also called a query letter) with your submission. Cover letters are a way to introduce yourself to the editor(s) of the site and provide a little bit of information about yourself, your piece, and any other information that they ask for. This post will instruct you on how to find a literary magazine and submit to them for publication.

I. Find a literary magazine you like:

1-Search for a literary magazine

You can do this by searching for your favorite genre followed by the words “Lit Mag.” You can also use lit mag tracking websites, like Duotrope or Submittable. These websites are a database of many lit mags and can be sorted by genre and a number of other categories. Note that these sites require you to make an account, and many, including Duotrope, require a paid subscription.

There are many things to look for when finding a lit mag like the site’s design, if they require payment for submissions, and what kind of content they accept. Some also have more specific rules, like only accepting work from people with chronic illnesses like FLARE or only accepting work from BIPOC writers like Akéwì Magazine. This will be further addressed in the next section, but generally, you should look for a lit mag that publishes content similar to what you would like to send them.

II. Decide if your work will fit:

1-Read the about page

Most lit mags have a header at the top of the page, like this one from Split Lip:

From here, you can find the about page or mission statement. This will help you understand the website and generally what they are looking for. Many lit mags also have a page that displays the editors with some basic information about them.

2-Review the submission guidelines:

All lit mags have different rules for submissions. Read through the submission guidelines carefully before choosing to submit. As you continue, you may need to return to the guidelines multiple times. Here is an example of a submission guidelines page, courtesy of Brawl Lit.

Each lit mag has different methods for submissions. Some utilize sites like Submittable or Duosuma. Some have a form submission on their website. Others simply accept by email. The submissions page should inform you on how to submit. No matter how they accept your submission, the required information will be very uniform.

The submissions page will also give you more information about what kind of content they accept, what things to exclude from your submission, whether or not they accept simultaneous submissions (one submission sent to multiple places at once), how long it will take before you get a response, etc. Each place has different rules for what they accept, so read the guidelines carefully and compare your work to work that has already been published at the site.

Many lit mags also require a submission fee. This should also be displayed on the submissions page.

3-Read some of the site’s content:

Besides reading the lit mag’s about page and guidelines, reading published content on the site is the best way to know if your work will fit in. Some places only accept short poems, like Dadakuku, and some places want short stories that reference dish soap, like Dishsoap Quarterly. Each place is unique and many bend their own rules or have unspoken rules that are not made clear in their guidelines. Getting a good understanding of what your chosen lit mag tends to publish is just as important as the quality of your work.

Warning

Make sure you follow those three steps before you decide to send anything to your chosen lit mag. Some sites may have content you disagree with, some may only accept work from specific groups of people, some may have a submission fee that you are not willing to pay, and some may take liberties with your work that you do not desire. For these reasons, it is absolutely necessary to carefully explore the site before continuing.

III. Write your cover letter

1-Determine the level of formality

Each lit mag has a different level of formality. Make each cover letter unique to each place. Here is an example of two very different cover letters, each tailored to their respective site:

Split Lip Magazine emphasizes formality in their guidelines. The following picture is of a letter sent to them through Submittable:

bodyfluids emphasizes informality in their guidelines. The following picture is of a letter sent to them by email:

If the level of formality is unclear, it is better to be more formal in your letter.

2-Write your letter’s introduction:

Most cover letters start by addressing the editors of the site. You can usually find the names of the editor(s) in either the about page, the editors page, or the masthead page. In almost all cases, “Dear Editors of [Lit Mag],” will suffice. However, the level of formality in this aspect varies as well. An example is the guidelines from bodyfluids.

This example is an outlier, but displays the necessity of reading submission guidelines even as you write your introduction.

2-Introduce yourself and your work

Give some basic information about yourself and the work you are submitting. You may wish to include some things you like about the site or mention a piece that you liked. This part of the cover letter is very subjective and is very dependent on the site and how you wish to represent yourself, so do whatever feels right. You may wish to include some background about your work and what it means to you or you may choose to include only the title of your work and nothing more. In all cases, it is best to be brief, honest, and respectful. At the end of this section, there is an example of a basic cover letter.

3-Write your bio:

A bio is a short paragraph that gives information about yourself. You can choose as much or as little information to include. Each lit mag has a different word count for a bio. Aim for 50-150 words if no word count is given. Start your bio with either your name or pen name. You may wish to include your general location or if you are in school, your place of study. Give some details about yourself and include a link to your website and/or social media pages. In general, keep it simple.

4-Conclude your letter:

End your letter how you would any other letter or email. Usually “Thank you,” “Sincerely,” or “Best Regards,” will suffice. A thanks for the editors time or consideration is also appreciated.

5-Attach your work

If you are sending the letter by email, attach your work to the email. As previously mentioned, different sites have different methods of submission, but email is quite common. Other methods vary, but the attachment process is often easier than it is by email.

WARNING:

Double check that you have attached the correct document before sending. Many authors have been embarrassed by attaching the wrong document or not attaching a document at all. Save yourself the trouble.

Cover Letter Example:

The following is an example of a finished cover letter. It includes a very basic amount of information like the title of the submission, what kind of submission it is, a short 50 word bio, and a thank you. It is written to be sent to LottoGelatoGrotto:

Dear editors of Lotto Gelato Grotto,
I am submitting a piece of poetry titled “My Favorite Treat”.

Bio: Joshua Hammond has been reading since he was two years old. He reads books, comics, short stories, webcomics, manga, poetry, interviews, articles, and labels on chip bags. He also regularly listens to audiobooks and podcasts. You can find his website here https://joshuadhammond.com/ and his journal here https://lottogelatogrotto.wordpress.com/

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Joshua Hammond

IV. Review the letter:

Examine your letter for typos, grammar mistakes, or errors before sending it. If you use grammar tools like Grammarly or an AI assistant, use them now.

V. Send your letter:

The only thing left to do is to send it. Be patient. Most places ask for a minimum of a month before you may send an inquiry letter.

Optional:

Occasionally, mistakes happen. Your work may go too long without a response, there may be an error with your submission, or any number of other things. If anything comes up, contact the editors. Be respectful, be concise, and remember that they are just people.

VI. Rejection/Acceptance:

In the case of rejection:

Rejection is a natural part of being an author. It is very likely that your work will be rejected many times before it is accepted anywhere. Unlike job applications, when you recieve a rejection from a lit mag, you do not need to respond. Most lit mags give you a specific amount of time you must wait before submitting again. Submit elsewhere in the meantime.

In the case of acceptance:

Congratulations! You have now been published. Some sites may ask to make small edits, ask questions about formatting, or even request an interview. Work with the editors and respond as quickly as possible.