Tips for Submitting to Literary Magazines

Tips for Submitting to Literary Magazines As editor of the Maine Review, Im often asked what I look for in submissions. As a writer who has submitted to literary magazines, I know the process is fraught with anxiety, hope, and an occasional bit of dread. Its sad that theres no easier way for editors to discover excellent writing than through an impersonal submission process, and I hope that Let me say first that there would be no Maine Review, or New York Times, or Amazon.com without writers. Though writers often feel theyre at the bottom of the totem pole, the fact is that writing is actually the cornerstone of the entire industry. Be proud that youre a writer. As an editor, its a thrill for me to read a piece of writing that grabs me in the first paragraph, carries me along, and moves me in some waywhether to tears, laughter, or amazement that someone could so clearly express powerful feelings, ideas, and metaphors that I can deeply relate to as a fellow human being. Writing is powerful.   The process of writing can be powerful, healing, enraging, ennobling its one of the purest forms of self-expression because it comes straight from inspiration. What many writers ignore (or dont realize) is that theres a second part to the process, and that is craft. There are many excellent books on craft: Stephen Kings On Writing and Anne Lamotts Bird Over the years, Ive edited books in every genre, and Im amazed that some writers will write a novel without reading over it to tighten, focus, delete, and expand to make the book as compelling as possible.   Rewriting isnt always as fun as penning the first draft, but its what truly makes the story. That said, here are a few tips to keep in mind when submitting: 1. Find out what kind of work the lit mag publishes, and choose your submissions accordingly. You can often get a copy through your interlibrary loan system, or find previously published issues on the website. 2. Go deep. Readers love to experience what theyre reading, to relate to it on a visceral or emotional level. Gutsy writing is always appreciated. 3. Reading a piece through without noticing an error is a real joy for editors. I always suggest that writers have their work edited before submitting it anywhere. At least run the work through the spell checker, and fix what comes up. One or two typos doesnt mean the end of the world, but a piece that has numerous typos feels carelessly done, no matter how good the writing. 4. Follow instructions. Its amazing how many people, in every walk of life, fail to follow instructions. At the Review, we usually ask for a cover page along with a submission, so that we can easily keep track of a writers contact info. When were running a contest (deadline for the current contest is February 10th), we need a separate cover sheet to tag entries for the blind judging process. When we receive a submission that doesnt follow instructions, theres a tendency to assume that the writing might not be that good either even if thats often not true. Above all, enjoy the process of writing! Remember that editors love discovering the next great writer and it could be you. Good luck!