Resources for Writers: Where to Submit Your Work?

The blank page is considered by some writers to be the most challenging part of writing, but I disagree. For me, and I believe for many, the scariest part is submitting my work for publication. With so many publishers and magazines, big and small, how does a writer discover places that are right for their work? I’m a librarian with previous experience in book publishing and a fiction writer published in literary magazines; below I’ve gathered resources to help you in submitting your work to the magazines, publishers, and agents that fit you.

Finding Literary Magazines

If you write short forms – stories, poetry, essays – you probably want to find literary magazines to publish your work. How do you know which journals would be a good fit? My number one recommendation is to think of the contemporary authors you most admire and the ones that you think your work most resembles. Check out their books from the library and look at the acknowledgements page: most collections will credit the magazines where the work was originally published. You now have a list of publications to investigate to find their submissions periods and guidelines. You can also check out collections like the Pushcart Prize or the Best American series. Look for where the anthologized pieces originally appeared.

  

As you begin to submit your work, you will inevitably be directed by magazines to submit via Submittable. Submittable is a submissions management software that is free for submitters and paid for by journals. You might (as I did) initially grumble at having to create yet another account, but ultimately I think you will be grateful for how simple it makes submitting: no more worrying about printing and postage! Submittable also has a helpful search function that will help you discover places to submit. You can filter your search based on deadlines, whether there is a submissions fee, and tags that describe what the journal is looking for (surrealist, haiku, sports, mystery…).

Poets & Writers has a searchable directory of literary magazines where you can search by genre and a list of subgenres. You’ll find information about the journal’s reading period, when they publish, whether they pay contributors, and more. You will end up scrolling through long pages of results, but you will also certainly discover new-to-you magazines. Mercer County Library patrons can read issues of Poets & Writers online through PressReader. The monthly magazine is a great source of information about contests, residences, MFA programs, and more.

Finding Book Editors and Literary Agents

When I worked in publishing, our Bible was LMP: Literary Market Place. For writers with a full-length work, this is your phone book with contact information for all the major publishers, agents, and editors. For children’s or YA writers, there is Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, though you still might want to look in LMP too. Both are updated each year, and both are available from Mercer County Library System. In most cases, these volumes are available for reference at the branch, but we additionally make previous years’ editions available to bring home with you. Also in our reference collection, you’ll find the latest editions of Writer’s Market, Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market, Poet’s Market, and Guide to Literary Agents.

        

But, you might ask, how do you know which editors and agents would be a good match for your writing? If you’re looking for an agent, Manuscript Wishlist gives you profiles and literal wishlists from agents. You can search based on the genre(s) you work in. Here’s an example of a wishlist from the site, picked semi-randomly:

“She’s particularly excited about adult fiction that blends gorgeous sentence-level writing with stories featuring younger protagonists. She’s hungry for YA that appeals to all ages and that blends crazy-beautiful language with characters navigating the nutty, magical, and hard parts of being a teen, funny and heartfelt Middle Grade, and unforgettable picture books with vivid artwork. She loves books that defy genre lines and is a total sucker for vivid descriptions of California.”

If you find an agent who wants something just like the gem in your desk drawer, send it to them! And make sure to tell them why you think they’ll love it: “I saw on Manuscript Wishlist that you’re looking for sweeping family sagas with a strong sense of place, and my novel…”

If you’re looking for publishers, Manuscript Wishlist does list editors, but in general, the major publishing companies only accept agented submissions, so editors on this site are listed more as a resource for agents. Save your time, and make sure an editor accepts unagented submissions before querying them.

For publishers outside the Big Five (or Four, depending on the status of Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon & Schuster…), check out Community of Literary Magazines and Presses’ (CLMP) directory of publishers. Their genre searching isn’t as robust, but you can sort those that are accepting unsolicited manuscripts, and you can search by location to find presses in your area.

A Supportive community

Our writers’ group is back after a hiatus. The monthly group is an invitation to writers of all genres and forms to join a creative community. Sessions alternate between discussion-based informative sessions and generative writing sessions. Rather than a workshop focused on critique, we aim to be an inspiring and affirming support for writers at any stage of their writing life. The next session is Thursday June 10, and in July, we’ll have a submit-a-thon! Submitting your writing can be daunting, but you don't have to do it alone. To register for the writers group, visit our Events calendar. A link to join the virtual meeting will be emailed to you.

– by Corina, Lawrence Branch