“…publishing is a practice that creates a piece of the writer’s identity… it also proves to be validating.” – dimitrireyespoet.com
Many moons ago when I started calling myself “poet” I learned that I would have to “walk the walk” in order to do so. Doing this meant that I had to also be able to “talk the talk.” In other words, I had to develop the language to be the poet, and the way one develops the language is solely through participation. As I mention in many of my practices, one needs to be the active poet to find their own success as a writer and to be clear, success doesn’t mean awards and status (although that’d be nice!) but success is ultimately measured by how happy the individual is while they are doing “the work.”
The work of course, is writing, reading, and community participation. It’s important to do these three things because they are what turns the gears of the bigger literary machine. It’s what keeps poetry and other literature maintaining its relevancy. Without the writers working as the gears to this mechanization, it will fall a part.
One has to stay immersed in their writing activities until it becomes habit, automatic, and/or second nature. As one of the components, publishing is a practice that creates a piece of the writer’s identity, for some in very big ways. When the individual writes, they are expecting it to be seen by others and publishing is just one way to get one’s work in the hands of others. It also proves to be validating since publishing involves a reader passing judgement on your work; saying to the poet that “you are good enough.”
Whether you are searching for the validation, credentials, or just participating in a writer’s right of passage, here are 5 Tips for Submitting to Literary Magazines.
1) Create a Submittable Account
Submittable is a website that uses it’s built in submission software system to help organize submissions by institutions and artists/ professionals. As a submitter, one needs to create an account with Submittable but it’s free to do and it’s as easy as sign up! As a website that most artistic venues use, every writer taking their submission processes seriously gets a Submittable account, not to mention that it’s practically unavoidable since 90% of institutions use it.
Personally, I enjoy Submittable because it helps keep a majority of my submissions organized into sections such as Active, Denied, Accepted, Declined, Saved, and Drafts. Not to mention that it also tracks the progress of submissions in real time! There is so much content on Submittable, and you can expect there to be a video and blog explaining it all in detail very soon.
2) Send Out Poems that are Considered "Ready"
I take this tip very seriously to the point where my word files are organized to the extent that one of my files are called “Ready.” These are the poems that I’m allowing myself to submit, as the other poems I have in my folder called “Progressing” don’t feel good enough to send out just yet. This is a habit I developed while in my MFA program where I had to constantly have at least one or two new poems ready for workshop every week. My professors (all very renowned writers in their own right) would say, make sure you are bringing in work that is ready or basically, work that we would be willing to show a publisher or literary-type.
But what does it mean for something to be “ready?” Each poem is already ambiguous in its own right and becomes even more arbitrary when one considers the “readiness” of a piece while the fact of the matter is that our work is never completely finished. Yet, sometimes one may come across a poem where the reader would say, “hmmm…. Something else is missing here.” Does this mean an incomplete poem slipped through the cracks and was being carried by a handful of beautifully written lines and can a few well- written lines carry the weight of a poem all by itself? Or did the reader leave unsatisfied for some other external reason? What if the reader was you, the one who penned the poem? These are some hard decisions to make.
Nevertheless, the only way to answer this question is by consulting with your heart more than your head. If a poem “feels” finished, it may as well be. That is why reading poetry is so important. Poetry that has been published by poets who have been writing long enough to have published a book is a good way to train yourself to realize completed works. Be that as it may, you will also notice that reading poetry doesn’t validate one of your finished pieces. What happens for example, if a certain poet’s work isn’t for you? You didn’t understand it or it didn’t speak to you? It wouldn’t necessarily mean it’s unfinished, but the work didn’t cater to you so you have to make sure to search for the work you like. Since this can take a lifetime, think about these 4 quick micro-tips:
- Edit Thoroughly. Sit on the poem for a week and edit. Work on the poem for a week straight. Put it in a folder and allow it to disappear for 6 months, then find it one day and edit with a fresh lens. These are tried and true ways to make sure you aren’t reading with rosie shades.
- If it Has a Form, Stick To It. If there’s a rhyme scheme, follow it.
- Does it Have a Cohesive Narrative? Every poem has a journey. Make sure that the journey is clear, and you follow it’s story from beginning to end.
- Are You Adding Items? Read the poem aloud and pay attention to anything you add or take out during your reading. Those edits should be considered in the editing process.
3) Send Your Work Out to a Place You Trust
There are some pretty sketchy places on the interwebs that will publish your work. If you’re nervous about people plagiarizing your work and passing it off as their own, that could potentially happen but that usually happens if you are trying to publish as carelessly as they’re trying to pass off their own work. If they are serious about publishing great authors like yourself, rather than taking your work, they’ll be more concerned in creating beautiful collections of work that includes yours and being accredited to publishing you before the next publisher.
Before you go on a submissions frenzy, ask yourself why you are publishing to begin with. At the core of your answer, it should be to share your work with a readership. You’re going to want to go with a publisher that has a nice page and an audience. You’ll know you’re in the right place if the page isn’t outdated with posts from years ago and if they have a “contact us” section with social media pages. You can usually gauge how many people your work would reach upon publication if you check their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. This gives you a good idea about their following.
4) Expect Rejections...
but work like every submission comes with an acceptance letter. The dreaded rejection letter is something that could even keep writers from submitting in the first place. What I’ve learned in my experience is that all writers get rejected. There are some publications that have rejected me over 6 times and counting, but it all boils down to the fact that there is a lot of work being produced and the committees can only accept but a handful of submissions. Know that submission acceptances are based on a number of factors and it isn’t only a reflection on the caliber of your work, but it’s also based on what each press is looking for at the time. That’s why reviewing the press’ page and reading their past issues are important, as it gives you a feel of what they accept and will give you a higher probability if you submit something that they may be interested.
5) Initially, Limit Your Paid Submissions
With time, your work will develop further and you will learn that one can spend lots of money paying submission fees, even if they’re a harmless $3 tip jar submission. Hone your craft first and get a few free submission publications before you consider paying for a submission— unless of course, you really want to. (The artist in me can’t stop you from wanting to follow your own desires!)
If you need help deciding whether or not your work is ready for publication, consider joining my Patreon community where I help you edit your poems and offer you community as well as professional advice!
If you want to find out about my acceptance/ rejections rate, watch this video until the end!
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