Why Submit to Literary Magazines?

I’m going to get right to it. If you haven’t submitted your work to a literary magazine, you should. Here’s why:

1. You’re More Likely to Get Published

Basically, the more impressive your writing resume is, the better chance you have of getting noticed and getting published. Unfortunately, sometimes being a great writer just doesn’t cut it. You almost always need a connection on the inside or something else that will bring attention to your name. Getting some of your work accepted by literary magazines is a great start to building your resume and ensuring that your name and manuscript doesn’t immediately get tossed into the slush pile.

2. You’ll Gain Some Experience Working With Editors

Every editor is different. Every editor has their own methods of working with you, the author. So, the more work that you get accepted, the wider your range of experience will be working with editors. I have heard stories of people getting their work rejected purely because they were difficult to work with. I fully believe that through experience, you will learn how to work well with editors no matter who they are and how they go about handling your work.

3. It May Keep You Writing

If you make it a goal to get published in a literary magazine then in order to meet that goal, your story and/or poetry needs to be good enough to get accepted. If your work does not get accepted then you need to keep writing in order to get better. Keep writing stories and poems and you will eventually get an acceptance. The trick is to never give up.

4. Because It’s Cool… Duh!

Oh come on, I had to add that in here. But seriously, it is a cool thing to see your story or poem within a literary magazine (especially in print, in my opinion!). Stevie and I had short stories published in a college magazine and I remember how excited I was to see it in print, to see what background they chose for my story, etc. But the number one reason why it’s so cool? Because someone thought your writing was good enough to include in their magazine. That is such an awesome feeling. It gives you a giant boost of confidence and reassures you that you are on the right track in regards to your writing career.

I challenge you to submit to a few literary magazines. I know, scary right! Some accept simultaneous submissions, which is nice because then you don’t have to wait on just one magazine to get back to you about your work. Now get writing and submitting!