Pearl Diving Column
July 2019
by Ingrid Bruck
Where Do I Submit What I Write for Publication?
That’s a matchmaker question. Until you find a match with your writing style, you will get a lot of discouraging rejections. And if you pay entry fees, you will be even more disheartened.
When beginning to submit, I recommend you select journals that don’t charge a fee. Be aware that the majority of your submissions won’t be accepted for publication. That’s true for even established writers. Besides the financial cost, rejections can knock down your confidence in yourself as a writer. The percentage of acceptances varies per magazine. The higher the bar, the greater the number of rejections. You want to submit “smart” to have the greatest chance of success. Persistence pays off. One day you’ll get published and it will be be thrilling.
Whatever literary journal you submit to, it’s a good practice to read what they publish. It will make you savvy about the magazine’s style and preferences. Reading poems is a win-win—it’s as good for you as writing is and it’s the only way to gage if your work bears similarities to what a venue publishes. If the journal is post-modern with a preference for hybrid, this will not be the best place to send a nature poem, haiku or sonnet for consideration.
Adele Gheraty, Editor of Between These Shores Books, passed on this friendly hint. Editors like the courtesy of a cover letter. It can be as simple as: “I submit for your consideration… & thank you for reading.” Remember to do it, good manners can open the door.
The list below contains some high-quality online literary journals that are new-writer-friendly. They are open for submissions and do not charge a submission fee. Good luck in finding a home for what you write. Do your homework and keep writing and submitting!
High Quality Journals (No Fee to Submit)
Between These Shores Annual - Open: January 1 - June 30, 2020 https://www.betweentheseshoresbooks.com/call-for-submissions-2018
Gold Dust Magazine - two editions per year, in June and December. They don't accept simultaneous submissions and recommend you submit two to three months prior to the publication dates. http://www.golddustmagazine.co.uk/Writers.htm
Rat’s Ass Review - Open: Aug. 1-Sept. 30, 2019 Those published receive an invitation from Editor Roderick Bates to join a fine workshopping site. http://ratsassreview.net/?page_id=81
Verse-Virtual — supportive poetry’s community that accepts submissions the first ten days of the month. https://www.verse-virtual.com/submit.html
General Information About Where to Submit (Fee & Free to Submit)
Entropy Magazine: Where to Submit: June, July & August 2019 https://entropymag.org/category/where-to-submit/
Erika Dreifus- subscribe to Practicing Writing Blog https://www.erikadreifus.com/blogs/practicing-writing/\
NewPages - subscribe to receive information about writer opportunities and places to submit https://npofficespace.com/newpages-newsletter/
Submishmash Weekly by Submittable - subscribe to receive the posts
Trisch Hopkinson - subscribe to her writer’s blog - Trisch emails weekly blasts of information about writer opportunities https://trishhopkinson.com
https://www.betweentheseshoresbooks.com/archives
Date Published: July 1, 2019