General Information
Submitting to a literary magazine, especially for the first time, can be difficult! There are several components to submitting to literary magazines, and you may find yourself balancing a thousand questions. We hope that this page will alleviate some of those questions, and support your submission journey.
When looking into a literary magazine, your first step should be to read their guidelines. Many literary magazines will have a dedicated submissions page that include genres, word counts, deadlines, and other defining information. While it may be tiresome to read these pages for every magazine you find yourself interested in, it is simply a part of the process, and demonstrates to the magazine that you respect the guidelines they have put in place to ensure a smooth submissions process for both editors and writers. These pages will often answer any questions you may have, but if you find yourself with further questions, be sure to research around the magazine's website more.
Submitting to literary magazines is not a process that can be rushed. By disregarding guidelines or submitting an incomplete submission, your writing is more likely to be overlooked by editors. Due to high submission volumes, many editors will not give your work the same attention it may have received, had guidelines been respected. Respect editors! They work hard!
If your submission is rejected, that's okay! You're a true writer now. All of the greats have doors slammed in their faces. Keep writing.
When looking into a literary magazine, your first step should be to read their guidelines. Many literary magazines will have a dedicated submissions page that include genres, word counts, deadlines, and other defining information. While it may be tiresome to read these pages for every magazine you find yourself interested in, it is simply a part of the process, and demonstrates to the magazine that you respect the guidelines they have put in place to ensure a smooth submissions process for both editors and writers. These pages will often answer any questions you may have, but if you find yourself with further questions, be sure to research around the magazine's website more.
Submitting to literary magazines is not a process that can be rushed. By disregarding guidelines or submitting an incomplete submission, your writing is more likely to be overlooked by editors. Due to high submission volumes, many editors will not give your work the same attention it may have received, had guidelines been respected. Respect editors! They work hard!
If your submission is rejected, that's okay! You're a true writer now. All of the greats have doors slammed in their faces. Keep writing.
Cover Letters + Third-Person Bios
Magazines will often request a cover letter, third-person bio, or both when you submit to their magazine. However, they may be difficult to write, as the guidelines for writing them are often undefined and vague. As such, we have provided examples below, which you may use to draw inspiration or structure from as you see fit:
Cover Letter
Dear Editors,
I hope that this letter finds you well. I am excited to submit two of my poems-"America" and "King George III"-for your consideration. The inspiration for these poems may be attributed to my time in the Revolutionary War, when Thomas Jefferson and I had many philosophical conversations. I have been a long-time follower of ECHO Review, and particularly enjoyed Alexander Hamilton's poem "Breakdancing." I believe that my writing will be a strong contribution to your upcoming theme.
When I am not writing, you may find me reading Dr. Seuss, whom I find great inspiration in. I live in the North Pole, and hope that it will continue to contribute to my creativity as well.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
George Washington
Third-Person Bio
George Washington is a writer from the North Pole, where he raises goats and tends to his cat named Alex. When he isn't writing, you can find him sitting under his fig tree rereading his favorite novels. One day, he hopes to open a bookstore.