Deciding where to submit

Among the thousands of literary magazines out there, how do you choose which ones to submit your work to? This month instead of giving you another list of great places to submit, we thought we’d share our favourite resources for finding great places to submit.

1. Our blog – OK, we still think our lists are the best 🙂 We pay attention to things such as: does the journal charge fees, what’s their acceptance rate, how fast do they make a decision, do they accept simultaneous submissions or reprints, and are they open to writers everywhere. Our carefully curated lists are the perfect jumping off point, particularly if you feel overwhelmed when faced with hundreds of possibilities.
2. Duotrope – for $5 a month (or $50 per year) you get access to their amazing searchable database of journals and agents. Plus you get stats on things like response times and acceptance rates. Plus interviews with editors on what they’re looking for. Plus a submission tracker. A bargain!
3. The Review Review – the Review Review reviews journals. Their database contains hundreds and it’s searchable by criteria like form, fees, payment, and reading period. They also post new calls for submissions and interviews with editors. A great free resource.
4. Poets & Writers – has a database of journals but it’s searchable only by form (fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction), subgenre and whether or not they accept simultaneous submissions. Where they really shine is their database of contests, grants and awards, which is searchable by form, fees, and deadlines. They also have great interviews with editors and agents.
5. New Pages – posts calls for submissions and contest opportunities and they also have a database of journals (not searchable).
6. Literistic – compiles a monthly email list of upcoming contest deadlines, submission calls and fellowships. You can subscribe to the shortlist for free or for $8.50 per month (or $58 per year) you’ll receive their more comprehensive curated list based on your preferences.

Want to further improve the odds of getting your work accepted? See 5 tips for getting published.