Welcome to another episode of Creative Questers, where we explore all things creative and provide valuable insights for aspiring writers. In this episode, hosts Stefka and Christina share their experiences and tips on how and why to submit your work to literary magazines.

Thea Pueschel was the original source for much of the knowledge shared in this episode. Thea gave Christina the knowledge and courage to start the submission quest and has generously shared their knowledge with many others in the writing community. Thea is a widely-published, prolific writer, multimedia artist, yoga and meditation teacher, and hypnotherapist. Find out more about her journey at https://www.theapueschel.com/

Thea is also the managing editor for the Women Who Submit blog. They are a paying market and are looking for essays or articles regarding how our creative existence intersects. Find out more here: https://womenwhosubmitlit.org/submit-to-us/

Join in our quest to get our words out in the world. We challenge you to make five submissions a month and use Thea’s hashtag #5submissions so we can cheer each other on. 

Let’s dive in!

• Getting published in literary magazines can help build your author platform and establish credibility.
• When you are working on a larger piece such as a full-length book, smaller pieces offer a confidence boost and content to share with your readers.
• Exploring submission calls can help writers understand their writing preferences and genres that resonate with them and provide ideas and inspiration.
• Utilize platforms like Duotrope, Submittable, and the Submission Grinder to find submission opportunities.
• Learn about “First Rights” in a literary mag context and what constitutes as previously published.
• The importance of reading and following the submission guidelines.
• How to write an author bio. Check out our episode about it here: https://creativequesters.com/2022/12/27/how-to-write-an-author-bio/
• How to write a cover letter and why you might want to personalize it for each submission.
• Simultaneous submissions are widely accepted, but inform magazines promptly if your piece gets accepted elsewhere.
• Rejection is part of the game – keep submitting and don’t lose hope.
• Setting a goal of 5 submissions per month can help maintain consistency.
• Find the right places to start submitting and don’t be afraid to begin small.

Resources and Links:

Duotrope – A platform where you can find submission opportunities and track your submissions. Also offers valuable information on history of each lit mag and their submission statistics. (www.duotrope.com) 
Submittable – An easy-to-use submission management system for writers. (www.submittable.com)
Submission Grinder – Especially good for fiction, horror, fantasy genres.  (https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/)
How to Write an Author Bio: https://creativequesters.com/2022/12/27/how-to-write-an-author-bio/ 
Women Who Submit: https://womenwhosubmitlit.org/submit-to-us/ 
Literary Magazine rankings: https://cliffordgarstang.com/category/literary-magazine-ranking/ 
Christina’s submission tracker: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kmEbkEdVj9Ioy89GaObT8rsTJOXqXf-d/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117301362137372554372&rtpof=true&sd=true 

Conclusion:

Submitting your work to literary magazines is an essential step in your writing journey. By exploring submission calls, utilizing submission management platforms, and consistently submitting your work, you increase your chances of getting published and establishing yourself as a writer. Remember, rejection is part of the process, but with perseverance and the right mindset, success is within your reach.

Keep writing, keep submitting, and don’t be afraid to take creative leaps. We hope this episode has inspired you to embark on your own submission journey. Stay tuned for more insights and tips on Creative Questers. Happy Questing!