A strong author platform is essential to getting your book into your readers’ hands. Part of that platform includes a fan base—a group of readers who share a common interest in your writing and who will seek out your future works.
Publishing shorter works with literary journals that boast a preexisting readership can help you get your name out there. Having a portfolio of previously published works also looks great on a book proposal and in your author bio.
Poets&Writers (pw.org) website features an exhaustive database of publications accepting submissions of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and translations, including details about their submission guidelines. This is a great place to start. Check out this searchable catalog here: https://www.pw.org/literary_magazines.
Each literary journal, general interest magazine, or online platform has individualized requirements that submissions must meet. Before submitting to such a publisher, peruse what they’ve already published to identify their preferences to be sure your work aligns with their vision. It’s also wise to make sure your work is in professional shape.
Once you’ve covered those essentials and researched a few publications to submit to, there are a few details to consider:
- Style guides—If a publisher’s house-specific style guide is available for review, utilize it. Make note of word count minimums or caps.
- File format—Some accept both postal and digital files. Others will automatically reject postal submissions. Double-check these requirements before submission.
- Submissions or “reading” windows—While some publishers accept submissions year-round, others may only accept submissions within a specific date range.
- Genre—Some publications accept a combination of genres, while others may accept only one or two genres.
- Themes and prompts—A publication seeking to compile works addressing a particular topic or answering a specific prompt likely won’t accept anything that doesn’t fit their brief.
- Portfolio requirements—Many literary journals, etc. seek first-time publishing writers, but many seek writers who’ve been published before. Particularly selective publications may require an extensive portfolio before they’ll accept an author’s submission.
- Target demographic—At least a few noteworthy publications select authors from particular communities to elevate underrepresented voices.
- Concurrent publication rules—Before you submit your work to multiple publishers, review their guidelines as far as exclusivity is concerned. Some publishers have no issue with your work appearing in other publications, but other publishers retain exclusive rights for an established period. If a publisher you’re eyeing is one of the latter, submit to them first to see if they’ll bite before sending your work elsewhere.
As mentioned, there’s a hierarchy in this corner of the publishing world. Publications like Apparition Lit, Thrush Poetry Journal, and SmokeLong Quarterly, for instance, accept a combo of new and established writers; others, like Virginia Quarterly, Wildness Journal, and The Threepenny Review, pay for stories from previously published writers. Meanwhile, publications like The New Yorker and The Atlantic tend to choose more established writers and are less inclined to publish first-timers.
The value that literary journals and similar publications lend to the publishing industry cannot be understated, and for authors looking to build a portfolio or whose writing simply flows better in shorter pieces or poems, such publications can make a huge difference in delivering their work to a receptive audience. This strengthens your author platform and goes a long way toward helping your future publishing endeavors succeed.
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