how to submit your writing to literary magazines (from neon magazine)

"This article is designed to be a complete and thorough guide for anyone who is interested in having their short story or poem published in a literary magazine, but doesn’t know where to start. You’ll probably find it most useful if you’ve never sent out your work before, or if you’re just beginning to try and get published.
This guide is also quite specific to literary magazines. If you’re looking to publish an article, interview, review or feature then the process is quite different. If however it’s a short story, poem or other piece of creative writing that you want to publish, read on (click the link!)"

an overview of submission management systems

 If you are new to submitting your creative work to literary magazines and feel a little lost with all the newfangled ways of sending in your work, check out this article that goes through the three most common online systems used by literary magazines:

article on keeping track of your submissions...

Submission Styles of the Rich & Famous

By Becky Tuch

You’ve got spreadsheets. Folders. Index cards. You’re systematic in your approach, combing first through open calls for submissions, then working your way through the journals that you have spent years cataloguing and organizing according to your literary tastes and ambitions.
Or else you don’t and you aren't. You say, Submission strategy? Pah. You just close your eyes and hope for the best. Your list of journals that you submitted to last fall is…somewhere…around here. You’ve tried the whole spreadsheet thing but, er, you kind of forgot to enter the data in.....

click the link to read more!

a wonderful and incredibly thorough guide to publishing in literary magazines

Whatever genre you write, I encourage you to check out The Writer's Studio Guide to Publishing in Literary Magazines and Entering Contests. It covers everything from what is a literary magazine to handling rejection--an excellent guide for beginners.

"Top 5 Quick & Dirty Submission Tricks"

"In an ideal world, perhaps, we would all hone our craft for years and not give a hoot about publishing—and when we did finally submit, we would send only our best work to the best journals, where it would be read by head editors who would instantly recognize our genius. Sounds great, but as a writer and editor in the real world, I’d like to take this opportunity to share 5 quick & dirty submission tips that you won’t find in anyone’s submission guidelines...." { Read More }

How to Format a Cover Letter When Submitting Your Writing To Magazines (when submitting via snailmail)

Your Name
Your Address
youremail@email.com
555-555-5555

Poetry Editor's Name
Literary Magazine's Name
Literary Magazine Address

Dear Poetry Editor,

Please consider my poems "Title 1," "Title 2," and "Title 3" for Your Literary Magazine. I am studying writing at Your University's Name, and I have recently published in Literary Review, Literary Mag, and Lit Magazine. Big Name Poet's work in your recent issue was truly inspiring.

Thank you for reading my work!

Best,

Your Name

~

A few notes:

1. number of poems: follow the guidelines listed on the magazine's website

2.  If you have publications, list a few of them (three or four is fine). If you do not, tell them that too--magazines like to find new talent.

3. If you are studying writing somewhere, you can list that. 

4. Keep it short and sweet. 

5. Tell them why you are submitting to their magazine--did you recently read a poem in there that you admired? Do you admire their editor, poets previously published, prestige, etc? But if you haven't, don't make one up, obviously.

6. Be Honest.

7. Don't stress about the cover letter too much--the writing is what matters, ultimately.