Assistant Editor Emily Rose Cole: Whether you’re new to submitting to literary journals or you’re a seasoned submitter, it’s always nice to have a refresher on how to professionalize your submission. As I begin my editorship at Cincinnati Review, I’ve noticed some trends in what I’ve been reading. Here are some tweaks that might help you navigate the waters of the submission process:
Step One: Read Voraciously
Our Managing Editor Lisa Ampleman says it best in her video on where to submit your work: the first step in getting accepted is to read voraciously. Get a sense of what a journal’s current editors like to publish before you submit. Buy a cheap back copy or digital issue, or browse the journal’s online content before deciding if this venue is the right home for your writing. You’re most likely to be successful in submitting when you take some time to see if the journal’s aesthetic matches yours.
Step Two: Read and Follow the Guidelines
Once you’ve decided to submit somewhere your work would fit, the best way to maximize your chances of acceptance is to carefully read and follow the submission guidelines. Make sure that the pieces you submit match the submission category you’re sending to. Each submission category (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama etc.) has distinct guidelines. If you don’t follow these guidelines, your submission may be rejected unread.
This happens frequently with our miCRo series; some submitters have either ignored or failed to review guidelines, despite the reminder in that category choice in Submission Manager to “READ GUIDELINES FIRST!” Sometimes that means they’ll submit five longish poems instead of the three (all shorter than 33 lines) that we request. Other times our miCRo queue includes forty-page single-spaced prose pieces, though we ask for prose of 500 words or less. Pay attention to guidelines for particular categories or genres.
Sometimes particular categories are closed for submissions; right now, we’re accepting submissions in our miCRo category, but not in the others, for example. We recommend instead making a calendar item for when the category you want opens up again (September, for example, for submissions to our print journal.)
Even if you’re an old hand at submitting your work, it’s always best to take a minute and review the guidelines specific to your genre of submission. You’ll find relevant information like how many pieces to send, length requirements, submission deadlines, special issue information, and how to withdraw a piece if you need to.
Step Three: Don’t Sweat the Cover Letter
Cover letters are great! But, pro tip: they aren’t always necessary. We enjoy getting to know our submitters, but at CR, cover letters are optional. For specifics on how to write a great cover letter, for CR or for any other journal, check out our Lisa Ampleman’s how-to video on cover letters or previous Managing Editor Nicola Mason’s blog post on the same subject.
Step Four: Proofread
Once you have your submission packet lined up, make sure to proofread your submission (and your cover letter, if applicable) before you send it! This is your chance to fix typos, correct formatting issues, and double-check your submission against the journal’s guidelines.
Step Five: Patience
Waiting can be the hardest part of the submission process, but it’s worthwhile! Editors work hard behind the scenes to give each submission a generous reading, and getting to all of them takes time. A journal’s submission guidelines can help here, since most journals will let you know what the average response time is for a submission (for CR it’s about six months) and give you guidelines on when it’s appropriate to query about the status your submission (at CR we ask that you wait a year before querying). Check out our “Life of a Submission” video series to get a sense of the way CR editors look at submissions.
Step Six: When You Get a Response
Getting a response from a journal is exciting, no matter what the result. If you get an acceptance, great! Our editors will be in touch. Please make sure to send your bio, contract payment forms, responses to proofs etc. as soon as you can.
If you get a rejection, don’t despair. The writing life is full of rejection, and a literary rejection is never a reflection on you, personally. Most journals will have several rejection tiers: standard, nice, and personal. If you receive a note that tells you to submit again, take it seriously! We really mean it. If you receive a personal rejection, it means that least one of the editors really liked your work and you got close to acceptance. Definitely send work again.
Make sure, however, that you don’t antagonize the editors of a journal that rejects your work. Rejection is upsetting, but nothing is less professional than insulting an editor for doing their job. Take a deep breath, congratulate yourself on being vulnerable enough to send your work out, and try again.
Now that you know how to submit like a pro, check out the guidelines for our online miCRo series! We’re accepting short work until May 31 (our annual summer contest starts June 1). Happy submitting!
