How to Submit your creative writing to a Literary Journal

For many creative writers submitting to a literary journal and getting published is a writing goal. These reminders will help you reach that goal.

1. Write a professional cover letter and follow the directions in the writer's guidelines. These are here because the editorial team wants you to be successful, don't ignore the guidelines.

2. Don't use obscure language when a simple word would do. Write complete sentences.

3. Check for spelling errors and double check for word errors, if you can't find any, ask a friend or family member to read your work line by line. Sometimes you can't see errors in your own work.

4. Read your work aloud before submitting, if you are stumbling over the words so will the editor who is reading it.

5. Avoid sending in first drafts, even if you think your first draft is brilliant. Very few first drafts are brilliant. Work on revision and edit your work. Is your work descriptive, compelling, and exciting? Or is it full of cliches, common themes and boring images?

6. Know your form. If the journal is looking for sestina's don't send in a haiku or a personal essay,  because in your mind it's kind of like a sestina.

7. If you don't get accepted, try another literary journal but study the market. A personal essay about being abducted by aliens will probably not get accepted in a journal that says "please no more abduction stories." There are many valuable creative writing websites that have compiled lists of literary journals.

8. Don't be discouraged by rejections, rejections are just stepping stones on the way to being a successful published writer.