So, it's easy enough to tell poets to write. Poets will often amass a large collection of poems and not know what to do with them. I used to have google docs bursting with poetry and I thought that my poems would just sit there and be found later, like Emily Dickinson's drawer-fulls on her deathbed. But in such an interconnected world, with the internet as your ally, you don't need to let your poems rot on your desk or in your Notes app. But still, it's tough to know where to start - so here is some advice that others gave me and some things I discovered for myself about the publishing process.
Get on social media and start searching.
The first step - and one of the most important steps - is finding places that publish poetry, and other poets who may have advice and recommendations for you. Twitter has been my biggest resource in discovering new, up-and-coming literary magazines, as well as magazines that are established and esteemed in the online literary community. Recently, a lot of magazines have been making the jump to Instagram and trying to grow the community there as well. Be a part of this growth! Magazines are writers, editors, social media lovers - they're people! So find out about these magazines, their histories, the people who write them. Many magazines also support writings from specific communities as well, so if you are BIPOC, LGBT, a woman, an immigrant, or even someone from a specific region or age group - you can find a writing community that wants to hear your voice. Look for places that seem appealing to you. Often times, magazines will even post lists on Twitter of other magazines that they love or new magazines that they want to shout out - so this network can quickly grow. If you want more of a structured list of places to look at, there are websites that offer these (such as Poets & Writers's list here) but I find that these lists are often limiting, not including magazines that don't meet a certain level of "prominence" or magazines which are too new for them to take notice of. After an experiment, I've found that only one of the journals I've submitted to is on the Poets & Writers list. I've found that the magazines I discover on social media are accessible and friendly, more-so than the ones I've read about on lists. So, take these lists with a grain of salt. At best they are lacking and do not appreciate or know of a number of quality magazines. At worst they are a symbol of gatekeeping and status-hunting in the literary community. But, above all, it is always best to explore the world of literary magazines on your own - only you know your tastes, writing style, and where you feel you would fit best.
Read, read, read!
I cannot stress enough just how important it is to read. But especially if you are seriously looking into a literary magazine and you want to get published there, you need to know what sort of writing appeals to the editors and readers on the other end of your submission. Read works that the magazine has published in the past. How polished are these works, and are your pieces that polished? What genres do or do not seem to fit in? What inspiration can you take away from other writers? Get a feel for a magazine's likes, dislikes, styles, and preferences. This will help you not only to hone your craft by drawing inspiration from others, but to help you decide if the magazines you are looking at are the right fit for you. My poems are not terribly experimental, so I don't usually submit to journals that ask for experimental-style pieces, even if I love to read them. But there is always a niche to find, magazines that can't wait to read your unique style! And by doing this, you are supporting other writers like you and building a writing community around yourself.
Another VERY big note. The most important thing to read before submitting to a magazine is the Submissions Guidelines. Please, please, please read the submissions guidelines. Nothing irks a submissions reader more than when you don't follow the guidelines. If you don't write your email subject correctly, your submission can be lost or throw a wrench in a magazine's organizational system. If the guidelines say to send no more than 5 or no less than 3 poems, follow the rules! No matter how incredible a piece may be, this does not make it an exception to the guidelines laid out by magazines. Most of these rules are prominently displayed on every magazine's submissions page, and adherence to them is vital. It shows your professionalism, your attention to detail, and most importantly it shows that you respect the magazine enough to listen to what they want. If you want to be taken seriously as a writer, you simply must take the place you are submitting to seriously as a literary magazine.
Support others.
This advice goes hand in hand with reading. The writing community is, at its core, a community. This doesn't mean you have to befriend every writer on the face of the earth, but it means that when you see a great piece of work - especially from a lesser-known writer or magazine - you should absolutely send some love! Supporting others is a great way to become really immersed in the world of writers, to show that you are a writer who cares about the craft, and to show that you are a person who will reach out to and celebrate others. Writers will absolutely appreciate a shout out, a comment, even a like. Nobody is an island, and nobody builds up a repertoire or a following without other people. When you support others, often they will support you back! Not to be cliche, but what goes around really does come around. I believe that people inherently want to build connections with others and to help them along their paths. So help somebody on with their writing journey!
Have Courage.
Submitting my work for the first few times was downright terrifying. The oh-my-god-I-can't-belive-I-sent-that-what-am-I-doing-I'm-lightheaded kind of terrifying. For people who aren't in the habit of sharing their work with others, the thought of sending your personal writings to a complete stranger can be mortifying. Before I began submitting my work, I rarely showed my poems to my family and I almost never showed them to my friends. They felt too personal, too private, like I was bearing my soul to have it be judged. Literary magazines aren't there to judge, to ridicule, to make you feel small. They are a place for writers to display their writings, to be proud of them and, most importantly, to make a fantastic issue for readers to enjoy. This doesn't mean that you'll be immediately accepted, but you are not going to be mocked. The people reading your writing are people, and they are reading your submissions because they love writing. They are enthusiastic about their craft! They don't want to tear writers down or make them feel lesser, they want to ensure that the best writing possible is coming out of their magazine. Some readers will even give writers fantastic feedback! Perhappened magazine, for example, is known for giving great constructive criticism and praise - whether or not they accept pieces - and encouraging people to submit again. It's absolutely normal and okay to be nervous, but don't be so scared that you don't submit. (Most editors are not harpies or gremlins or anything, I've checked.)
Have LOTS of Patience.
Last but not least, this may be the most important advice that an up-and-coming writer can receive. Be patient. No, even more patient. It hurts a bit to be rejected, but this is something that will happen over and over again, no matter how good your writing gets. Some rejections will hurt more than others. You'll say, "but I really thought that piece was good" and feel disappointed. All of that is okay. The most important part of getting published is to keep submitting. Don't doubt your skill, don't say "I'm not a good writer, I should give up." Keep submitting. Sometimes your writing just isn't a good fit. Sometimes you need to grow more as a writer, to tweak a poem again and again until you get tired of it. Writing is a process that is never truly finished. Be patient with yourself as you grow into the writer you want to be. Be patient with literary magazines if they take a while to get back to you, reject you, or reject you again. You might not get a poem published for a year, or two years - I've had long dry spells like this too. But don't ever stop writing. You are a writer. Your words are important. You are good enough. Don't forget.
I hope that these pieces of advice will help you to get your foot in the door of the online writing community, help you hone your craft and appreciate others' writings, and to get published. If you have any questions still yet to be answered, let me know! Good luck, be patient, and happy writing!
Well wishes,
Julia
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