Literary journals and magazines are a huge opportunity that writers should take advantage of. These chances to get your work to the world not only mean you grow in skill, but also it means you grow your list of writing accomplishments. However, submitting alone is a huge mountain to climb when you’re just getting started or even after years of writing.

The fact is, writers face multiple challenges when submitting to literary journals. Of course, there’s always the threat of rejection and that’s completely normal and understandable. But the submission process itself isn’t so cut and dry. There’s a lot that goes into preparing a piece, sending it out to the world, then trying all over again. But why is the submission process so hard for writers?

For starters, there are a few obvious answers. Rejection is tough, for one. But there are also some reasons why getting the ball rolling with your submissions can be difficult. Check out below to understand why submitting to literary journals is so hard for writers and what you need to remember to keep going.

 

Rejection and the Mindset of “Failure”

Submitting to journals is hard for two huge reasons: fear of rejection and fear of failure. You need to get back up and try again, shouting I’LL SHOW YOU to the world. And you can’t take a rejection as a failure either. It might not have worked out, but that doesn’t mean you failed. ALL writers experience rejection. This is a normal part of the process. You might face numerous obstacles before publishing your work in a lit journal and even more obstacles that keep you from publishing regularly and getting nominated for awards. Writers work for YEARS to get to that point.

But when you get back to sending your work in and you continue with your submitting process, remember these things:

  1. Rejection is normal. Everyone experiences it. Don’t let a rejection keep you from getting back up and repeating the submission process over again. It might be hard to deal with it at times, but you won’t get to where you’re going if you stop submitting.
  2. Don’t let negative emotions get in the way. Yes, there’s the fear of failure, the self-doubt, the anxiety that comes with waiting, and the sadness when you don’t get what you want. But you can’t let those things get you down. Push the self-doubt aside and try again.
  3. In the end, it’s subjective. This is something I’ve learned from volunteering with literary journals. Sometimes your story might be good, but there was a tiny detail that made a reader reject it out of hundreds of submissions. With so many submissions to read, we have to reject based on a tiny detail and move on. So remember: your story wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t the right fit out of hundreds of submissions.

 

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Finding Time to Write Regularly

Next, even if you keep getting back up and trying again, sometimes there isn’t time to write, or you have to make adjustments to your schedule. Finding time to write sometimes takes a lot more effort than we can give. However, writing and submitting to journals consistently gives you more opportunities to get your work out there while also letting you write better.

Getting into a regular rhythm with writing takes a lot of stress off your mind, but sometimes that’s not feasible, even if it means you make the most out of the submission process and you get tons of writing practice. So what do you do?

  1. Stick to the process you create, even if you can’t stick to the time. If you can regularly write, that’s great. However, most writers write in their free time. They take what they can get. Create a submission process that works for you, and make sure you stick with it even if you’re thrown off schedule. Don’t overedit, overthink, or get distracted by tons of other things if you can help it. Make sure to write, edit, rewrite, and then submit, whether that’s in your spare time or at a scheduled time.
  2. Don’t overwhelm yourself. This is another mistake writers make. Sometimes they create super tight deadlines. Other times they create too many goals or goals that aren’t approachable. Stick to a calm process and keep yourself from anxiety. You aren’t going to run out of time. Writing is for life.

 

If you can get into the rhythm of “write, edit, submit, repeat” in a way that’s comfortable for you, that’s great! And if you can only do so when you have the chance, don’t be afraid to snatch at the opportunity! Just don’t get distracted or overwhelmed.

 

Finding the Right Fit

Lastly, submitting might be hard for writers because they haven’t found the right fit yet. Their process might not be what it should be. Or they haven’t discovered the type of journal they want to submit to. OR they’re still figuring out what they’re passionate about writing. All three must come together!

So make sure you do the following:

  1. Explore all kinds of journals. There are plenty of resources that list HUNDREDS of journals. And you can read them for free most of the time! Take the time to explore and read. That way, you learn what writers you enjoy, what genres you enjoy, what skills to work on, and what techniques you need to practice.
  2. Explore writing genres and styles. Some writers write in more than one genre. No one says you can’t! When you start writing, you might know what you want to write or the story you want to tell. If you do, research and write as much as you can so your skills and techniques shine. But if you aren’t sure yet, take the time to read and get to know more about journals and what they want. Writers must read. Eventually, you’ll discover what you’re looking for.
  3. Experiment with your process. If something works, stick with it. If not, there’s no shame in trying something else. No writing path is the same as the other. Everyone uses what works for them and them only. Sure, you can learn about other writers’ habits, but that doesn’t guarantee success. Find what works for you, then utilize it to the best of your ability.

 

Submitting regularly to literary journals is a valuable experience for writers. However, this is a mountain all writers need to climb. It can be daunting creating goals and battling to stick with them. But you’ve made it this far. You can do it. Just keep moving forward and remember to learn and breathe along the way.

 

 

S. Foster is a fiction writer, poet, and graduate student at the University of Cambridge, St. Edmund’s. She is also the creator of the Foster Your Writing blog. Her work has appeared in over twenty literary journals, including Aurora Journal, Sour Cherry Mag, and Paragraph Planet. Her chapbooks have been published by Yavanika Press (2022) and Ghost City Press (2023). You can find more of her articles here.