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One of the things I search for when looking at Lit Mags to submit to is when they were founded. I try to focus submissions to ones that have been around 3+ years. I imagine that isn't necessarily the best for the litmags themselves, but I do also try to support newer ones too. It's an interesting balance to make because I don't want to submit somewhere that might not be around in a couple of years, but I also want to grow the community. There are certainly newer projects like Only Poems that seem very stable and like they will continue on, so I try to just be conscious about the vibe etc

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Thank you for the advice. I will do that!

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Feb 13Liked by Benjamin Davis

Thanks for this. It’s really useful for someone like me who writes but also teaches short fiction writing, and therefore needs to keep on top of the latest lit mag situation so I can pass that onto students. So many people in my experience let good work languish because they simply don’t know where to start.

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I am happy this helps. Maybe we should start some sort of lit mag service designed for classes to slowly increase in level of competitiveness and help students explore various paths within the industry. Definitely something to think about.

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It definitely is!

When I first decided to start writing seriously, about a decade ago, I had zero knowledge of the range of litmags and other publications available. When I started producing work - mainly flash fiction - one of the things I did was try to find out acceptance rates.

It wasn’t exactly a science, but having access to that information gave me an idea of where I should be pitching my stories. I started off with places that maybe had a slightly higher chance of publication and then working my way up to places that were below say 5 percent acceptance rates.

I guess the bottom line is that, like me, most people who start out writing short fiction probably don’t know much about ‘the market’, they just want to write stuff. So anything that helps with an understanding of ways to get published and what the level of competitiveness is, can only help.

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Feb 12·edited Feb 15Liked by Benjamin Davis

As a writer who thinks it's unfair for writers to pay every time they submit something Authors Publish was my fave for 2023. Free subscription, filtered, clearly titled lists from vetted fee-free journals straight to your In-box every month . Plus excellent free seminars on all things writing. At least 50% of my acceptances came from their lists last year. I found them via Google, back when I knew nothing & was googling sub calls like a frantic chipmunk on caffeine. So it turned up something useful! Highly recommended for writers on a budget.

Other sources: Erica Verillo (website), Writer's Digest (kind of overwhelming), my lists on Medium (ahem), accidental cool discoveries on Twitter, Lit Mag News & the fine art of bio stalking.

Ben, I just signed up on Chill Subs. Having only been sent individual journal links by writer-buddies, I'm guilty of not exploring it properly. I LOVE that we can create a profile, & list our publications / services. I've started adding my subs to Tracker, though with 52 subs last year, I may not add all of them. Chill Subs may be my new fave resource for 2024!

Thanks for adding all those sub call resources to the lesson - you're a gem!

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author

Ah Author's Publish is delightful especially if you don't like fees. Oh just wait! We're going to be doing so much with write profiles soon. Also, if you download your submittable past submissions, you can upload them straight into our tracker

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Feb 17·edited Feb 17

Great! Mind you, only about 12% of my submissions last year were via Submittable. Will you eventually be doing the same for Duosoma?

Also, Ben, re the feature where we can display links to publications, it becomes tricky to order them effectively after 4 are loaded. Could you consider upgrading this with a "reorder" feature like Medium has for its lists? (I ask with no techy knowledge of course - I just think it would be handy for writers.)

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Feb 11Liked by Benjamin Davis

I get a lot of my submission opportunities from social media, but I also get a good few from WritersHQ website. Whenever somebody posts about a lit mag there, I'll take a look and add it to my spreadsheet of mags.

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author

Ah WritersHQ is great. I've never used socials much. Have you ever tried with a database?

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I’ve tried Duotrope once or twice. Usually if it’s a story that’s accumulated a lot of rejections and I want to give it a good home.

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Feb 11·edited Feb 11Liked by Benjamin Davis

First, thanks for taking the question. This is from prose.onl . My original piece on submittable was declined, but Tarik Dobbs emailed me to send another. It was accepted and I signed a contract on 10/19. He emailed me and asked me to send contact info for an interview. I sent it 10/21, then again 11/9. On 1/7 I sent a submittable message as well as an email. 1/28 I sent another text that says delivered, but does not say read. I sent a message through the prose.onl contact form last week. All of these messages were just asking if Mr. Dobbs had received my information, when was my piece scheduled for publication, and for him to please contact me. I haven't heard anything back. I just want to know if he got it and if I should just continue to wait.

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Ah I've communicated a bit with Tarik in the past. Hahah and I never heard back so...maybe he's just got a really disorganized inbox? prose and poetry onl have pretty good reputations as far as I know. Since you last sent it at the end of January, I'd give it a month or so. Especially if you signed a contract. That is a pretty binding agreement.

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Feb 11Liked by Benjamin Davis

Ty for telling us the stuff no one tells us, man. This workshop is a goldmine. Ty for all the time and effort 🙏🏽

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I've been using Duotrope for a couple of years (I know you probably don't want to hear that, sorry). Yes, after the free trial it requires a payment, but that payment is pretty low - $50 a year (or $5 a month) is not outrageous. They have useful things embedded like "people accepted by this litmag also publsihed in litmags XY & Z", which is good for finding new outlets.

I also subscribe to a couple of newsletters: my favourite is Pamelyn Casto's monthly FlashFictionFlash, which is great for flash fiction writers like myself, and I thoroughly recommend it - best of all, it's free!

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author

No worries. They do what they do well. No shade. I just prefer us. And we are developing a similar feature so we'll get you to convert eventually haha. Oo, I haven't read Pamelyn Casto's monthly FlashFictionFlash. I will check it out.

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Well, the thing with Duotrope is more of an open relationship... I'm already signed up for ChillSubs as well ;)

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I wonder if I could bother you for some advice. I submitted a piece of flash CNF was accepted. I signed a DocuSign on 10/18/23. The editor said that he wanted an interview to go along with the piece and asked me for my contact information. I sent that and got no reply. Since then I Send emails by personal email, submittable , And the publications contact form, All with no reply. And this is a reputable journal. It has been accepted, so I can’t submit it to anybody else. What should I do? I apologize this is not be correct place to ask this question. Thank you.

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How long ago was it since you reached out to their contact form? A lot of university affiliated lit mags are completely gone during the holidays so it may be that they are backed up with emails and whatnot. I've had pieces accepted and not heard back for almost a year. Then something pops up in my email as it was yesterday. There doesn't seem to be much of a standard. Was the submission through submittable? If you're comfortable emailing me the lit mag name I can take a look at their stuff and give you some better info if I can suss it out - ben@chillsubs.com

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Feb 10Liked by Benjamin Davis

I started with Submittable, then built my own A and B lists using the Erika Krouse, Clifford Garstang and Brecht de Poortere tables (thanks!), Chill Subs and Duotrope. I get extra names from Twitter, newsletters and author bios (I should do the latter more systematically). A lot of my pieces are 3-8k stories so I used Erika Krouse's list of long shorts as my start for those and added to it over time. I 'follow' my target litmags on Submittable to ensure I don't miss deadlines. When I see a new name I check their website for relevance, feel and quality/activity. I'm still a long way from getting it right but from Nov I decided only to submit to my target list and not to let myself get distracted by Submittable etc. deadlines...

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author

Yeah, having a target list is super important. I have one for different genres. I will talk more about it in later lessons

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Feb 12Liked by Benjamin Davis

I have a question for you. I went to the Mariscat website which is a press in Scotland and they do not list any submission guidelines that I can see except it looks like you submit a chapbook up to 24 pages. I assume it's open for those outside of Scotland but it doesn't say. OK does this mean we as a poet can simply collect up to 24 pages of what we think constitutes a chapbook and submit? Or a chapbook already existing and they want Mariscat to produce it ...? Do you know? I got this from 'new listings at Duotrope'

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Hey J.J. Yes so it looks like they only publish Chapbooks. And yep, pretty much. If you have a chapbook-length collection (you'll usually want them centered around some sort of theme), you can title them, package them up in a properly formatted doc and submit. They don't want already published collections. A new collection (some poems can have been published but not the whole collection). So: a collection of up to 24 pages of poetry on a related theme with a title in a formatted document sent via email (as far as I can see). If they accept it, they will publish it for the first time.

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Thanks, Ben, that is just what I had thought, and I appreciate your confirmation on that since I'm very new to reading these things. By the way, the online magazine for which I am now on week 11 of 'waiting' is Ariel Chart. A fellow poetry student of a workshop we both took last year had an excellent experience and was published there, but I've had no answer at all. I find that very odd indeed. I have moved on and have submitted different poems to a variety of other journals (I still haven't submitted the ones I submitted to A.Ch. though). Meanwhile I'm enjoying finding new magazines that I like that feature writers whose work I really like, and that is very nice. Thanks.

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Feb 10Liked by Benjamin Davis

If I had read your lessons in order, I would of course have noticed that you listed the Erika, Clifford and Brecht resources!

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Haha no worries. They are all great.

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I love how thorough and informative these lessons are. Thank you! I mainly write in the long poem format and it has always been difficult to place long poems in literary journals; however, I am currently working on a book-length poem series. These poems are in a format that suits literary magazines. I admit I am not at all systematic about submitting them. Due to a recent major financial setback, I do have to think about money. I can't pay reading fees. I have mainly get my ideas on where to submit based on my community of fellow poets who announce their publications on social media. Now I must attempt to be more systematic: no fee, paying journals only. The rejections are coming in fast! I'll make use of your excellent resources now.

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Ah, we have a filter on Chill Subs where you can remove any lit mags who have fees. A lot of folks use this, right at the top. Also, Author's Publish only shares opportunities with no fees.

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i had an account already, but hadn't gone in for some time. i've now created my profile and look forward to all the great resources. thanks, Ben. i'll check out Authors Publish too.

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Feb 12·edited Feb 12

Hi Amanda. I recommend Authors Publish because they vet the journals & themed lists come straight to your in-box - see my other comment. It's my foundation resource for calls. (PS: Nice to see you - I used to be on ERWA. I'm not really writing in that genre anymore). I've just landed on Chill Subs too - good to see the fee-free filter there, too.

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Hi Melissa! Gosh I miss ERWA! I signed up to Authors Publish. Thanks for the recommendation

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You're welcome! Good to hear what you're up to. I reclaimed my writing practice during the pandemic (like many) & am now quite serious about submitting to journals. Substack is great - so many resources & interesting people!

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Not mentioned (so I'll add it here):

* * Keep a daily writer's journal

* * Create your own short-hand that offers instant cues, i.e., lots of encouragement but a rejection / don't bother again / on hiatus / is now charging a $$fee! / next sub period is .... / etc.

* * Follow your own breadcrumbs.

* * Colored pens help chart the map inside your daily journal.

* * * * If your WIP is a chapbook or a full collection, keep notes on submission caps. EX: some book publishers do not want more than 30% of the material pre-published in zines.

* * * * Moral: Think about pitching more mss to indie presses - - and submitting fewer pieces to literary journals.

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Oo daily writing journal sounds great. Do you have a certain template you use for it?

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For decades, I have used a bound book: At-a-Glance Stand Diary by ACCO Brands + a dozen colored ink pens. Each color is linked to my author's code.

Old-fashioned diary writing perhaps - - but it works for me.

I also write everything long-hand and I don't have my computer turned on all day.

Yesterday I just completed all the pieces for a new poetry chapbook & my journal notes include the 4 most likely presses to send it, too.

Thank you for the chance to participate here, Ben.

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I have been publishing poetry for 3 years and the best info I've found is in the back pages of Poets and Writers Magazine. They list open contests, the criteria for entering and the website for further info. Wonderful magazine; I love it !!!

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Ahhh yeah that's great. I went through a phase of trying to get "accredited" on my poets and writers profile for a year. It was my only motivation for a while and I just targeted lit mags they had as approved in their database. Too bad their actual online filtering isn't as robust.

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Hi Ben,

Well, I don't bother with accreditation; I have been accredited by life. No MFA. Never used their database. I just enter their listed poetry contests that appeal to me ! Will start using your recommendations soon

Thank you. Claire

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Feb 10·edited Feb 10Liked by Benjamin Davis

Hey Ben, fantabulous lesson & excellent strategies. I'm a bit confused about the poll thoughl How do I interact with that, and can you indicate multiple options? Or do you want us to comment here on where we find lit journals. Or both? Strikes me that the conversations are more interesting when we talk about them in comments, but maybe the data is easier for you to work with if submitted through the poll?

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author

Ah damn. Yeah some others mentioned the poll didn't work right. It was an experiment but I think I won't use them in the future. You can choose one in the poll or skip it and just comment.

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Got it. I'll comment!

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Feb 9Liked by Benjamin Davis

I have a slightly-tangential stalking story that’s maybe also a how-to-do-AWP-when-you’re-scared-shitless story. I saw a piece on Beth Ann Fennelly in The Writer in 2017. She was judging a micro-memoir contest. I bought her book Heating & Cooling, which I loved, and entered the contest. A few months later (quick turnaround), I opened up the mag to find my story published with nine others. (Not being notified that I had been chosen was wild, but hey!) So I started researching her more. We don’t have a lot in common—she has an MFA, started out as a poet, teaches at Ole Miss, has mostly published in tiers above my pay grade, dresses in wild colors while I prefer not to be noticed—but I was inspired by her book. Fast forward to AWP 2019. I didn’t want to go because it’s so big and intimidating but had committed to an anthology-signing at the book fair. I finally made myself look through the AWP calendar and saw that Fennelly was scheduled for a panel, and bingo! I had a plan. I would do AWP like I do NYC: pick a few things I really want to do and let the rest happen how it does. Long story short, my favorite thing was meeting Fennelly and having her sign my book. It’s one of the few books I find myself rereading, because I can see myself as a kindred writer in terms of form, content, and writing style.

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Ah that's a great story. I've definitely found that a lot of folks are really kind and generous with their time and work. I mostly live outside of the states so I've never gotten to stalk someone in person. But next time I visit, I absolutely will. And trying to get our company to AWP next year.

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Feb 10Liked by Benjamin Davis

What is AWP?

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Feb 10Liked by Benjamin Davis

The full name is the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. When people talk about going to AWP they're referring to the annual conference the program holds. I've gone a couple of times when it's been held nearby. I think it skews more toward people who have MFAs, but there are some interesting panels and readings.

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Feb 9Liked by Benjamin Davis

That's for sure & there are those "extended deadlines" too.

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