When you submit your work to literary journals—or query letters to literary agents—are you getting the results you want? Writer’s Relief offers you tips for a healthy submission strategy that will increase your odds of getting your work published.

How To Get Your Writing Published

Do your research. When writers don’t do the necessary groundwork before submitting their work to editors or agents, it announces that they aren’t serious about their careers. Get to know the industry and research the right magazines or agents for your work before you submit.

When you work with Writer’s Relief, you can rest assured that the research is spot-on! Our targeted markets offer the very best opportunities for getting your work published—no submission span, ever!

Submit strong work. You read regularly and voraciously. You’ve spent time in workshops, lectures, and seminars at writing conferences. You’re developing a sense of confidence in your writing that is starting to show—and that kind of confidence will attract the attention of industry professionals!

Follow industry etiquette. Along with mastering your craft, you’ve put in the time to learn the rules of submitting to agents or editors. Your work is properly formatted and proofread; your cover letter or query letter has all the right elements (and none of the wrong ones); and your submission packets are professional and polished.

Embrace rejection. Whether your piece wasn’t right for the journal or the writing wasn’t strong enough, rejection letters are never personal. Look at them as a badge of honor—you’re out there, you’re trying, and you have the letters to prove it!

Play the numbers game. There are thousands of literary magazines out there. Thousands! If you give up after submitting to a dozen or so, think of all the missed opportunities. Making submissions truly is a numbers game, so if you’re submitting strong work to the right places, don’t give up until you find the right home for your work.

Keep detailed records. An organized submission strategy involves knowing exactly what work you’ve sent where and when. If an agent or editor asks that you “try again,” you’ll know what to send and to whom.

Stay positive and professional. Believe it or not, some writers respond to rejection slips with immature retorts like “Who wants to be published in your stupid magazine anyway?!”—and agents and editors take note. Successful writers don’t let their egos get in the way of getting published. And they don’t let minor roadblocks stop their forward progress.

Does This Sound Like You?

If so, congratulations! You’ve got a healthy submission strategy and the mindset to go the distance.

But if you’re feeling frustrated, pessimistic, or just too busy to carve out the time needed to develop a strong submission strategy, it may be time to contact Writer’s Relief. Our submission strategists are more than trained motivators who are there to keep you writing; they’re also trained professionals who will regularly and expertly guide your submissions into just the right hands.

QUESTION: Are you a published author? What’s your best tip for a new writer hoping to get published?