How Some Literary Magazines Decide

After my last post about what it is like to receive rejection slips in the context of my having been a long-term member of a literary magazine staff, I have gotten a question from a former student about how literary magazines decide what material to keep and what material to reject. I base these comments on my own experience, but I will discuss various situations as I have seen them. Please do not take these comments as the definitive answer but rather some approaches to understanding how some literary magazines make their decisions.

First of all, just about every literary magazine advises that potential submitters read back issues of the magazine to see what types of material they publish. Small magazines and journals make this recommendation because they each have a sense of their own identity as a publication. I understand that the cynical will assume this recommendation serves to boost sales, but, quite frankly, most literary pubications do not earn a lot of money, anyway. They often have the support of a university and/or sponsors/subscribers who believe in the publication's attempts to preserve the arts. I have seen some that struggle just to cover expenses from issue to issue, but the dedication of their staff make the sacrifices worthwhile. Subscribers are all nice, but school funding, sponsors, supporters, and out-of-pocket commitment make the difference between a small magazine's survival and its vanishing. When the magazines ask potential submitters to read back issues, they are signalling that they want particular types of work, as they develop and expand their notions of art and creativity.

I understand that just about every literary magazine will say that it has the aspiration to publish work of a lasting literary quality. They may not all agree how to accomplish that goal, however, because not all magazines and journals will have the same sense of what "lasting literary quality" means. Some journals will state that they have a particular political/social ideal in mind, and they seek works that present that ideal. Some journals emphasize spirituality but not necessarily matters of conventional orthodoxy. Some journals mention that they have a particular readership and that they seek submissions that target that readership, not that they are toadying to a readership but that they have a mutual interest in particular types of literature. Even if a journal's submission instructions do not mention a call for a specific type of material, reading a couple of issues gives one a sense of whether that journal prefers experimental works or more traditional forms, if it prefers nostalgic, romantic pieces or prose that tends to present a reserved tone, whether it is interested in genre pieces, fixed forms, or long narratives, or whether it requires specific types of pieces. One must pay attention to what they request and what they feature. If a journal considers itself in the vanguard of literature and tends to offer experimental pieces, then the likelihood of their accepting a traditional narrative would be pretty low, for example. Further, magazines that do not change editorial boards often will have a definite character that one must consider before submitting anything to them. That is not to say that they are stuck in a rut; those magazines affirm their values by presenting new, engaging work that illustrates those values.

I do not believe that there is any one secret or plan in successfully finding publications that will accept one's submissions. As I have noted in an earlier blog entry, good material will not necessarily find a place with a publication just because other factors, such as the sheer amount of material submitted and the acceptance of earlier pieces, will not permit the newer submission to fit in. I have had some modest success over the past few months in particular, however, so I can at least offer some suggestions that one might find helpful.

Read all the time. I know, I'm an English professor, and it just figures that I would write that comment. I confess that I do not get to read as much as I want to--I thought, as a much younger person deciding on a career path, that should I be lucky enough to become an English professor, I would be reading books all day, and I would be surrounded by others who did the same, and I did not take into account committee meetings, paperwork, and the genuine needs students have that require attention and make my wanting to hide out with a book appear absolutely selfish. Fair enough, I guess, but I steal time to read as much as I can. If you are fortunate enough to be near a library that subscribes to literary journals, spend as much time as you can in the periodicals room.

Go to readings. When an author comes to your area to present a reading, go to hear how the author presents his or her work. Listen also to how the audience responds. The reading aloud will reveal nuances of the material that you might have missed when reading the work silently. The audience's response will indicate how you might communicate to such an audience, too.

Attend writing conferences. I know that there is a cliche that successful writers are esoteric flakes, but the majority of them I have met are down-to-earth everyday people. Meeting them will remind you that you do not have to transform what you are to write; you have to devote attention and energy to writing. If you are already creating poetry, fiction, and nonfiction prose, you are writing. I'm not saying that you should stare into the mirror every morning and go through a self-affirmation routine, repeating "I am a writer" like a mantra, but reminding yourself from time to time that you are a writer is not a bad thing to do.

Share your drafts with people who respect you enough to tell you when you make mistakes. Constructive criticism is an act of kindness, best when reciprocated. Listen to what your readers in your circle say. Sometimes they will be wrong, and sometimes they will be wrong when they praise you, but as your friends they are invested in you, helping you to see what you have missed.

Look in a new volume of poetry or short stories to see where the pieces originally appeared. You will find that some of those works have appeared in journals you have never heard of, and seeing that will help you to break away from the idea that success as a writer comes only in the form of a nationally renowned publication. Also, if you have an affinity with that writer, it may be that those publications would be interested in your work, too.

Remember that writing is work, and seeking publication is work, too. Lucky people like their work a lot.

That is about all of my list. I discuss these issues with various people, but, frankly, I do not know how to market oneself as a writer, and this blog and my Twitter account are about all the self-promotion (if you can call it that) I have. I hope that folks may find this entry helpful, however. Having stolen this time to make some notes (the sun is just rising), I'll get back to the paperwork now.