How to Submit: Publishing Your Writing with Small Presses and Literary Magazines

A comprehensive guide to getting published and building a literary reputation through small presses and magazines -- and taking ownership of your own publishing life

This essential guide is the first of its kind to chart a path to publication that is writer led, community based, and accessible to all. How to Submit speaks to writers who want to publish short stories, essays, or poems in literary magazines, as well as to those looking for a fresh route to publishing a full-length book.

Whether you’re a first-time submitter or you have experience sending out your work, How to Submit provides you with the tools and knowledge to successfully share your writing. It’s also a manifesto for finding joy in the process, arguing that seeking publication should give writers energy, not take it from them.

In clear and encouraging chapters, veteran small press author and instructor Dennis James Sweeney shares the secrets of his success, such as:

- practical advice on formulating a submissions plan, including choosing where to submit and whether to submit to contests
- tips for writing a standout cover letter, as well as using an encouraging rejection letter to greatest advantage
- strategies on how to manage wait times and payment
- suggestions for building connections with editors, readers, and fellow writers and increasing your involvement in the literary world

Perfect for writers of any genre, How to Submit demystifies the small press and literary magazine landscape for those seeking a place for their work that really feels like home.

Dennis James Sweeney is a small press author and longtime member of the literary community. His books have been published with Autumn House Press, Essay Press, Ricochet Editions, and Stillhouse Press, among others, and his writing has appeared in outlets such as Ecotone, the Southern Review, Witness, and the New York Times. While serving as small press editor at Entropy, he built the ＂Where to Submit＂ list into an extensive, well-known resource. His class at GrubStreet, ＂How to Submit: Publishing Your Writing with Literary Magazines and Small Presses,＂ has run regularly since early 2021 and receives rave reviews from students. Sweeney holds a PhD from the University of Denver and lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

DennisJamesSweeney.com