Submittable: Sending Your Writing to Litmags and Journals

by Charles Coe

In recent years, those of us who’ve tried to submit writing to magazines or literary journals have found that many of those publications no longer want work sent to them directly; they want writers to use a submission portal called “Submittable.”

Submittable is a submission management system. Here’s how it works: You sign up for an account. (Free to writers. They make their money from fees paid by member publications.) You submit your work to publication X. The system keeps you updated on the progress of your submission, so you know it was received. You can also use the website to manage withdrawals and edits if need be. That one account lets you track the status of your submissions to any number of publications.

Of course, if an editor or publisher has asked you to submit work, or if you already have a professional relationship with them, you can bypass Submittable and send it directly. But if the publication’s guidelines say to use it and you try to do an “end run” and send it directly to the editor you pretty much guarantee a rejection.

Here’s where to sign up for a free account: