Literary magazines are small acts of enthusiasm disguised as infrastructure. They exist because someone, somewhere, believes a stranger’s sentence can justify a late-night edit, a layout debate in the group chat, or trying to fit one more poem into an issue that was technically finished yesterday. They’re part curation, part gamble, part communal stubbornness, fuelled entirely by people who care a little too much—which is exactly the right amount.
From the other side of the submission inbox, certain patterns begin to stand out. There is a particular species of submission that arrives with warmth, followed immediately by evidence that the magazine it’s addressing has not really been met. It’s like a compass needle pulled towards a magnetised fridge full of unrelated intentions: the components are present, but nothing is aligned. For a magazine, alignment is most of the job.
So consider this less an etiquette guide from someone who’s spent a lot of time opening submissions and cheering when one arrives exactly as hoped.
Why Guidelines Matter
They’re there to make sure your work has the best chance of being read smoothly. If a magazine asks for 2,000 words, it’s because editors are reading hundreds of submissions. While a few extra pages don’t feel like much in isolation, multiplied by a hundred it becomes hours.
Magazines specify formats for the same reason. If they ask for a .doc/.docx/.odf attachment, it’s because they’re the easiest to work with. Consistency lets editors focus on the writing, instead of opening PNG-shaped satellites orbiting the submissions folder.
Before You Hit Send…
One of the simplest ways to make a great first impression is also the easiest: have a quick look around the website. If submissions are closed, all magazines will tell you when they reopen. If there’s a theme, it’ll be there. If there’s a submission link, it’ll also be there.
Editors genuinely don’t mind questions that need asking. But be sure to read through the website and FAQs first; if the answer you’re looking for still can’t be found, then feel free to reach out.
Read the Magazine You’re Sending To
Every literary magazine has its own personality. Some love work that unfolds slowly, some like sharp edges and experimentation. Some want essays that wander beautifully; others want fiction that lands like a perfectly timed punchline. It’s a little like playlists—they’re all music, but you probably wouldn’t drop Brat in the middle of a Jane Austen audiobook.
Writing that belongs somewhere tends to sound like it has already considered the room it is entering. The goal isn’t to reshape your voice into someone else’s, but to know whether your work is speaking to the audience already gathered there.
Subject Lines Don’t Need a Plot Twist
A subject line is wonderfully boring: ‘Title of Work—Name.’
It doesn’t need multiple exclamation marks or mystery hoping to charm its way to the top of the inbox. Your writing gets to do the interesting part. The subject line just introduces it.
Keep the Packaging Simple
Writers understandably want their work to feel special. However, elaborate portfolios and heavily designed documents that look ready to pitch a startup rarely make the writing any stronger. In many cases, they also work against the submission itself, especially when they ignore formatting guidelines–adding unusual fonts or image-heavy designs that make the piece more difficult to read and handle. Most editors aren’t looking for a presentation. They’re looking for a sentence that makes them forget they’re reading submissions at all.
The simplest presentation is also the most generous one.
Following Up Is Okay, Really
Emails disappear and spam folders are mysterious places. A polite follow-up after a reasonable amount of time is absolutely fine. Just remember that most literary magazines don’t begin reading until the submission window has closed, and many will let you know their expected response time on their website or submissions page. Giving editors that space means they can read fairly, thoughtfully and without rushing. If you haven’t heard back yet, it doesn’t mean your work has been forgotten, it’s simply still waiting its turn.
The truth is this:
Editors open submissions hoping the next piece will be the one that makes them sit up a little straighter. The submissions that stay with us are not always the most polished, but the ones that feel situated, like they have read the room they are entering. What stands out is care for the publication, the process and the people giving their time to your work—and that care has a lovely way of making the writing itself shine a little brighter.
So send your work, read the guidelines, read the magazine, and when you send something, let it arrive like it already knows where it’s going—we’re excited to meet it there.
With love,
From the other side of the inbox.
Effy Kousteni, Co-Editor-in-Chief
This blog post, along with many others, is available to read on the Spellnotes section of our website.
If you don’t follow us on social media yet, you can find links to all our channels here.
If you’d like to read or view this work in full, you can subscribe here. Our magazine is available in both PDF and paperback formats. Click here to learn more.
Photo by Jan Van Der Wolf on Pexels.