How to Submit

A comprehensive guide to collaboratively building a community and literary reputation through small presses and magazines — and opting out of the “Big Five” publishing lottery

Most beginning writers dream of huge book deals with big-name publishers, multicity book tours, and breathless write-ups praising their brilliant, bestselling debut. Eager to sustain this dream, most publishing guides focus on querying, finding an agent, and publishing a book with one of the “Big Five” mainstream, corporate publishing houses. The result for new writers is often frustration, disillusionment with the process, and, ultimately, a sense of creative failure.

This first-of-its-kind guide suggests a different path, one that takes seriously the process of submitting to small presses and literary magazines and choosing a route to publication that is writer-led, community-based, and more accessible. It’s also a manifesto for finding joy in the process of submission, arguing that it should give writers energy, not take it from them.

In How to Submit, 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
• a vision of a publishing landscape that includes authors alongside editors and publishers, all working together to expand the possibilities of the literary world

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