Student Resources
Below are some tips and resources that students can use as the begin to enter the submission process for contests and publications.
Submission Resources
Good resource for finding magazines! You need an account but is it free to make one. Take the time to explore this website.
A central submission site for many magazines.
Submission Tips
-
What is a masthead? This tells you who works/volunteers for the magazine.
-
What is a mission statement? What can I find on a magazine’s about page? This will address the purpose of a magazine. Some magazines also include their values, and it’s important to make sure their values align with your own.
-
Consider work the magazine has already published. Does your work match the vibe of their work? Is it a place you’d want to feature your work?
-
Don’t be scared to ask magazine editors and staff questions if you cannot find an answer on their website.
-
Last but not least, remember rejection is part of the submitting process. Just because your work is rejected does not mean it’s not good. Typically it means that it may not fit with other pieces an editor has selected for an issue. For every acceptance, I probably have fifteen rejections. Believe in your work, no matter what kind of response you get. You are a writer. Your work is valuable.
Magazines to Get You Started
The following magazines accept work from high school students:
Cover Letter Example
Hello Editors and Readers,
I hope you are all doing well. My name is Kelli Lage. Below I have attached five of my poems for consideration in Lyrical Iowa. You can note anything recent you’ve read in their magazine that you enjoyed or something else you enjoy about the venue.
Bio: Kelli Lage is an assistant poetry editor Bracken Magazine and Best of the Net and Pushcart nominated poet. She is the author of Early Cuts, and I 'm Glad We Did This. Lage's work has appeared in Stanchion Zine, Maudlin House, The Lumiere Review, Welter Journal, and elsewhere. Website: KelliLage.com. If you don’t have publications to note in your bio you can share about genres you read, write, hobbies you enjoy, and anything else you’d like readers to know about you.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Kelli Lage