I always encourage writers to submit their writing to literary magazines because getting published in literary magazines opened so many doors for me.

I made connections with editors who helped me in my writing career. I became eligible to apply for grants. I got access to more exclusive mentorship programs.

I even had editors reach out to me and ask me to write for their magazines because they had read my stories and were familiar with my work. 3 out of 10 publications I've gotten so far were through editors seeking out my work. All of these things meant that I was able to establish myself professionally as a writer even before I wrote a book.

Getting published in literary magazines gives you visibility as a writer and helps to get your writing career going. It shows that your knowledge of craft is strong, that you’re serious about establishing yourself professionally as a writer, and it gives you a much needed boost in confidence when you get published.

One of the things I personally love about getting published in literary magazines is that acceptances aren’t based on a business model, unlike in the book-publishing world. Acceptance decisions have nothing to do with marketability or trends or any other business-related reasons. All you need is a skillfully told story and an editor who connects with it.

ven if you’re primarily writing kidlit, if you love writing, you can write for an adult audience. In fact, it will only strengthen your writing skills and help you grow further in your craft.
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Where to submit your work

I’m most familiar with magazines based in Canada and the US. You can find a comprehensive list here and here.

If you’ve never considered submitting your work to magazines before and you’re not familiar with any of the publications out there, here are some ways to get started:

• Visit the websites of your favourite authors and see if they have writing published in magazines. For example, Sahar Mustafah, author of "The Beauty of Your Face" has published short stories in several magazines and all of these publications are listed on her website. This is a great way to discover what magazines are out there and the kinds of stories they publish.
• Read short story collections or essay collections (let me know if you want any recommendations!). It’s very likely that the authors would have first published some of the stories/essays in magazines. These magazines might be mentioned in the Acknowledgments section of the book or even on the page with copyright and publication info at the beginning.

If you’re not sure which magazines to submit your work to, there's no harm in submitting widely, as long as your writing fits within the submission guidelines.

Here are some other things to think about:

• Read some of the recent work published in that magazine. Does that work interest you? Can you see your writing appear alongside those pieces?
• Read the ‘About’ page of these websites. Do they publish the genres you write in and do their values align with yours? For example, Room Magazine is a place where I would love my work to be featured because of their commitment to stand against Israeli occupation.
• Find out who the editors are at the magazine and what kinds of writing they’re drawn to. Many of them might be writers themselves so look them up and see if you connect with their writing. If you do, it’s a good indication that they might connect with your work too.

If you have any other questions about this topic, please hit reply and let me know. I’ll be happy to answer them or even put together an FAQ list that I can share in a future email.

With best wishes & duas for your writing,

Hajera

Here's how I can support you in your writing:

✍🏽 Learn craft and write stronger stories: Join the waitlist for Grounded Writers, a creative writing community for Muslim women​

📖 Find fiction intimidating and not sure how to go from writing about your life to writing fictional stories? It's easier than you think. Take my Ease Into Fiction course now at 70% off​

📞 Struggling with writing and need guidance from someone who has been where you are now? Book a call with me and get advice that works for you and gets you feeling excited about your writing again​