Submission September 2025

The last week or so has ushered in the cooler temps of fall. The humidity is gone, but the sun and blue sky still remain. Vacations are over. Back to work and school schedules.

Along with the return of routine, we now have what I am calling Submission September. Truthfully, it is more than September, but this sounds good. Literary journals and magazines that closed their reading period are opening back up. Everyone is getting back to work for their upcoming issues before the Holiday season. Now is a great time to dust off your essays, short fiction, and anything else you want to submit.

I have spent the summer revising my novel (still not done), writing a couple of new short stories, and even dipped my to into creative non-fiction. One of my dream journals is opening in mid-September and I plan to be ready.

I’ve talked myself out of submitting in the past. The excuse of I’m not ready or None of this work is good enough has held me back long enough. I did submit early this summer and a few rejections have already come in, but that isn’t going to deter me from putting more out. I don’t want to fall back into the comfy space of saying to myself, Well I submitted this year already. I can skip this. Nope. I’m not doing that.

Maybe you don’t know where to start? A few years ago, when I jumped back into submitting, I was overwhelmed. The lockdown saw the closure of some publications and the emergence of others. I took the advice other writers have given and went to my bookshelf. Where were my favorite writers getting published? Also, some of the bigger places were not out of business. Places like The New Yorker, Tin House, and others are still going strong.

I will always suggest swinging for the fences and submitting to the major publications that are right for your work, but once those are exhausted, don’t be afraid to look for others. Sites like The Submission Grinder, Duotrope, and the database on Poets and Writers, are great resources to find new publications.

The nice thing is, once you start submitting, it get easier. You start to think, Why not me? Impostor syndrome is so tough to overcome sometimes. We all have doubts, but, as the saying goes, the only way out is through. If you want your work to be seen, you have to put it out there.

Thanks for reading and happy writing and submitting!