Archive
Cheers to Submission Rituals (Which May or May Not Include a Glass of Wine)
How to build a submission practice you'll actually stick to
What Your Form Rejection Actually Means (And What It Actually Doesn't)
A beginner’s guide to “rejectomancy”
Interview with Claire Thom from The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press
The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press was founded by EIC Claire Thom in April 2022. Claire wanted to start an international and inclusive poetry community which would offer both new and previously published poets a platform to get their words out there.
Submit It to Win It: Writing Contest Strategies
Think of writing contests like your favorite board game. They should be fun to play and even more fun to win. But like Monopoly, if you don’t have a solid strategy, you may end up broke.
Subs and Chill with Maurice Carlos Ruffin
Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You, shares his thoughts on being a joyous and aggressive writer, the many rejections of his early career days, celebrating with ice cream, and his submissions strategy.
Maybe rejections will always suck
Maybe rejections will always suck. Maybe some days they'll suck more than others. Maybe some days the rejections will make you cry.
Chill Subs Promorando
Chill Subs’s bi-weekly random promotion of one journal, writer, book, poem, story.
Editor Interview with Ninth Letter
Liz Harms, the managing editor of Ninth Letter, talked with us about the foundations of the literary journal, the work that immediately draws her in as editor, what she is writing, and her additional role as graphic designer for each issue.
Interview with Delilah Twersky from Pearl Press
I began Pearl Press in the summer of 2020. I had a plan to create a space for artists, namely photographers and writers, to cohabitate; where diverse voices could come together and gain inspiration from one another.
Subs and Chill with Chloe Caldwell
Chloe Caldwell talks gut instincts, knowing your writing isn’t going to be right for everyone, almost being published in the New York Times at 26, and her advice for submitting to lit mags.
On abandoned writing
Revive Your Unfinished Writing Projects: Discover strategies to determine if your project is worth pursuing, set small attainable goals, and remember your overarching mission to reignite the passion and momentum needed to complete your creative masterpiece.
Interview with Monica & Mary from Talk Vomit
Meet Mary & Monica, the editors of Talk Vomit, a women-owned and run online literary art zine based out of Massachusetts that harbors a willful longing for when the internet was still fun.
Subs and Chill with Annabel Graham
This week, Annabel Graham shares why its best to submit to top tier places first, how taking breaks from a piece can work wonders, what she has learned through rejections and working as the fiction editor of No Tokens.
On Being Diggier Than a Dog
In 2022 I submitted to 120 contests, publications, and journals. Of these 120, 8 were yeses. 112 were nos. While I’m incredibly proud of my 8 yeses, I’m also proud of my 112 nos.
reframing rejection
rejection is something that artists of any kind are pretty much guaranteed to experience. and it can hurt, especially when you’re not used to it.
Subs and Chill with D.T. Robbins
D.T. Robbins, author of Birds Aren’t Real and the editor of Rejection Letters, says fuck the rules, submit the shit you love, and don’t overcomplicate the submission process.
Baked In - A craft essay by Nancy Jorgensen
I stuffed my hands in silicone and lifted a loaf from the oven. The aroma was all caramelized sugar and yeasty pockets. This was my third bread this month, each one an essay—an attempt.
Interview with Erica and alks from Art, Strike!
Art, Strike! was inspired by a generous gift of time, space, resources, and support that, tragically, almost nobody but the most connected elite receive.
Literary Journals: Not All Are Created Equal
Getting published in a literary journal can be a daunting challenge. Competition is stiff and acceptance rates are generally low, especially among the more prestigious, high-paying magazines.
Subs and Chill with Elle Nash
Elle Nash, author of Gag Relflex and the forthcoming, Deliver Me, chats about having a story accepted twice in one day, sharing work st readings, her editorial process and when she goes back to the drawing board.
DEAR DAMNED ROMANTICS, IT’S OKAY TO BE JUST DAMNED
Do writers find too much purpose in pain? Fransivan MacKenzie's new essay for Chill Subs attempts to answer that question.
Special Announcement! — Things We Do While Waiting to Die
Read Chill Subs' startup diary to learn about all of the fun nonsense going on behind the scenes at your new favorite website for writers.
You Only Fail If You Stop Writing
Having your writing rejected is nothing new. Steve shares his decades of experience submitting to magazines in this week's post on Chill Subs.
Subs and Chill with Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya chats about submitting to many places at one time, the importance of community as writers, the joy of working with other editors to better your work, and celebrating publication wins with champagne and KFC.
9 Flash Fiction Magazines with Responses Under a Week (Open Now)
These nine magazines respond to flash fiction submissions in less than one week. Don't wait to months to find out if your work will be published. Submit now!
Acceptance Speech for the Christmas Reject Badge
Getting rejected from literary magazines is tough. That is why Chill Subs created Rejection BINGO. Last year, Sadee Bee got BINGO!
Interview with Barbara Diehl from The Baltimore Review
Interview with the editor of The Baltimore Review about how to submit your poetry, fiction, and CNF, be at peace with rejection, and make writing fun again!
Bargain Bin Lover (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
I was hunting for a new fling, something casual as / I walked up to the sidewalk sale at the bookshop / the one that sells coffee—just black or with honey,
Kim Has Developed an Allergy to Lilies (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
I know this because she texted the group / chat last night to say that anyone who was / thinking of sending her a bouquet should / make sure it doesn't contain any lilies, / particularly the stargazer variety.
Midnight Waltz (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
This is our last dance / Together, mother, but I / Want you to tell me why / You still let crimson run / Down your lips on Friday / Nights
Therapy Without Insurance (1st Winner, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
The phone rings. I answer. It's always disappointment. / It's always death, responsibility or my ex-wife calling to ask / if she can have half of the Christmas decorations.
HELD. (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
it’s like clockwork, the movements. nose to the nape of my neck. lips to the curve of my shoulder. one arm tightly around my stomach, pressed so that the curve of one breast fits perfectly in the palm of a hand.
Tangled Coils (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
waiting for the water to boil is when / I recall the best and worst of it. mesh / cloth draped over everything. your laugh / like a crooked exit sign in neon red.
Nonbinary Finery (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
Category is / Pure femme Realness / I strut my stuff / Made up of / Highlight to blind my beloveds
Black Holes (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
There is a phenomenon that occurs in the vast, deep emptiness of space / where gravity becomes so strong that it collapses in on itself, implodes. / And in its descent into nothingness, it pulls every surrounding piece of matter and light / down with it
Reject Republication Project
A republication of the finalists & winners of Chill Subs' Who Freakin Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects. This includes the poems and a downloadable zine.
A Digital Obituary (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
I found out you were gone from a / Facebook post from someone who you / didn't even like from high school. / I had to look up the obituary / online myself to make sure it / was real.
Like Stendhal Syndrome, But Less (Finalist, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
A faint mural lies on the / sandstone, sun-warmed, against / which men press their foreheads. / They, or, to be honest, we, search / for alcoves into which a little note / might have been coiled up and
My Uterus: The Bloody Comedy (Honorable Mention, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
Every 28 days, for the past decade, my Uterus commits / suicide. Countless undergarments that have become dyed / With its blood and tissue. / But that is not new.
reaching for the moon (Honorable Mention, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
on mooring days, when i wake to the sound of freshly brewed coffee / pumping through the atmosphere, i turn and look at the spot / where you softly snored, now empty, filled with dust bunnies,
good men are like lobsters (2nd Winner, Who Freaking Cares Writing Contest for Poetic Rejects)
clad in armor, your soul is too soft to / be exposed you can't see or hear / well but god, you can feel and touch / the world with your bright claws that / have never aimed to pinch
Backing Up Your Work 101: a Short Guide to Help Writers Back Up Both Published and Unpublished Work so It Doesn’t Get Lost Forever
Have you lost a story because you forgot to save it? Did a magazine who published you vanish from the internet? Here are tips for backing up your writing.
Subs and Chill with Brittany Ackerman
Brittany Ackerman shares her journey from first getting rejected by literary journals to finding success in the writing world in this week's subs and chill.
For Serious Writers Only
Why is writing so serious? Should we be bending over backwards for literary magazines with absurd expectations? Or is it time to make writing more fun?
Interview with Jake & Matt from Cult Magazine
The editors of Cult Magazines share their views on the writing community, submissions process, and how to crowd fund in the literary world.
Subs and Chill with Arisa White
Arisa White, author of Who’s Your Daddy, shares a 2010 Facebook post and chats about keeping a poem close for a year, Teen Vogue, and how she keeps track of submissions.
child, when you grow up you can be anything. (please don’t be an artist)
Lilith Noah's poem, collage, and reading of 'child, when you grow up you can be anything. (please don’t be an artist)
Interview with Doug & Sally From Blink Ink
Doug & Sally from Blink-Ink, a literary magazine publishing 50 word stories, about print vs online publishing and why nominating for prizes is important.
Interview with the Editors of Last Leaves Magazine
The editors of Last Leaves Magazines discusses their submissions process with Chill Subs and shares some of their favotire moments at lit mag editors.
Subs and Chill with Amy Shearn
Amy Shearn chats about her record rejections, how the writing, not publication, is the best part of the creative journey, her first published poem and how a publication led to an editing job.
Redefining the Dream Journal
Is getting published in your dream journal all it's cracked up to be? Or maybe it is time to rethink what dream journal means to you.
After Dinner Conversation Interview with Kolby Granville
After Dinner Conversation is a lit mag looking for stories that spur discussions and expand the reader’s mind. If you’re worried about what this means, have no fear.
[ugh] - like Twitter, but way worse
A new social media for writers, literary magazines, editors, artists, and weirdos. Chill Subs' [ugh] is like Twitter, but way worse.
Will All You Sexy Beta Readers Please Stand Up?
A good beta reader is priceless. They never get the thanks they deserve for helping writer friends perfect their work. So, stand up and be proud.
Interview with Jason W. McGlone from Pencilhouse
Jason McGlone made a nonprofit to help writers get free feedback on their poems, stories, and essays. Our interview with him breaks down the how and why of it.
Critique
What is the deal with form rejection letters? Should writers be happy, sad, annoyed, or accept that they are part of the process. Here is one writer's thoughts.
Interview with Nat Raum from fifth wheel press
Nat Raum, the editor of fifth wheel press, joins Chill Subs to discuss how they review submissions to the press, publish new books, and stay relevant.
Introducing Chill Subs Badge Swag!
Earn rewards for different accomplishments in the literary community and display your success with a custom badge designed by Chill Subs.
Subs and Chill with Richard Chiem
Richard Chiem chats the art of building your bio, soliciting journals, the experience of having a novel out in the world and his advice to writers working to get published.
Scrawl Place Interview with Andy Brown
Andy Brown joins Chill Subs to discuss the best practices for submitting to literary magazines, and the inspiration behind the literary journal, Scrawl Place.
Selective Amnesia
How can writers mentally prepare for recieving a boat load of rejections? Maybe it is time to forget those bad moments and keep a positive outlook.
The Lincoln Review Interview with Alex Shenstone
Alex Shenstone joins Chill Subs to discuss how university run literary magazines are different from other indie magazines int he writing community.
Subs and Chill with Mira Ptacin
Mira Ptacin answers questions about how to become a successful and fulfilled writer in this interview written by Kailey from Write or Die.
Watch Out For Spiders!
This week Chill Subs added mastheads, country, and founding date to all of our listings. Now you can make sure the magazine you're submitting to is legit.
Sword & Kettle Press Interview with Kay Allen (Small Press)
Kay Allen joins Chill Subs for one of our first small press interviews to discuss her work on Sword & Kettle Press.
Two Poems by Tyler Jones
Tyler Jones shares two of his poems about submitting writing to literary magazines with Chill Subs' community of writers and editors.
Sticker Release Party!
Announce that your magazine or published works are listed on Chill Subs using our custom designed stickers for "Listed On" and "Find my Work on"
Sans Press Interview with Paula Dias Garcia
Paula Dias Garcia shares their insights into how to submit books to Sans Press.
"Poetry Shmoetry" a collection of 5 Poems by Steve Denehan
Steve Denehan shares his five funny poems about submitting to literary magazines and the struggles of writing good poetry this week on Chill Subs' blog.
Poem: Received
M.R. Mandell shares a fun poem with Chill Subs about watching a submission progress through the different stages until it is accepted or rejected.
Interview with Alan Good from Malarkey Books
Alan Good from Malarkey Books discusses how they reviews, edits, and selects the books they publishes in this week's small press interview on Chill Subs.
Chill Subs Promorando #6
Chill Subs’s bi-weekly random promotion of one journal, writer, book, poem, story.
Why Not Reject Your Rejections?
Who says you have to accept when your writing is rejected? Maybe it is time to rethink rejections and find a way to make the writing world work for you.
Interview with Kay Allen from Corvid Queen
Chill Subs' interview Kay Allen from Corvid Queen about the ins-and-outs, ups-and-downs of submitting to literary journals.
Chill Subs Promorando #5
Chill Subs’s bi-weekly random promotion of one journal, writer, book, poem, story.
Kristin Garth Broke Our Fucking Website So We Interviewed Her
Kristin Garth has been published in over 1000 literary magazines. When she added them to her profile, it broke our website. So, of course, we interviewed her.
Interview with Stuti Desai from healthline zine
What is it like running a literary magazine at sixteen years old? Stuti Desai joins Chill Subs for an interview about the ups and downs of being an editor.
Chill Subs Promorando #4
Chill Subs’s bi-weekly random promotion of one journal, writer, book, poem, story.
Tips from an Editor: How to Write an Article
How is writing an article different from a CNF piece or personal essay? Many writers get these mixed up, but here are some tips on how to keep it straight.
Q+A with Sara Watkins from Spoonie Journal
Sara Watkins from Spoonie Journal joins Chill Subs to talk about writing, submitting, and the importance of accessibility in the writing world.
Editor Admin Panel!
Manage your listing on Chill Subs with our free admin panel for editors. Update submission windows, create themed calls, and post as your litmag on ugh!
Chill Subs Promorando #3
Chill Subs’s bi-weekly random promotion of one journal, writer, book, poem, story.
According to Twitter, the Name of this Essay is “Musings”
Having trouble coming up with a title for your poem, story, or essay? You're not alone. here are options for how to come up with better titles for your work.
Q+A with Alan Good from King Ludd's Rag
Alan Good joins Chill Subs for another interview. This time Alan discusses his journal King Ludd's Rag and the joys of being an editor in the indie lit scene.
Chill Subs Promorando #2
Chill Subs’s bi-weekly random promotion of one journal, writer, book, poem, story.
HAD Hobart Double Feature Interview with Aaron Burch (Part 2: Hobart)
Welcome to part two of our Hobart double-feature weekend with Aaron Burch. To quote Hobart's guidelines: "Pretty much... You know the deal."
HAD Hobart Double Feature Interview with Aaron Burch (Part 1: HAD)
Aaron Burch shares the morivations behind creating HAD and discusses the different ways it has reshaped how he handles submissions for a literary magazine.
My Writing Is Shit
Adam Chabot shares his experiences writing and submitting to magazines all while trying to figure out if he's any good at this whole writing thing.
Q+A with Bex Peyton from Angel Rust
Bex Peyton wants us to stop beating Alice and Wonderland to death. We couldn’t agree more. Lookin’ at you Tim Burton.
Some tips on how to create a new, cool literary magazine that writers will want to submit to (from a writer who has submitted to many)
Do you want to create a literary magazine that writers will submit to but not sure how to do it right? In this piece Steve Gergley breaks it all down.
Q+A with Audrey Bowers from Brave Voices
Audrey Bowers from Brave Voices talks about the different things they look for in a piece of writing submitted to their magazine.
Don't Be a Platypus
Writing is a solitary profession. But it doesn't have to be! In this witty piece, Bethany Jarmul shares tips for engaging with other writers.
How to Write a Cover Letter
Chill Subs stress free guide for how to write a cover letter for submitting to literary magazines. Make editors happy and make your life easier.
Chill Subs Submissions Tracker
The best submissions tracker for keeping an eye on your poetry, fiction, and nonfiction submissions with acceptance celebrations and Rejection Bingo.
Thirty-Four Minutes
What is the fastest you've ever been rejected after submitting a short story? For this writer it was thirty-four minutes. She wrote about it for Chill Subs.
Q+A with Julia Ongking from The Woolgathering Review
Julia Ongking from The Woolgathering Review shares some of her insights into the editorial process behind reviewing writing submissions.
Ask An Editor!
Ask the editors of literary magazines about their submissions processes, editorial pet peeves, and whatever else. We will contact them and ask
Q+A with Laura Garrison from Jersey Devil Press
Laura Garrison from Jersey Devil Press answers several questions about how to submit to literary magazines and what kind of works she's looking for.
Hot take: Submit the Poem You Think They'll Reject
Kallie from Tell Tell Poetry shares her advice on submitting poetry to different literary magazines. Read this wonderful little piece in Chill Subs.
Q+A with Veronica Bennett from Bullshit Lit
Veronica Bennett from Bullshit Lit joins Chill Subs to talk about how to submit to Bullshit Lit. How to get your writing published. And other fun writing tips.
How to Write a Literary Bio
Chill Subs' simple no-bullshit guide on how to write a literary bio without saying too much or not enough. Don't worry about how much you've published.
Q+A with Lesley Conner from Apex Magazine
In a long interview with Chill Subs, Lesley Conner from Apex Magazine discusses submitting to literary magazines, writing tips, and more
We Want Your Words! Nom, nom, nom
Q+A with Christopher Allen from SmokeLong Quarterly
Smokelong Quarterly accepts or rejects some of the best flash fiction on the internet in under a week. Read on to learn about their submission pain points.
Is My Writing Ready To Submit?
Is your short story, poem, or flash fiction piece ready for literary magazines to consider? This is our simple guide to help you decide if now is the time.
Q+A with Luiza Flynn-Goodlett from Foglifter
Q+A with M.M. Carrigan from Taco Bell Quarterly
Swim Meet Lit Mag Editor Interview
Svetlana Sterlin, founding editor of Swim Meet Lit Mag, chats about creating a magazine during the pandemic, her editorial process, being part of the small lit community in Australia, and the parallels between swimming and literary publication.