When the Most Submission Calls Are ACTUALLY Open

We love data. No, seriously: We love data. We also like being slightly obsessive. It’s kind of like, our whole thing.

That’s why we decided to put our lil’ noggins together and take a look at when the most submission calls are actually open. Now, you can be strategic about your submission process, increase your chances of getting published, and then eventually, you know, pursue world domination. Well, literary world domination, at least.

The Real Submission Calendar (Best to Worst)

1. September: 402 publications open (26.7%)

2. October: 372 publications open (24.7%)

3. November: 310 publications open (20.6%)

4. January: 239 publications open (15.9%)

5. December: 235 publications open (15.6%)

6. August: 234 publications open (15.5%)

7. July: 178 publications open (11.8%)

8. March: 162 publications open (10.8%)

9. February: 153 publications open (10.2%)

10. April: 129 publications open (8.6%)

11. June: 128 publications open (8.5%)

12. May: 113 publications open (7.5%)

If you feel like that was too long, and you didn’t read it—well, first of all, it wasn’t, so you should have—here are the key takeaways:

• September and October are the golden months, with 51.4% of timed publications open
• Fall, in general, is king: September through November captures 71.9% of all timed opportunities
• May and June are the worst months. Take a vacation if you're gonna.
• 853 publications are always open. Consider these your year-round backup options

So there you have it. If you take anything away from the above, let it be this: If you’re only submitting one month, make it September. The fall submission season will give you the most access to over 70% of time-specific opportunities. The data says so!