The essay refers to non-fiction prose that is typically literary, personal, or critical, blending a distinct authorial voice with reflection, argument, or narrative exploration. Successfully publishing essays requires understanding the diverse markets and the specific demands of each venue. This guide outlines the opportunities and practical steps necessary to submit your work.
Understanding the Essay Publishing Landscape
Writers must analyze their goals by weighing prestige against payment and readership. Literary and academic journals offer high prestige and recognition within the literary community, but typically provide minimal or no payment. Conversely, journalistic and commercial publications usually offer professional payment rates and reach a significantly larger audience.
The chosen path dictates the submission approach: commercial venues often require a pitch outlining the essay’s argument, while literary venues request a completed manuscript. Understanding a publication’s audience is paramount, as a personal lyric essay suited for a literary review would be inappropriate for a news-focused online magazine. Researching the tone, style, and subject matter of a publication’s past content is necessary before crafting any submission.
Literary Journals and Reviews
Literary journals and reviews are the traditional home for creative non-fiction, focusing on artistic merit and prose quality. Many are non-profit organizations, often affiliated with a university (e.g., The Iowa Review), or are independent journals (e.g., The Paris Review). These venues prioritize the literary essay, including personal narratives, lyric essays, and creative non-fiction that experiments with form.
The submission process is highly standardized, typically utilizing management systems like Submittable or Moksha to handle the large volume of manuscripts. These venues often operate on specific reading periods, closing submissions during certain months, which necessitates careful monitoring of their guidelines. Payment structures are generally modest, often a small honorarium ranging from $25 to $100, contributor copies, or sometimes no financial compensation, reflecting their non-commercial mission.
General Interest Magazines and Online Publications
General interest magazines and high-traffic online platforms offer the greatest potential for reaching a mass audience and securing professional compensation. Publications like The Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, and online outlets such as Slate seek essays that are timely, critical, or deeply reported, often engaging with current events or cultural trends. These venues operate faster than literary journals and often pay professional rates, sometimes reaching $1 per word or offering flat fees between $300 and $2,000.
A significant distinction in this market is the requirement of a pitch rather than a full manuscript submission. A successful pitch is a brief document that summarizes the essay’s core argument, explains its timeliness, and establishes the writer’s authority on the subject. For specialized columns, writers may submit a completed draft, but pitching remains the common practice in commercial journalism. The submission process is frequently handled via direct email to a specific section editor, bypassing formal submission managers.
Niche and Specialized Publications
Beyond the broad literary and general interest markets lies a network of niche and specialized publications focusing on specific subjects, industries, or demographics. This category includes travel magazines, science journals, regional publications, and commentary sites dedicated to topics like politics or cultural movements. Essays submitted must demonstrate a high degree of subject matter expertise, as the readership is often composed of knowledgeable enthusiasts or professionals. Payment and submission methods vary widely, ranging from modest honoraria in smaller regional journals to competitive rates in large industry-specific trade publications.
Mastering the Submission Process
Successful submission depends on strict adherence to the target publication’s specific guidelines. Writers must meticulously check every detail, including the required word count, preferred file format (often .doc or .docx), and any specific formatting instructions. Failing to follow these requirements is a common reason a submission is rejected before it is fully read.
The cover letter serves as a professional introduction and should be brief, never exceeding one page. It must state the essay’s title, word count, and genre, while also listing three to five relevant publication credits to establish credibility. The letter should not attempt to summarize or explain the essay, as the work is expected to stand on its own merit.
Understanding the publication’s policy on simultaneous submissions is important; this refers to submitting the same work to multiple venues at once. While many literary journals allow simultaneous submissions, the writer must immediately withdraw the essay from all other venues the moment it is accepted elsewhere. Using a submission management system simplifies this process, but a personal tracking spreadsheet remains the best practice for monitoring dates and response times.
Handling Rejection and Building a Writing Platform
Essay publishing involves a high rate of rejection, which writers must view as an expected part of the process. Most competitive journals and magazines receive hundreds or thousands of submissions for a handful of available slots. A rejection often means the piece was simply not the right fit for that particular issue, rather than a definitive failure of the writing itself.
Writers should use a rejection as a prompt for constructive action, either by revising the essay or by immediately sending it to the next suitable venue. Setting regular submission goals helps maintain momentum and professional discipline. Concurrently, building a professional author platform, including a simple website and social media presence, aids future submissions by demonstrating a commitment to a writing career.