How to Submit by Dennis James Sweeney is the book every writer needs but rarely finds—a warm, insightful, and deeply practical guide to navigating the world of literary publishing with confidence and joy. Before reading How to Submit, I focused on sending completed novels to literary agents or publisher who accepted unagented submissions, but this book showed me there are other options that I was completely overlooking. Yay!

I have several short stories on my could drive that I thought I might one day compile into a short story collection, but reading How to Submit made me realize I can polish those stories and start submitting them any time! By submitting only novels I had written, I was missing out on so many more opportunities.

Sweeney demystifies the submission process with clarity and encouragement, making this book an invaluable resource for both beginners and seasoned writers alike. His approach is refreshingly writer-centric, emphasizing the importance of community, persistence, and personal agency in the publishing journey. Rather than treating submissions as a grueling necessity, he reframes them as an empowering step toward sharing one’s voice with the world.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its accessibility. Sweeney provides actionable advice for submitting short stories, essays, and poems to literary magazines, while also offering insights for writers looking to publish full-length books. He walks readers through everything from researching the right publications to handling rejection with resilience. The book is not just a technical guide—it’s also a manifesto for cultivating a healthy, fulfilling relationship with publishing.

For anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the submission process or disheartened by rejection, How to Submit is a must-read. It’s more than just a handbook; it’s a companion, reminding writers that publishing is not just about getting their work out into the world—it’s about finding the right home for their words and enjoying the journey along the way. Highly recommended!

I’m so excited to have read this book and discovered a new way of considering submissions. Thank you, Dennis!

More About How to Submit

How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses is a foundational guide for writers looking to build both a publishing career and a sense of literary community. In clear, encouraging language, Sweeney provides insights into every aspect of the submission process:

Building a Submission Strategy: Learn how to choose where to submit and whether to enter contests.
Crafting a Standout Cover Letter: Get tips on creating a professional cover letter and turning rejections into learning experiences.
Managing Wait Times and Payment: Understand timelines and financial considerations for publishing with small presses.
Building Connections: Discover ways to make meaningful connections with editors and fellow writers and find community in the publishing process.

Sweeney offers a realistic yet inspiring roadmap, showing writers how submitting their work can give back to their writing while fueling their careers. Whether you're just starting your writing journey or looking to deepen your engagement with publishing, How to Submit provides the essential guidance for a rewarding publication journey.

If you are trying to remind yourself why to send out your writing, this book will encourage you to continue. How to Submit is not just a practical guide. It is also an argument for the vitality, excitement, and expansiveness of submitting your work. Submitting can be a grind at times, so it’s essential to remember the passion that editors, writers, and readers put into cocreating the literary world. This book is meant to remind you of this passion and to allow it to inspire you.

More About Dennis James Sweeney

Dennis James Sweeney is a cross-genre writer and poet whose work spans fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including In the Antarctic Circle, which won the Autumn House Rising Writer Prize and was featured as a Debut Poetry Book of 2021 in Poets & Writers. His second book, You’re the Woods Too, became a Small Press Distribution bestseller and was a Deborah Tall Lyric Essay Prize finalist. His most recent work, the Rolodex Happenings won the Stillhouse Press Novella Prize. Sweeney has also published several chapbooks that further showcase his diverse talent.

Sweeney’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, Ecotone, The Southern Review, Ninth Letter, and Witness, which often explores themes of nature, identity, and collective experience. His commitment to the literary community is evident in his previous role as a Small Press Editor at Entropy, where he curated the popular “Where to Submit” list, a widely used resource for writers. He also served as Assistant Editor at Denver Quarterly, bringing his expertise to emerging and established voices.

A recipient of residencies from the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, I-Park Foundation, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Sweeney has received a Fulbright grant to Malta and holds an MFA from Oregon State University and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. He currently teaches at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he lives.

With his new book, How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published with Literary Magazines and Small Presses, Sweeney offers an invaluable guide for writers eager to build a literary career on their own terms. Drawing from his extensive experience as a writer, editor, and educator, Sweeney presents a supportive, community-driven approach to publishing that resonates with writers across genres and experience levels. His new book encourages writers to find joy in the submission process, turning what can feel like an isolated activity into an empowering act of creativity and connection.

Here’s where you can find Dennis online:

Website: dennisjamessweeney.com

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