Literary magazines are one of the greatest tools available to new artists and writers. Reading constantly is often touted by seasoned writers as an essential habit for aspiring writers; if you’re seeking to hone your poetry, short fiction, or essay-writing skills, literary magazines can be an incredibly valuable source of guidance and inspiration. If you’ve found a publication that feels like a perfect fit for your own work, you may have even indulged the impulse to read every single back issue you could get your hands on – and that’s a great way to help improve your work if you’re hoping to give it just the right tone and vibe for a particular publication.
If you’ve ever read through a literary magazine – either in print or online – you may have noticed a small author/artist bio at the end of the story. These bios often list other publications in which the author’s work has appeared, any degrees or awards that they’ve earned, and any other affiliations they can boast. If you’ve ever submitted a piece of art or writing to a literary magazine, you’ve possibly encountered the part of the submission that asks for your bio, byline, and previous publishing credits.
If it’s your first time submitting, this can be quite intimidating! (Also: WAY TO GO!)
Many literary magazines pride themselves in discovering new artists and writers and in being the first to publish them; indeed, some even include the search for brand new voices as part of their literary mission. Even more literary magazines will likely assure you that your publishing history doesn’t impact your chances of being accepted – and yet, it never hurts to demonstrate the progress you’ve made as a writer or artist and the efforts you’ve previously put in to polishing and publishing your work.
As a student at Portland State, you’ve got the opportunity to start strengthening your credentials right now. We’re fortunate enough to have a student-only literary magazine on campus – and Pathos is unceasingly eager to help our student peers to build their skills and their portfolios, and to be the very first publishing credit you list when you submit your work off campus.
Submit your work for consideration in the Pathos Winter Issue via our submission portal before Friday Feb. 12 – that’s NEXT FRIDAY!
