Last year, I realized my submission process was extremely inefficient. I’d write an essay or short story and then begin searching for somewhere to submit it. It was a time-consuming process that meant I could spend up to two hours researching markets just to submit to one or two publications.

Although I subscribe to newsletters like FundsforWriters and The Practicing Writer, I often get behind in reading them, which means I miss important submission deadlines. Also, because some magazines limit the number of submissions, if I don’t send to those within the first couple of days after they open submission portals, I have to wait until their next reading cycles.

To address these issues, I switched my process to something closer to an old-fashioned “tickler file” system. In the era before digital calendars sent reminders, a “tickler file” system consisted of folders where you’d put letters that needed to be sent that month, bills that needed to be paid, and other such timed tasks. When the month started, you opened the folder and “tickled” your memory about what needed to be done that month.

Using a Tickler File System

For my new system, I created one Word document for each month. Each document features a bullet point list of markets that have opening dates for submission windows during that month. When I read about a magazine I want to send my writing to, I add it to the Word document list for the month in which its reading period opens.

Next to each publication name, I write the exact date it starts accepting submissions, whether there is a limit to the number of submissions it accepts, and which genre (or genres) the editors are accepting. Some markets have multiple reading windows during the year, so it’s important to note which genres are being read in each period. For example, The Rumpus is open to submissions of essays in June, July, and October, and is open to poetry only in August.

A few days before the start of the month, I print out that month’s list of publications that will open their reading periods and hang this document on the bulletin board at my desk. I’ll also write down which of my writings I want to send to each market. This means I’m ready to go on the first of the month – when I sit down at my computer, I have my list in front of me showing exactly which publications to send to, what to send them, and when. As I submit, I cross those publications off the list with a pen.

I leave the list on the bulletin board so I can see at a glance any reading periods that open later in the month. Once I’ve submitted to all the publications on that list, I take it down to make space for the next month’s list.

Alternatively, for those preferring technology, you could use apps like Asana or Evernote to create tasks and assign due dates to receive alerts when specific publications open their reading windows. Another option is to use your smartphone calendar to add reminders about upcoming reading periods.

Preventing Duplicate Submissions

I use an Excel spreadsheet to track which pieces I’ve submitted, where they were sent, the date sent, and the date I heard back from the publication. Before I submit any piece of writing, I check whether I’ve previously sent it to the magazine or if I already have something else under consideration there. This prevents me from sending the same essay or story to a market that’s already declined it and eliminates the risk of violating a journal’s rule against multiple submissions.

With this process, I spend far less time searching for publications that are open to submissions. I can see on my monthly Word document the specific dates on which I need to submit my writing, leaving the rest of the days open for me to write.

BIO: Bernadette Geyer is the author of The Scabbard of Her Throat and editor of My Cruel Invention: A Contemporary Poetry Anthology. Her writings have appeared in Oxford American, Bennington Review, Oh Reader, Westerly, and elsewhere. Her second full-length poetry collection is forthcoming from April Gloaming Publishing in October 2025. https://bernadettegeyer.com/