How to Submit to Literally Literary
We publish in four places, and each one has its own door. Please tell us which door you're knocking on. Unmarked submissions may be delayed.
Step 1: Pick Your Venue
📖 Medium Publication (online, weekly)
Free. Submissions happen inside Medium, not by email.
• New to LL? Email us to request writer access. Include a link to your Medium profile and a short writing sample.
• Already a writer? Open your draft, click "…" next to Publish, and choose "Add to publication."
• Our monthly digital issue draws only from pieces published on Medium, and every Medium piece is also considered for the Literally Literary Review and our yearly anthology.
📰 Literally Literary Review (print, twice a year)
Free. Spring and fall issues. Submit by website HERE
📚 Yearly Anthology (direct submission)
$3 per piece; multiple pieces welcome. Submit through our Anthology Submissions page. Every piece is read and evaluated. If it isn't right for the anthology, it may be considered for the Literally Literary Review instead.
✏️ Young Writers Initiative (ages 8–18)
Free. Submit by email, or have a parent or teacher submit for you. Include the writer's age or grade. Writers under 16 need parent or guardian consent by email before we publish.
Step 2: Format Your File
Send each piece as a Word document (.docx), named:
Last Name, First Name, Title, Genre
Example: Doe, Jane, Salt Year, Poetry.docx
Step 3: Label Your Email
Use this subject line format, every time:
VENUE – Genre – Title – Your Name
Examples:
• REVIEW – Poetry – "Salt Year" – Jane Doe
• YOUNG WRITERS – Fiction – "The Lighthouse Cat" – Sam R., age 12
• WRITER REQUEST – Medium – Jane Doe
One submission per email, please. If you're sending three poems to the Review, that's one email with three attached documents, not three emails.
Step 4: Read the Fine Print
All venues follow our full Submission Guidelines on Medium, including:
• Human-written only. No AI-generated work, ever. You MAY use AI for a soft edit if you like, but the creation, idea, initial words all must be yours.
• Original and unpublished unless you've cleared it with an editor first. To do so email us.
• No explicit sexual content, graphic violence, or pieces focused on politics, proselytizing, racism, or sexism. Difficult subjects handled with care are welcome.
• You keep full ownership of your work. We'll always ask before anything goes to print.
Send everything to: literallyliterary2.0@gmail.com
Literature, without the pretense.