How to Submit to a Fantasy Periodical / Magazine

ALWAYS READ THE SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES...

For each fantasy periodical, magazine, journal, etc they have their own set of rules of what is expected. Read it. Follow the instructions in the submission guidelines.

You will notice below that there are exceptions to the guidelines. Not every periodical is using the same system and they each have their preferences. There is no set standard any more. Their instructions should always override anything you have ever read from any other website, including what you read here.

Many editors won't even read your submission unless you followed their submission guidelines exactly.

1. Submission must be typewritten.
   
2. Use 12 point font. Times New Romans or Courier. These are the most commonly used. Use the same font for everything.
3. Always use black text on a white background.
4. If you are submitting a paper copy via snail mail only use paper of good-quality and only print on one side.
5. If you are submitting a paper copy via snail mail then don’t staple your pages, use paper clips, etc. Do not fold any papers and avoid wrinkling it.
   
6. Title Page: Put your real first and last name and all contact information (address, e-mail, and phone) at the top left hand corner of the first page.
7. Title Page: Some magazines also like you to put the word count at the top right corner. Check the individual magazine to see what they prefer.
   
8. Title Page: Half-way down the title page, center the title of your story in all caps. Beneath the title add "By 'Author Name'". If you are using a pen name or pseudonym this is where you include your pen name. Remember your real name must be at the top left hand corner of the title page.
9. Start your story on a new line immediately 1 or 2 lines beneath your name/pen name.
10. Indent every line of the story.
    
11. Some magazines prefer you put your name and title at the top header of every page.
12. Number every page. Some prefer the numbers to be centered, some prefer the page numbers to be right justified. When in doubt check.
    
13. Some magazines like you to include your name, the title and page numbers at the bottom of every page. It really varies on the magazine so check to see what they expect to see.
14. Left-justify your paragraphs. This will make the right edges look "ragged" or "jagged", but this is what the editors expect to see.
15. Double space all of the story, but not the contact information on the title page.
    
16. Single spacing between sentences is considered normal these days and many editors prefer it that way.
    
17. Page margin should always be 1-inch all around, although some editors don't care.
    
18. Some editors prefer extra space between paragraphs. Some prefer no extra space. Some don't care. It really varies. There is no standard for this any more.
19. If there is a scene break use a blank line then put a centered hashtag (#), then another blank line. No indentation for the hashtag.
    
20. Never use italics or bold text. There is some argument about this regarding "psychic communication" or people saying "magical words", but if you really want to emphasize a bit of text then use an underline. However doing this is considered unnecessary as you should not have to rely on formatting as a crutch for your writing to stand out.
21. You don't need to include "The End" at the end, but if you feel you must then center the word ‘End’ or ‘The End’ on its own line. Some people do this to make it clear the story is truly over and hasn't been cut off. Some editors don't like having "The End" there. Some prefer it. If they didn't specify then it doesn't really matter.
22. Remember to include a short (usually 1 paragraph) biography about the author at the very end of the document.