How to Submit a Poem or Short Story Without Email or Snail Mail?

Someone sent me an email today (among the 500 or 600 hundred) asking how can they submit a poem or short story without using email or snail mail. I thought it was a very good question,and to me it sounded like a riddle. It sounded like that joke Two Cannibals are eating a clown. One cannibal say to the other cannibal, “Does this taste funny?” I loved that joke. I wrote a poem about it once. My father told it to me, and I’ve never found the real author.

Anyway, really cannibals and clowns have nothing to do with submissions systems, but whatever. There are 2 ways to submit a poem or short story without using email or snail mail (only two that I know). There was only one way, but we just invited a second one, so this article is a sneaky way to digress a lot, with an unrelated joke, and also toot our own horns.

Submission systems

Websites have had submission systems for a few years now. Sites like Glimmer Train use them. You have to sign up, and then you can submit your work. Some sites charge for this kind of thing. They have the draw back of only one magazine being able to see your work.

The EWR System

The second way to submit your work without using email or snail mail is to sign up with EWR: Literary Magazines: https://www.everywritersresource.com/literarymagazines/login/ (the registration button is small right now, I don’t know why, we are working on it). Anyway, sign up as a writer and then submit your work.

The best thing about this system is that lots of editors from many different magazines get to see your work. Yes we have editors who are interested, and who are even publishing some of the work submitted to the site. They sign up so they can edit their listings on our site. The submissions system is a bonus to them.

You should also know that only editors can see your work. Other writers cannot see the work submitted. Once you submit your work, that’s it, you can’t edit it. Also, it only stays on the site a month. Don’t worry though, you can submit new work every month.

Also, WE ARE NOT SELLING anything. People are so skeptical these days. The system is FREE, and we are not selling anything. Some day if we find something cool to sell you, I’ll let you know. As of right now, nada.

Anyway, this answers that age old riddle how do you submit a poem or short story without sending it by email or snail mail. You could hand deliver them, but most literary magazine editors aren’t crazy about you showing up at their houses or offices. This is also known as stalking and should be avoided. Don’t be a stalker, use the EWR: Literary Magazine submission system: https://www.everywritersresource.com/literarymagazines/login/ Sign up today!

It’s really simple:

This is Ernest

Do you see that Ernest has a name tag that says “Writer?” He is also unhappy. Do you see that he is unhappy? He is unhappy because he cannot find an editor to publish his work.

This is Ed:

This is Ed. He is the editor of a literary magazine. He cannot find quality submissions. He also has some problems with viruses clogging up his email every time one of the writers that he calls “Stalker” spams him with 20 submissions. He doesn’t like life right now. Can you see that Ed is unhappy?

This is EWR: Literary Magazine Submissions System:

EWR: Literary Magazine Submissions is on the computer. The computer isn’t really happy or unhappy here. This is an old computer and it hasn’t been coded with emotions yet, but you get the point.

Here is what happens when Ed and Ernest find EWR: Literary Magazines submissions:

Now see even though Ernest and Ed have lost their bodies and are now just floating heads they are still happy!!! Ed isn’t being spammed by the “Stalker,” and Ernest got to publish his short story! They are both happy. Can you see they are happy? So, be like Ed and Ernest. Sign up with EWR: https://www.everywritersresource.com/literarymagazines/login/ and be a happy writer/editor floating head! It’s easy.

Author
Recent Posts

Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) is the founder of EveryWriter and a 25-year veteran of the publishing industry. With degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology, and Education, Richard has dedicated two decades to teaching writing and literature while championing emerging voices through EveryWriter's platform. His work focuses on making literary analysis accessible to readers at all levels while preserving the rich heritage of American literature. Connect with Richard on Twitter Bluesky Facebook or explore opportunities to share your own work on ourSubmissions page. For monthly insights on writing and publishing, subscribe to our Newsletter.