Lets get this out of the way: Poetry aint going to pay the bills.

(Unless youre Terrance Hayes, maybe.)

And that goes for all creative writing.

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Aileen Perilla/The Penny Hoarder

Theres a market for it, if you know where to look.

Jerrod Schwarz occasionally contributes to Hopkinsons blog but mostly uses it to find paying literary publications.

He is managing editor ofDriftwood Press Literary Magazineand a creative writing instructor at the University of Tampa.

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Both Hopkinson and Schwarz shared advice with The Penny Hoarder on how to get paid as a creative writer.

Receiving feedback on your pride and joy is one of the most difficult things about the creative process.

But the sharing part is just as important as the writing part.

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No Interest Til Almost 2027?

She said that there are plenty of opportunities to share your work, including Facebook groups.

You gain so much more sharing with other writers and helping other writers.

You really cant read enough.

Getting Set Up

The creative writing world runs on Submittable.

If you dont have an account, Schwarz suggests starting here.

Creating an account iseasy and free.

I use Submittable at least every day.

Im on Submittable constantly, Schwarz said.

Its what any magazine on the literary side uses.

Accounts start at $5 a month, or $50 for a year.

It is a paid resource, but its certainly worth having if youre starting out,he said.

That contact information is extremely useful.

Submittable offers a cover letter section attached to each writing submission.

Thats a good place to get personable, Schwarz said.

Managing Expectations

Be prepared to submit.

Some submissions wont ever get read.

Some might take months for a response.

But the vast majority will gasp be rejected.

Rejection is another crucial part of the creative writing process.

It happens to everyone.

Rejections can be hard, but in most cases theyre brief and kind of canned, Hopkinson said.

I have one particular poem that was rejected 31 times before it was published.

Schwarz echoed the same idea.

He said that hes been denied hundreds of times.

Rejection never means failure, Schwarz said.

A rejection isnt a dismissal of your work; its always an opportunity to make your work better.

He recommends following up after a rejection to ask about ways to improve.

As an editor, we like to talk about writing a lot, he said.

Youd be surprised with how many editors are willing to share that kind of information.

You ran it by some friends and maybe even a creative writing group.

And you created your Submittable account.

Both Schwarz and Hopkinson highly recommend doing a little homework before submitting.

Spend a little time with the literary mags youre interested in applying to, Hopkinson said.

Get a feel for their aesthetic, read a couple of pieces, look through a couple issues.

Submission guidelines are also extremely important to follow.Each publication is slightly different.

Hopkinson said there are enough reasons to get rejected as it is.

You dont want your work rejected based on a technicality, she said.

Catapult

Description:Catapult is an independent print and online publication.

Its website offers a host of resources for emerging writers, including creative writing classes and workshops.

Accepting:Primarily narrative nonfiction lyric essays, personal essays and reportage (500-6,000 words).

The journal publishes nearly all forms of creative writing as well as visual art.

For a suggested donation of $10, editors will give tailored feedback on submissions, too.

In-person workshops and community programs are available in Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. and New York.

Accepting:Poetry, prose, reviews and visual arts.

Its notable for an extremely fast response time, typically within seven days of submission.

Pro-tip:An interviewwith the founder shows a heavy preference for poems that are abstract and image-heavy.

Though based in Hawaii, its name is derived from a Bengali word meaning tale.

The publication offers several monthly virtual workshops and lectures.

Accepting:Poetry, prose and cross-genre writing.

Though not a magazine per se, it does offer a weekly poetry contest with deadlines every Sunday.

Contests are for members only, butmaking an accounton its website is completely free.

How to submit:Create an account to submit to an active weekly contest.

Website:https://www.poetrynook.com/

Serial

Description:Serial dubs itself a pulp fiction magazine.

New to the market, its looking for genre fiction submissions for its inaugural print issue due January 2019.

From there, Serial plans to publish every other week.

Accepting:Any and all genre fiction (500 to 10,000 words).

With a mission to spark lifelong passion for reading, Zizzle is primarily focused on fiction for young adults.

Accepting:Young adult fiction (500 to 1,200 words).

How to submit:Directly through the website

Website:https://www.zizzlelit.com.

Adam Hardy is an editorial assistant at The Penny Hoarder.

He recommends patience when submitting.

His Submittable account still has several pending submissions from years past.

Read hisfull bio here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.

It sounds appealing right?

Check it out here!