Canada has a large selection of literary magazines and journals. Before submitting a story to any of them, it is important to know which magazines or journals will best fit your story: both in terms of the publication’s content and its general audience. Selecting an appropriate source for submitting your story will raise your chances of success.

The most effective way to become acquainted with literary magazines and journals is to visit a library, magazine store, or bookstore. Most libraries, magazine stores, and bookstores have a literary magazine/journal section. Read through the sources and make note of the types of writing they publish. Also make note of the audience the publications are directed at. If the audience you are writing for is a specific demographic, try to select a publication that is read by a similar group.

Keep in mind that there are also magazines outside of the literary genre that publish short stories. Browse through a variety of magazines to find out what these may be.

Once you have selected a publication to submit to, you will need to find the submission guidelines. Most publications have these listed inside, or posted on their websites. Before making multiple submissions (submitting to more than one magazine), check with the publication to ensure they will accept a multiple submission, and be sure to mention in your cover letter that you are making a multiple submission. You may have to wait between three and six months before hearing back from the magazine or journal you have submitted to.

Good luck!