Saturday, September 19, 2026 Women Who Submit (WWS) hosts our 13th annual SUBMIT 1 Submission Drive. This marks the one day a year we encourage women and nonbinary writers across the globe to submit to tier one journals as one community.
As an act of solidarity, SUBMIT 1 dares to connect marginalized writers to top tier editors and publishers, widening the spectrum of voices reaching audiences and influencing arts and culture across the world. And you can be a part of the movement!
This year, thanks to a grant from WeHo Arts and the City of West Hollywood, WWS-LA and WWS-West LA are collaborating on an in-person meet up at Fan Girl Cafe from 10am-1pm and an online meetup (time TBD). Register to join!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
1. Before September 19th, study this list of “Top Ranked Journals of 2026” with current open calls to find a good fit for your work. BE SURE TO READ AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES.
2. On September 19th, submit your writing to at least one tier one magazine from wherever you are in the world at any time of day.
3. Join one of the following SUBMIT 1 Meetups to submit as a community:
***BE SURE TO CHECK TIME ZONES***
WWS-Los Angeles & WWS-West LA
Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10am-1pm Pacific
Fan Girl Cafe
8157 Santa Monica Blvd Ste A, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Hosted by Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo and Nicole Evans
Register: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/submit-1-submission-drive
WWS-Los Angeles & WWS-West LA
Saturday, September 19, 2026, time is TBD
On Zoom
Hosted by Jasmine Vallejo-Love
Register: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/submit-1-submission-drive
WWS-San Antonio, Texas
Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10am-1pm Central
Central Market at 38th Street
4821 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
Contact: ramona.reeves@gmail.com
WWS-New England
Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10am-12pm Eastern
Virtual
Contact: vlherman@gmail.com
***For more meetups in your area, check back over the month, or check in with your Chapter Lead.
4. Tag @WomenWhoSubmit on Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #SUBMIT1, to share when you’ve submitted, so we can celebrate with you!
5. After submitting, log your submissions with THIS FORM to help WWS track how many submissions were sent out as a community.
6. Consider donating to WWS to support more women and nonbinary writers submitting their work for publication.
HOW TO PREPARE A SUBMISSION:
READ AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES: It may sound obvious, but editors can receive thousands of submissions a year. If you don’t follow their guidelines, they won’t bother with reading your work and automatically reject it. Don’t make it easy for them!
READ A SAMPLE OF THE JOURNAL: All journals ask that submitters read the journal before submitting. You don’t have to read the whole journal or even more than one, but do read a few sample pieces in the genre you’re submitting in to see how your work may fit in.
PERSONALIZE YOUR COVER LETTER: Address your letter to the genre editor by name and be sure to include a sentence that details something you like about the journal, a previously published piece, or how you see your work fitting in. This will show you’ve read ahead of time and you’re choosing them specifically. For more on cover letters, check out this article from Adroit Journal.
CHOOSE A PIECE YOU LOVE: If you want your writing to stand out to readers and editors, make sure it’s a piece of writing you’re excited to share or something you feel must be shared. You can’t expect others to love something you’re only lukewarm about.
GIVE IT TO A READER: Before submitting, see if you can exchange pages with a friend for notes and then revise it to the best of your ability. No writing will ever be perfect, but a second set of eyes can do wonders. Finally, make sure to read it aloud to catch any errors before hitting send.
SUBMISSION RESOURCES:
Thanks to a grant from WeHo Arts, WWS recently hosted the “Pitching in a Fishbowl” workshop with Jade Chang. Jade shared many tips and tools for crafting a compelling pitch. This workshop is best for creative nonfiction writers pitching stories to magazines.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT:
If you are a WWS member, either locally in Los Angeles or with a WWS Chapter, you are invited to apply for financial support through the Ashaki M. Jackson No Barriers Regrant. WWS members can request between $20 – $100 to be used toward their submission fees for SUBMIT 1 and other submission goals during the month of September. Applications are due September 16th.
To request an application form, email admin@womenwhosubmitlit.org.
WWS HISTORY:
Inspired by the 2009 VIDA Count from VIDA, Women in Literary Arts, which published quantitative evidence illustrating the dearth of women’s voices in top tier publications, Women Who Submit was founded in 2011 to empower women writers to submit work for publication and help change those numbers. In September 2014, a group of writers gathered at Hermosillo Bar in Highland Park, CA for a day of beers, cheers, and literary submissions. It was the first time we called on our WWS community to submit to tier-one literary journals en masse as a nod to the original VIDA Count. SUBMIT 1 continues today as an annual event and call to action for equity and wider representation in publishing with submission drives hosted at public places across Los Angeles. From 2020-2023, we moved our annual gathering to the @WomenWhoSubmit Instagram, but we’re excited to continue the tradition of gathering in public places to share our work and our joy as one community.
