Your path to acceptance starts sept. 1
Submission: SENT!
A Submission Opening Day Workshop.
This Labor Day, we’re working on our labor of love — getting our words and stories out into the world.
You’ll get a live workshop of your first lines, have fellow writers to proofread your submission letters, and leave feeling that sense of pride, having clicked Send on your submissions.
Bonus! Sign up by Friday, August 15 to get a bonus edit of a piece up to 2,500 words.
Limited to 20 writers! Enrollment opens Monday, Aug. 11.
Click the cart in the top right to check out.
September 1st is Opening Day for most lit mags. This Year, You’re Submitting.
September 1st marks the start of submission season, the day most literary magazines open their doors to new work. Some fill their quotas quickly and close within days.
This year, don’t miss your chance.
Let’s get your piece polished, your query letter written, and your submission SENT!
Why This Time Will Be Different
Most writers never hit send because of imposter syndrome, perfectionism, or plain old overwhelm. At Submission SENT!, we fix that in one afternoon:
You’ll know how to choose where to submit.
You’ll get feedback before you send.
You’ll submit in real time with a supportive crew.
You’ll leave with a system to track every submission.
You’ll Walk Away With
A polished piece that’s ready to submit
A better understanding of the submission process
A workshopped first paragraph
A polished piece proofread by a fellow attendee
Submissions sent and out the door
A new system for tracking submissions
The confidence of knowing that this time, you showed up
Let’s do it together.
Lit Mags opening Sept. 1:
AGNI
Brevity
Fourth Genre
Hippocampus Magazine
The Journal
Kenyon Review
Ninth Letter
Prairie Schooner
River Teeth
and more!
Get your seat here!
(Click the cart in the top right to check out.)
Why So Many Writers Never Hit “Send” — And Why That Ends Here
Submitting to literary magazines sounds simple — polish your piece, write a letter, send it off.
But in reality, most writers get stuck long before the submit button.
Maybe you…
Second-guess whether your piece is really ready.
Spend hours hunting down the right editor’s name and give up.
Can’t decide which publications to target.
Worry you’ll send to the wrong person, with the wrong file, and blow your shot.
Freeze at the thought of that quiet, empty inbox after you’ve poured your heart into a submission.
And if you do send it, keeping track of where it went, when you sent it, and when to follow up can feel like its own full-time job.
That’s why Submission SENT! is designed as your one-day submission accelerator:
We tackle the decision fatigue and second-guessing in real time, together.
You’ll know exactly where you’re sending and why.
You’ll have another writer’s eyes on your letter before it goes.
You’ll leave with a proven system (The Writer’s Mission Control Center — yours for life) to track every submission from this day forward.
By the end of the day, you won’t just be thinking about submitting.
You’ll have done it. And you’ll know exactly how to do it again.
Here’s what You’ll Do that Day
Start with a meditation and final editing
You’re invited to join us early at 10 a.m. ET for A Very Important Meeting, where you’ll get a short meditation and 45 minutes to take one last look at your piece.
learn how literary magazines actually work
You’ll get a 60-minute class on the process of applying to literary magazines, from how they accept work to tracking your submissions. Confidence = boosted.
upgrade (or start) your submission tracking
We’ll give a demo of The Writer’s Mission Control Center, your all-in-one tracking system to keep everything straight. A free subscription is even included!
First paragraph workshop
You’ll share your first paragraph for a workshop in the group, where we’ll make sure it’s 100% there. You’ll have time to zhush it and take it up a notch!
One last proofread exchange
You’ll be paired with a fellow writer who will give you one last look-over and make sure that everything is perfect for your submission.
Submission session with a buddy
When it’s time to submit, you’ll work with your buddy to have a second pair of eyes on each of your query letters, making sure you have the right editor’s name!
Our Agenda
All times in EST.
10 a.m. - Join A Very Important Meeting to start the day off with a meditation and 45 minutes of editing time to have a final look on your piece.
11:30 a.m. – Welcome & orientation. Set your intention for the day and get to know your fellow submitters.
11:45 a.m. – Submission strategy session. Learn how to choose the right literary magazines, interpret guidelines, and track your submissions in The Writer’s Mission Control Center.
12:45 p.m. – First paragraph workshop. Watch live edits of participant openings and learn how to sharpen your hook for maximum impact.
1:30 p.m. – Peer proofreading and submission letter writing. Pair up for a final proofread and get your cover letter polished with expert guidance.
2:30 p.m. – Submission party. Finalize your documents and hit send — for real. Experience the joy of completing the process, together. You’ll be paired with a fellow writer to have one last set of eyes on the letter before you send it!
3:30 p.m. – Workshop celebration and our time comes to a close.
Meet Your Guide
Author of two essays that have gone viral to more than two million readers each.
+ BlogHer Voices of the Year award winner.
+ Anthologized along with work by Roxane Gay, Ashley C. Ford, Mindy Kaling, and Audre Lorde.
+ Nominated for Best of the Net.
+ Included in round-ups from Memoir Monday.
+ Contributor to a 2021 Washington State Book Award-winning anthology.
+ Coach to 100+ writers.
WITH PERSONAL ESSAYS IN:
Online writing coaching
Frequently Asked Questions
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You're probably closer than you think. This workshop helps you level up your submission strategy and stay in the game with tools, support, and renewed clarity.
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Right here. Many of our writers are just beginning to share their work. We’ll support you with confidence-building, clear strategy, and publishing guidance.
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To keep things focused, we’ll workshop just one piece per person. But the tools you learn — especially in the first paragraph session — can be applied to everything you write.
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That’s totally fine. This workshop is designed so you can drop in for the sessions that will help you most. Stay for the full day, or come for just the parts you need — like the first paragraph workshop, peer proofreading, or submission party. If you’re already familiar with The Writer’s Mission Control Center, you can skip the demo. You do you.
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Yes! If you’re currently enrolled in uThe Finishing School, this worksuhop is already included in your program. No need to register separately — just check the calendar.
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Register by Friday, August 15th to get the early bird bonus: up to 2,500 words personally edited by Paulette before the workshop. After that, the bonus disappears, but you can still join the live event!
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This workshop is geared toward creative nonfiction and personal essays — especially pieces you'd submit to literary magazines. If you write short memoir, flash nonfiction, or hybrid work, you’re in the right place.
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Only if you want to! You can opt in to the first paragraph workshop or choose to listen and learn from others. You’ll also be paired with a proofreader for one-on-one peer review.
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Perfect. This workshop is designed to guide you step-by-step. You'll learn how to write a submission letter, choose the right publications, and track everything moving forward.
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Just of the submission primer lecture — the rest is a live, one-day event focused on real-time feedback and momentum. That said, you’ll receive a resource list and lifetime access to the Writer’s Mission Control Center so you can keep submitting long after the workshop ends.
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It’s your new submission tracker, idea bank, project planner, and progress log — all in one beautifully organized digital workspace. You’ll get a lifetime subscription, and we’ll show you how to use it.
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You just need a solid draft to work with. You’ll refine it during the day, and if you’re not ready to submit by the end, you’ll still leave with momentum, edits, and a clear plan.
Join us here!
Click the cart in the top right to check out.