Some people write for fun or with therapeutic purpose and have no interest in finding an audience. You can call yourself a writer without being a professional writer, and to write for yourself is a completely valid endeavor. Many writers do want an audience, however, and this page will feature resources related to getting your work published.

Poets & Writers | pw.org

As the nation’s largest creative writing nonprofit, Poets & Writers has a lot to offer, and if you aren’t familiar with their website, the Tools for Writers page is a great place to start.

My favorite resource is their database of lit mags, which you can search by keyword or filter in a number of ways, including genre, payment, format, circulation, and whether or not they accept simultaneous submissions. With countless literary journals out there, P&W makes it a cinch for you to discover and get to know those that would be a good fit for publishing your writing.

The tools page boasts a lot of other great databases too, including small presses, contests, and agents—even MFA programs and writing prompts. (If you are considering apply to MFA programs, check out my “FAQ: MFA or nay?” post.)

Explore the rest of the Poets & Writers site to find forums, a directory of authors, and more.