Gatekeepers, Scams and Submission Guidelines: Tools Every Writer Should Know About

By Laura DeHart YoungPosted: August 23, 2025

If you’re a writer submitting to literary magazines or small presses, you already know the landscape is wild—sometimes beautiful, sometimes brutal. And in that chaos, a solid set of tools can mean the difference between finding a good home for your work… or getting burned by a glossy scam press with a team made of stock photos. Some of these tools cost money. Many don’t. I’m fortunate enough to afford subscriptions that help me research, track, and plan my submissions. But I also believe in paying that forward—because every writer deserves access to solid footing, not just those with a credit card.

Here’s a breakdown of the tools I use (or recommend), what they’re good for, and whether they’ll cost you anything but time.

🆓 Free Tools Every Writer Should Know

·       • Writer Beware: https://writerbeware.blog/

Victoria Strauss’s watchdog blog is essential reading. Investigative posts expose scam publishers, shady agents, and vanity presses hiding behind slick branding. If something feels off, start here.

·       • Absolute Write Water Cooler: https://absolutewrite.com/forums/

Old-school forum, but still a goldmine of firsthand accounts on presses, lit mags, agents, and publishing experiences. Use the search function.

·       • Chill Subs (Free Version): https://www.chillsubs.com/

A bright, friendly interface for researching lit mags. The free version gives you magazine profiles, submission windows, and theme calls.

·       • New Pages: https://www.newpages.com/

Lists new literary magazine issues, calls for submissions, and contests. Slightly dated UI, but still reliable.

·       • Reddit’s /r/publishing and /r/selfpublish: https://www.reddit.com/r/publishing/

Take with a grain of salt, but you’ll often find real-time chatter on problematic presses and first-person advice.

·       • Google Search:

Search: "[Press Name] + scam", "[Lit Mag] + complaints", or "writer beware [press]". It’s surprising how much pops up.

💵 Low-Cost, High-Value Resources

·       • Lit Mag News by Becky Tuch: https://beckytuch.substack.com/

Free newsletter with paid tiers. Highlights contests, inclusive lit mags, and calls for underrepresented writers.

·       • Sub Club: https://thesubclub.substack.com/

Free digest of open lit mags and chapbook presses, with a reasonably priced paid tier that unlocks curated lists, response data, and more.

💰 Paid Tools That Pull Their Weight

·       • Duotrope: https://duotrope.com/

$50/year. Detailed listings, response times, acceptance rates.

·       • Chill Subs Pro: https://www.chillsubs.com/

~$35/year. Adds tracking, alerts, and mood/tag searches.

·       • Sub Club Premium: https://thesubclub.substack.com/

$5/month. Personalized picks and deeper data.

·       • Poets & Writers Submission Tracker: https://www.pw.org/

Free with account. Helps track submissions.

🧨 Quick Red Flags to Watch For

·       • They offer you a contract out of the blue—without ever seeing your manuscript.

·       • They want you to pay—for editing, publishing, or marketing.

·       • Their website features fake staff or sketchy bios (reverse-image search is your friend).

·       • They make sweeping promises: "You'll be the next bestseller!"

·       • They dodge contract questions or won't explain royalty terms in plain language.

·       • You can’t find any third-party reviews from real authors online.

🔄 Final Thoughts

Not everyone can afford all the tools. But if you can, please use them responsibly—and share what you find. One writer’s quiet research can spare another from a devastating experience. The publishing world needs more transparency, not less.So keep your eyes open, your contracts read, and your community close.And if something smells fishy? Say so. Loudly.