Meet My New BFF (Best Feedback Friend)
How AI Streamlines My Publication Selection and Submission Process
Introduction:
If you’ve ever submitted an essay or story to a publication, you know how overwhelming it can be. Just recently, I stumbled across a stack of old submission letters from literary magazines—dusty remnants of my writing life from 20 years ago. The sight alone made me shudder. I remembered the hours spent researching outlets, poring over submission guidelines, and tailoring my work, only to realize there was still so much left to do after finishing the masterpiece. If you actually want people to read your work, the post-writing grind can feel like a full-time job.
But what if I told you that ChatGPT has become my new Best Feedback Friend (BFF), helping me streamline this entire process? Not only has it helped me polish my work, but it’s also taken the stress out of selecting and targeting multiple publications. In this post, I’ll show you how ChatGPT is making the submission process smoother, faster, and—dare I say it—a lot more enjoyable.
Section 1: Expanding My Publication Reach With ChatGPT
The first step in submitting an essay or story is figuring out where to send it. For me, that used to be a massive time-suck. I’d spend hours searching for publications that aligned with my theme, tone, and style. I’d make a list, visit their websites, review the submission guidelines (think: word counts, topics, deadlines), and then—utterly exhausted—often stop there, too drained to actually submit anything. It was both demoralizing and frustrating.
That’s where my new BFF, ChatGPT, has seriously stepped up. With just a quick prompt, it can generate a list of relevant publications based on your specific piece, saving hours of manual research.
Prompt Example: “I’ve written an essay that explores the concept of 'legacy friends'—relationships that no longer align with personal growth but remain due to shared history and emotional ties. Can you suggest literary magazines or online publications that would be interested in this topic?”
Within seconds, ChatGPT offers suggestions ranging from well-known literary magazines to smaller, niche outlets I’d never have found on my own. It’s not just expanding my reach but introducing me to fresh opportunities—and to a lot of great publications I didn’t even know existed!
Section 2: Tailoring Submissions for Different Publications
Once you’ve got your list of potential publications, the next hurdle is making sure your work fits each outlet’s specific vibe. Editors know their audience, they know their voice, and they definitely know what they want. You can’t just throw the same draft at every publication and hope for the best. Customization is key.
This is where ChatGPT really shines. With the right prompts, it can help you tweak your writing style, tone, and even the length to match the preferences of different publications. Think of it as your personal writing assistant, effortlessly helping you create multiple versions of your piece that are tailor-made for each editor’s expectations.
Prompt Example: “Please revise this essay for a publication that prefers a more formal, reflective tone, and cut it down to 1,200 words.”
Prompt Example: “Now revise this same essay for a more casual, conversational style suitable for a younger audience, and keep it under 1,000 words.”
By using ChatGPT, I’m able to whip up targeted submissions without rewriting the entire piece from scratch. It’s like a fast-pass for tailoring my work, ensuring each version feels personalized and aligned with what each specific publication is looking for. This speeds up my submission process and makes me feel more confident about landing a good fit for each piece.
Section 3: Streamlining the Feedback and Revision Process
Before ChatGPT, I relied on feedback from a few trusted friends or writing groups. That often meant waiting days—sometimes even weeks—for responses. And when the feedback finally came, it was usually subjective. One person might love a section while another would suggest cutting it entirely. It could get confusing, fast.
With ChatGPT, the feedback loop has completely changed. Now, I get instant feedback that’s not only fast but also consistent and surprisingly insightful. ChatGPT’s feedback loops allow me to make real-time revisions and try out multiple iterations of the same piece, all in a matter of minutes.
Prompt Example: “You are the submissions editor for Brevity, and are responsible for selecting essays to be published. Review my essay and tell me what you think.”
Brevity, for those unfamiliar, is a well-regarded journal specializing in concise literary nonfiction, publishing both emerging and established writers. ChatGPT’s response started with: “As the submissions editor for Brevity, I approach each essay with an eye for clarity, emotional depth, and how well the piece adheres to the concise literary nonfiction format.” It then gave feedback on the essay’s strengths—Engaging and Relatable Theme, Clear Structure and Flow, Emotional Resonance, and Conciseness—as well as areas for improvement: Deepening the Personal Stakes, Voice and Originality, and Concluding Impact.
Now here’s where the magic happens: I asked ChatGPT to suggest revisions based on that feedback.
Prompt Example: “Based on your feedback, can you suggest revisions for Deepening the Personal Stakes, Voice and Originality, and Concluding Impact?
ChatGPT gave me a revised version of the essay that incorporated its feedback—deepening the emotional stakes, sharpening my voice, and providing a more impactful conclusion. The result was impressive. After some tweaking on my part, I repeated the process. I asked ChatGPT to review the essay again as if it were the submissions editor, and then I asked it to revise based on the new feedback.
What I’ve found from trial and error is that you can repeat this process four or five times and continue to see improvements. Each round sharpens the draft further, often highlighting areas where I can add or refine personal anecdotes. ChatGPT also excels at helping me integrate those stories smoothly into the text, ensuring they fit naturally and contribute to the overall flow.
The beauty of this process is its speed and flexibility. I can revise and polish my draft on the fly, and best of all, the feedback is focused—no conflicting opinions, just clear, actionable suggestions. It’s like having a virtual editor on call 24/7, making the entire revision process faster, smoother, and far more efficient.
Exercises to Try ChatGPT in Your Submission Process
Generate a Publication List:
Take a draft of a recent essay or story and ask ChatGPT to suggest five potential publications that would be a good fit. The key here is to describe your piece clearly in the prompt so that ChatGPT can tailor its recommendations to the right outlets.
ChatGPT will generate a list of relevant publications, saving you hours of manual research and introducing you to outlets you might not have considered.
Prompt Example: “I’ve written a short story about grief and healing. Can you suggest some literary magazines or journals that accept stories with these themes?”
Tailor Your Work for Multiple Submissions:
Ask ChatGPT to help you revise your piece for different publications with specific styles and word limits. This will help you target multiple outlets efficiently, without the need to rewrite your piece from scratch each time.
Prompt Example: “Revise this story to fit a 1,500-word limit for [Publication A], focusing on a reflective tone.”
Prompt Example: “Now revise it for [Publication B], but this time for a 1,200-word limit and a more casual style.”
Conclusion:
ChatGPT really has become my new BFF (Best Feedback Friend), completely transforming how I approach the submission process. From selecting the right publications to crafting multiple versions of the same piece and getting real-time, consistent feedback, it has turned what was once a time-consuming, stressful grind into something manageable—and even fun.
If you're looking to expand your publication reach, streamline your submissions, or simply get faster, more tailored feedback, I highly recommend giving ChatGPT a try. You might find, as I did, that your new BFF is just a prompt away.
That said, patience is still required. While ChatGPT can speed up your workflow by streamlining the submission process, it can't fast-forward the time it takes for editors to respond. Many literary magazines can take anywhere from 60 to 90 days—or even longer—to get back to you. So, while you’re sending off those perfectly tailored submissions, remember that waiting is part of the process. The good news? With ChatGPT handling the heavy lifting, at least the submission process itself doesn’t have to be a grind.