O:JA&L Editor’s Advice

A Guide for Submitters

Hermione Laake, Contributing Editor

How to Submit via Submittable

What is Submittable?
Submittable is a cloud-based submission management system.
You can submit to multiple publications via Submittable.
Some of the publications charge a small fee for submissions

How To:

• Search for Submittable.com
• Click on the sign in button
• Create an account (This is an easy process, which requires that you enter an email address and password.)

Once you are registered, from the dropdown menu select “Menu.”

Currently there are four drop down bars headed:

1. Submissions: Use the submissions bar to submit your work and track the progress of your work. Once you have submitted you should see a status pop-up which will say in-progress/active/declined/withdrawn.

2. Discover: Use the discover button to select filters which are appropriate to your individual requirements. Currently at the time of writing, these are “following” “deadlines” “no fee” and “no deadlines” These will help you to manage your submissions and get the most out of Submittable.

3. Saved: This is the area for you to click on competitions or opportunities you like and save them, which means you can return to them later.

4. Follow: This speaks for itself.

What to do before you submit:

• Research the appropriate publication for your submission and check beforehand what the guidelines are for the submission; there are usually specific guidelines for line spacing, font type and size.
• Are there fees? What are the deadlines?
• Follow any guidance for preparing a professional biography on individual publication websites.
• Prepare your biography before you submit, and check this for errors. Usually the biography will be 50-100-150 words long and will be written in the third person. O:JA&L has published “How To” guidance for their biographies to help you prepare a professional version.

After submitting:

• Don’t expect an immediate or prompt response. The waiting time can be from 5 minutes to up to 2 years.
• It is usually inappropriate to inquire about the status of a submissions before a ninety-day period has passed.

OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters Link to Submittable

Image: Answer Key (AI-assisted digital image) by O:JA&L staff creative. 2026. Public domain via Midjourney AI.

OJAL Art Incorporated, publishing since 2017 as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and its imprints Buttonhook Press, HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues, and HIGH BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Art, supports writers and artists worldwide.

BUTTONHOOK PRESS MASTERS SERIES

Click on the titles to explore or download the free PDF chapbooks.

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Brian Clements on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Mark Budman on Flash Discourse
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Ray Gonzalez on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Michael Martone on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Roberta Allen on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Peter Conners on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Maxine Chernoff on Prose Poetry

With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Pedro Ponce on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Tom Hazuka on Flash Fiction

With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Kent Dixon on Flash Fiction & Nonfiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto

The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Jim Meirose on Experimental Discourse
With an interview by Associate Editor Warwick Newnham

 

O:JA&L’S HIGH BUTTON PRESS ART CHAPBOOKS

Click on the titles to explore or download the free PDF chapbooks.

RITES OF CALIBRATION: Images & Excerpts

Fine Art Photography by Rex Wilder

NEW MEXICO Deconstructed

Fine Art Photography by Natalie Christensen

IMPERFECT VESSEL

Painting and drawing by Anne-Marie Brown

BY LAND AND BY SEA: Awakening the Sensual

Sculpture and Installation by Mark Yale Harris

LAYERED LIGHT

Painting  and drawing by Bette Ridgeway

ESSENCE & ATMOSPHERE

Painting and drawing by Kathleen Frank

TANGENT & INTERPLAY

Painting and drawing by Catherine Eaton Skinner

Implications of Energy
Artist portfolio of Dr. Ernest Williams III