If you’ve never had work published before, it’s easy to imagine it’s a quick process. You send in your story, the editor gives it the thumbs-up, and then it appears in the next edition. On the contrary, the process can be tremendously slow, even in this fast-paced age.
For articles, a useful rule of thumb is to think six months in advance of publication. Magazines are full of Christmas features right now, but many of these would have been planned since July or August. Conversely, this is the time to submit pieces about relaxing sun-drenched locations, what to do during the school summer holiday, &c.
And the lengthier the work, the longer that timeline will be. For a novel, the wait could be up to two years, according to one source.
One way to shorten the time is by self-publishing. It’s entirely possible to finish writing a piece one day and then make it available online the next. But when you do this, there is the potential to cut out the steps that make a finished piece look polished. This includes tasks such as editing, proofreading, cover design and – in the case of non-fiction – fact-checking.
I know few people want to think about winter when it’s still the middle of summer, but from a publishing point of view, it’s the perfect time.
Gavin Cameron 
That’s interesting how submitting an article for publishing should be done well in advance. I’ve often wanted to be published in a magazine and I guess there’s more online magazines these days.
Thanks very much for your Christmas card, by the way 🙂 It’s hanging on my noticeboard.
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If you do want something published, one of the best starting points is https://www.writers-online.co.uk/store/digital-issue/writing-magazine. You’ll need to subscribe for access to the opportunities, but you can buy a digital copy.
That’s great you received my card, despite the postal strikes.
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