Demystifying The Metropolitan Diary Submission Process

A Post for Writers Hoping to be Published in the New York Times

Hello.

As someone who recently had the privilege of seeing my personal essay, "Stooping," published in the Metropolitan Diary section of the New York Times on April 21st, 2024, I understand the allure and mystery surrounding this process. I'm pulling back the curtain to share insights that may help demystify it for others.

The story itself poured out of me in about an hour. However, editing took far longer. I incorporated feedback from a critique group and a writing coach before submitting it (via the New York Times site) on March 5th. Exactly one week later, a thrilling email arrived from diary@nytimes.com with the subject: Your submission to Metropolitan Diary.

They asked me to verify the piece's originality and truthfulness and that it hadn't been published elsewhere. I enthusiastically confirmed. And then...silence.

Despite my efforts to find clear guidance on expected timelines or next steps, I couldn't. The most insightful data point came from a Reddit thread where two writers reported having their pieces verified and published about 6 weeks later.

Sure enough, that's precisely what happened to me—submitted on March 5th, email from the editors on March 12th, and published on April 21st.

My original 384-word draft was trimmed to 280 for publication (see edits below).

If this provides helpful visibility into the Metropolitan Diary process, I'd appreciate you sharing this post or recommending my newsletter.

Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments.

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