You can start submitting whenever you are ready (but I would also argue that you are likely ready in your first year of a graduate program). For me, I started submitting the summer after my first year in the program. I would say that once you write a course paper, you are ready to begin thinking about submitting.

I also encourage my undergraduate students to submit to conferences – especially if they plan to pursue a graduate degree. I have had students develop class projects and submit them to conferences, and they have been accepted.

One good resource is the Linguist List website. Here you can browse a long list of calls for papers. Additionally, there is Ling Alert, which has a mailing list too (most of these are for theoretical conferences). 

Additionally, the University North Carolina Chapel Hill has a great resource page which outlines many linguistics conferences around the country. It categorizes the types of conferences by subfields, languages, etc. It also lists the semesters in which the conferences take place and when the calls for papers go out for each conference. 

One final way to determine what conferences are right for you is to look at CVs of professors and more ‘senior’ graduate students in your field. Look at their peer-reviewed conference section of their CVs, and try to figure out which conferences they regularly present at/have presented at. Then look those conferences up, and decide if you should submit there as well. 

Definitely do NOT worry about taking the time off to travel. Research is highly valued at UIUC. If you need to take time off to present your research, professors are usually very understanding and willing to help out. 

In terms of travel funds, conferences can get pricey - And everyone’s financial situation is different. However, there are travel funding opportunities! The department and the graduate college have travel funding grants each semester that you can apply for. Keep an eye out for emails! Additionally, many larger conferences have grants and other travel funding opportunities. For example, the Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America has several funding opportunities (e.g. the CEDL award).

I will also add, if you don't want to worry about travel funding, you can also stay local: there are many Midwest linguistics conferences. You can also look for hybrid conferences. I presented at a lot of conferences in 2023, but a number of them were online helping offset costs for me.  

Here are my top 5 tips. 

1. Do NOT convince yourself your project isn’t worth submitting. Imposter syndrome is real, and most likely you have something that is interesting and worth sharing.  
2. If you are nervous about presenting at a conference for the first time, present at a smaller regional conference OR a smaller graduate student conference (e.g. our home conference ILLS).  
3. Share your research in reading groups, so you can get feedback on your project before you submit it somewhere (I share research every semester in the syntax and semantics reading group).  
4. Be organized! I record call for paper deadlines and conference dates in my calendar. I also have a box folder for abstracts.  
5. Have linguistics friends, colleagues, and professors/advisors review your abstract before you submit. I typically have 2-4 people in my subfield look at my abstracts before I submit.   
6. Bonus tip: Everyone gets rejected from conferences. Sometimes a great project may get rejected. It can be frustrating, but try to remove your feelings from it, and take the reviewer comments and improve your project. And then submit elsewhere.  

When I have a project that I think is worth submitting to conferences, I challenge myself to write a 500-word or one-page abstract. Then I look at calls for papers. For conferences that have a 500-word or one-page restriction, I already have a draft ready to go. For conferences in which the abstract can be 2 pages, I add additional examples, and explain concepts a bit more (in my opinion, it is much easier to add things than cut them). A related note I will share: Take up ALL the space you are given. 

Here are some helpful resources I have used in the past for writing abstracts: 

• LSA model abstracts 
• LSA webinar on abstract writing 
• Johan Rooryck & Vincent van Heuven’s Guidelines for writing abstracts

You can start submitting anytime you have a good draft of a manuscript that you think is ready for submission. If you have Qualifying Papers (QPs) as per the requirements of your PhD program like we do at UIUC, then you already have a good draft of a manuscript. One thing to keep in mind is that the journal submission process can take a long time (about a year), so if you would like to have a published article before you graduate, it is recommended that you try to start submitting at least a year in advance of graduation. My personal advice is to try to publish at least one of your QPs, if not both, before you graduate.

  One good way to find journals is to see where other researchers in your field choose to publish their work. If you aren’t familiar with a journal, be sure to look into its publishing history and editorial board.

To help find trustworthy journals, you can use websites like ThinkCheckSubmit or the Directory of Open Access Journals .

To identify  journals that have published work similar to yours, there are resources like Endnote's Manuscript Matcher, Journal Author Name Estimator,  and Elsevier's Journal Finder. 

Below are some good things to consider when choosing a journal:

• History - Is this a well-established journal? Do other researchers in my field publish in this journal?
• Scope and aim -How well does your manuscript relate to the goals and themes of the journal?
• Publishing model - If your work is published, will it be available with Open Access? If your work is published, will it be available with Open Access? Note that publishing open access will bring you greater visibility, which can then result in increased readership and citations of your article.
• Peer review style - Does the journal practice single-blind, double-blind or open peer review? 
• Expected timeline - How long will it take for you to receive your decision after you submit? For instance, if you are entering the job market soon, you might want to submit your manuscript to a journal with a shorter turnaround time.
• Citation impact - How often are articles in the journal cited by other researchers?

When preparing a manuscript:

• Pay attention to how the established scholars in the field lay out their ideas and structure their argument​
• Write multiple drafts throughout the process.
• Have your supervisor, other professors, or critical colleagues read your draft, or present your paper at a conference for feedback
• Look at the submission requirements for a journal carefully to make sure you are meeting them.
  • Format requirements and the word count are often overlooked; however, they are among the most common reasons why your paper might be desk-rejected (i.e. immediately rejected without having been considered)
  • Always make sure that your manuscript is a good fit for the journal you are submitting it to. Read the Aims & Scope of the journal. Read back issues to see if research similar to yours has previously been published by the journal

If your paper is accepted, it is very likely that you will be asked to make revisions. In that case, be sure to address every single one of your reviewers comments before you resubmit – either by making the suggested changes or giving a clear explanation of your reasoning for not making the change.

Remember that major revision is pretty common, especially in respected journals. When you receive a decision, don’t be discouraged by the need for major revisions or even by rejections! These are common parts of the publishing process and you can use the feedback that you received to improve your work for the future.