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Publishing short stories may be your ultimate goal, but to get there you have to pass through the dark forest of submitting. It can feel like a full-time job. You have to research the marketplace, select the markets which fit the work, write an accompanying letter to the fiction editor, keep track of the entire process, and wait and wait and wait. As one who has sat on both sides of the submitting process, here are my suggestions. KNOW YOUR MARKET Editors are always hopeful that the story they’re looking for will be in one of the manila envelopes in today’s To Read pile. But editors are busy. They hate wasting time. And you will waste their time as well as your own if you send a romance to a magazine that only publishes literary fiction, or a piece of literary fiction to a magazine that only publishes science fiction. If the magazine wants a story length of 1200 words, don’t send 4500. Don’t send 4500 even if you excuse yourself for doing so in your submission letter. The last thing you need to be dealing with is a cranky editor. A submission which follows a magazine’s guidelines is the surest way of guaranteeing a thoughtful, friendly reading. And read several copies of the magazine to see if what they’re publishing is what you’re writing. REQUEST GUIDELINES Editors make up guidelines in order to make their jobs a little easier. Send for them. Remember to enclose a legal-sized SASE when you do. WRITE A FRIENDLY, CONCISE LETTER OF SUBMISSION It's a good bet that editors assume the story you’re submitting is for publication in their magazine; therefore, some editors consider a submission letter unnecessary. Others, however, feel slighted if the only thing that comes out of the envelope is a piece of fiction. Err on the side of propriety. A brief letter saying hello and thank you is appropriate. Some magazines withhold the names of their fiction editor(s), but if at all possible, address your letter by name, rather than designation. It’s a courtesy that marks your attitude as professional. If you have something to toot your literary horn about, do it in the letter. The mention of previous publications usually perks up an editor’s ears. INCLUDE A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE Only if you wish to be read. Most editors won’t waste their time reading something which can’t be returned. If you want the entire manuscript returned, enclose a self-addressed return envelope with proper postage affixed. If you want only a response, say so in your letter, something like this ... please recycle the manuscript if you decide it’s something you can’t use. I’ve enclosed an SASE for your response only. SEND A PROPERLY TYPED MANUSCRIPT Double-spaced, on white paper, preferably in Font Size 12, using a fresh ribbon or cartridge. Proofread your manuscript twice. Make sure the pages are numbered and that your name and address appear on each page. Send the entire manuscript. Do not query for a fiction submission, unless otherwise stated in guidelines. SEND ONE MANUSCRIPT AT A TIME One thing you can be certain of, there's a formidable pile of manuscripts waiting to be read on every editor's desk. The expectation is one manuscript per envelope. Finding two or three risks making the editor roll his/her eyes, and you don't want an editor doing this over your work. You want a calm, friendly, hopeful editor. To insure this, request guidelines and then follow them. MARKETS You can find the names of hundreds of possible markets for your fiction by picking up a copy of Writer’s Market or Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market. These books are available in any bookstore or you can order on-line through this site (reference books). You may also find a copy at your library. To make life somewhat easier, we decided to include a list of what we consider the top markets under the categories of Women’s Fiction, Men’s Fiction, General Fiction, and Literary Quarterlies. The top markets in Women’s, Men’s, and General can be very tough nuts to crack. They receive hundreds if not thousands of submissions each month and publish only a handful every year. Many publish mainly agented material. On the other hand, there are hundreds of literary quarterlies. Most pay in copies. However, if getting an agent is something you intend to do, it is often necessary to have a publication to your credit. Literary quarterlies can offer an easier route to that goal.
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