Short story publication

You've poured your heart and soul -- plus a lot of paper and ink -- into this compact masterpiece. You've rewritten and revised and polished until the work glows.

It's perfect.

Now what? Now it's time to send your baby out into the cold, cruel world. The question is, where and how? Now it's time to get down to the business part of writing.

Time to get your hands dirty.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? You want people to read it.

First, though, you have to figure out a few things...for instance -- what, exactly, is it that you've written?  A story, I know, but what kind of story?  Is it a romance?  Is it a mystery?  Is it a bit naughty?  Is it a combination of all of them or something else entirely? 

Why?

Because writing the story is the easy part.  The hard part is trying to figure out, without ever having met any of the people you're sending it to, who is going to like what you've written.

Everyone, you say?  Think again.  Do you like everything you read?  Probably not, if you're honest with yourself.  There are a lot of us who say we like everything we read, but face it...we're picking for ourselves.  And, when we pick for ourselves, we tend to pick what we like.  But when you send your baby out into the world, you're sending it to someone who has a job to do and that job is to read everything that comes to him or her.  They don't get to pick what hits their inbox and the reality is that they're not going to like everything. 

Which brings us to another important...probably THE most important...issue:

This is a toughie. It really is harder than you think. The only advice I can offer is to read. Read, read, read. And then read some more. Read the magazines that you would like to send your work to. Learn about what they like. What type of stories or poetry do they seem to publish the most? Learn about what they don't like. Then go to your baby with as much objectivity as you can and ask yourself honestly: is this comparable to what I've read at my-favorite-litmag? Honestly, now.

Not really? Well, dangnabit!

Okay...so now you've got a choice to make. Edit or change the story to try and make it fit?

Don't.

Keep reading other litmags and see if you can find one that is comparable to your gorgeous prose. Odds are, there's one out there. Be diligent. Be patient.

Be stubborn.

Keep reading.

Oh, there are thousands and thousands of litmags out there. Literally thousands, both web and print. Paying and non (mostly non, admittedly). There's a litmag for virtually every taste. I would suggest that the very first thing you do is register at Duotrope.com and start to research. Research and read.

Read, read, read.

Once you've found the perfect story for the perfect market and you've read several issues of the market you've targeted...well, at least one or two...look for the 'submission guidelines' for that market and...

Follow them.

Do not assume that the same formula will be acceptable for every submission. Read the guidelines. They will detail exactly what the editor you're trying to impress (because face it, that's what you're doing) wants to receive and, more importantly, how they want to receive it.

And it's no small thing: font size, margins, attachments vs. copy and paste, subject lines, contact information, bios, cover letters...it's all important.

Bless their little hearts...and minds, and eyes...they might receive dozens, if not hundreds of submissions for every issue that they put out and they have to read every single one of them. Make yours an easy read. Send it the way they ask.

Otherwise, prepare to receive another rejection at the very least.

Oh, that's no problem, you say.

Uh huh. Just wait until those rejections start piling up. And trust me, they will. Some of the most prolific and well-known authors out there have enough rejection slips to wallpaper a room...an entire house.

I can take it, you say.

Easier said than done. It's inevitable. It's going to happen. It's part of being a writer. It's painful.

And it's not personal. Even editors get rejections. Stephen King got rejections.

Lots of them.

You will, too.

Never give up.  Never.  There's a reader for every story.  Yours, mine...all of them.  The trick is to find those readers and sometimes...most of the time...it's a long, tedious, frustrating process.  Then, after you've sent it out, gotten it back, sent it out again...and again...and again.  Rewritten it again.  And again.  And again.  Started the whole reading, researching, re-writing, resubmitting process one more time and at last...finally...you get that wonderful letter that says, "I'd like to publish 'Your Wonderful Story' in our next issue," you'll forget all the frustration and feel like you're at the top of the world.

Hang in there.