The odds against publishing a first novel are daunting enough, but the short story writer's lot is tougher still. Most magazines do not pay the sorts of fees that make it possible to leave the day job, yet more highly esteemed journals like "The New Yorker" are notoriously difficult to break into, sight unseen. So what's an aspiring short story writer to do? The answer boils down to an old-fashioned, but surprisingly simple mixture of common sense, writing talent and marketing smarts. If applied properly, there should be no reason a new writer cannot achieve some measure of success. Just expect to dig in for the long haul.
Instructions
Know Your Market
1. Knowing your market is half the battle, which can be done three ways. The first route requires buying annual reference guides like "Fiction Writer's Market," which offer in-depth and updated summaries of contact information, editors and potential markets. Magazines like "The Writer" are also useful for the same purpose, although their information is more narrowly focused. If neither option is readily available in your area, search on line for the magazine's website, which should give a fair drift of what kind of material they favor.
2. Follow submission guidelines. If the preferred maximum length is 3,000 words, don't send a 4,000-word story. If horror is the chief genre, avoid submitting an epic science fiction story that takes place on Mars. As elementary as these instructions seem, many new writers still ignore them, resulting in one of the biggest reasons for rejection. If nothing else, editors want some evidence that the writer is familiar with the magazine they are courting.
3. Evaluate honestly whether your work suits the magazine's editorial approach. Genre fiction is easier to publish, even if the writer has no demonstrable credits or experience. This is less true of high-profile magazines like "The New Yorker," or "The Paris Review," which publish just two or three new writers per year from the thousands of submissions that cross their desks, especially if they are unknowns.
4. Read your story one more time to determine if anymore revisions are required. Follow the old rule of 'show, don't tell'--you want to reveal and imply, rather than explain and overstate. If possible, read particular portions aloud to friends, or fellow writers, who can often point out something that you might overlook after living with the same words for weeks, or months.
5. Keep an eye on all the elements. Make sure that your dialog is strong and believable, while advancing your story's overall mood and plot line. Check to see that your story starts with a strong first sentence or paragraph that hooks the reader's attention and makes them want to read further. Don't let your ending fail to tie up whatever loose ends are unresolved, keeping it consistent with your characters' feelings and motivations. Following these steps will show the calm confidence that editors are expecting from new submissions.
Heed The Basics
6. Convey a crisp, professional image through the document you send. Type your manuscript in a 12- or 14-point format, which is the norm for most submissions. Leave a one-inch margin at the top, bottom, and left and right margins. Put your contact information--including name, address, phone number and email, if applicable--in the top right corner of the first page, where your word count should go as well. Note any rights being offered in the bottom left-hand corner.
7. If submitting by "snail mail", send your work with a self-addressed stamped envelope to ensure the manuscript's return in case it is rejected. Always send out a photocopy instead of the original, but take some care about its appearance, as a well-worn photocopy can tip off editors that a manuscript is making the rounds with little result.
8. Wait until the initial response period for considering your submission has passed. If a magazine's guidelines suggest a minimum two-month response time, don't pester an editor halfway through the calendar. When you do follow up, a couple of sentences should suffice. Typically, you will not have to wait long if a magazine likes your work; but if you have to wait, showing courtesy and consideration to an editor goes a long way.
9. If an editor returns your work with suggested revisions, heed that request--unless the proposals would completely go against your story's rationale. Again, show politeness and restraint if you find yourself in this situation; like your followup, a brief note should suffice to get the job done. Working with editors is about building relationships, which you don't want to damage this early in the game.
10. Don't take rejection personally. Most submissions are returned because they don't fit the magazine's editorial aims, or because the writer has simply failed to follow its guidelines. Most editors do not hold grudges against unknown writers. In a sea of submissions, the plain fact is that it's the writer's job to make themselves stand out, with the storytelling to back it up. Keep several projects going at the same time, so that one rejection doesn't make or break your mood when it happens.
