Getting Published

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and

Love Rejections

The Hard TruthIt’s important to remember that writers,

especially short story authors and poets, will rarely make that much money, if any at all. Love for what you do is the most important thing.HOWEVER, starting in the magazine market is a great way to get your work out there, and if your intention is to one day sell a book, the best way to get there is to start with writing for magazines.

Getting published at any stage is not easy. Many reputable magazines have an acceptance rate no higher than 10%, with most being far below that.

CopyrightingCopyright law states that the work you write is

yours automatically, so there is no need to formally copyright your own work. In fact, doing so before you sell a piece is the sign of an amateur.

If you are concerned about protecting your copyright, send a copy of your manuscript to yourself via certified mail. Do not open the envelope until there is an issue. The sent date and the sealed material inside will prove that the work is yours.

A Tip About RightsIf you want your work to be published by a

magazine, then you should never, ever post it somewhere it can be read publically, final edition or not. “First rights” are what most magazines typically ask for, but a piece that is already available to public viewing has officially lost those rights.If your piece is posted on a critique board that requires a password and registration, then you have not lost first rights.

Proofread, proofread, proofreadThen proofread some more.

Stories, poems, essays, and articles are commonly rejected because of poor grammar, spelling, and syntax. Before shipping your piece off, make sure it’s free of errors.

Have a friend (or stranger) look it over. Often, you won’t be able to find errors after the first few revisions because the piece will be too familiar.

Analyze Your WorkIs it fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or drama?

Does it contain any speculative elements, such as science fiction or fantasy?

What are the word and page counts?

Is it “family friendly?”

These are the most important questions you must ask yourself.

A Typical Duotrope Listing

A Typical Duotrope Listing

A Typical Duotrope Listing

A Typical Duotrope Listing

Choosing the Right MarketThe first and most important rule: ALWAYS

READ THE GUIDELINES. No matter how many you’ve read before, every magazine wants something different, and every editor gets upset when it’s obvious the writer didn’t read the guidelines. Doing so gives you a leg up over a decent number of submitters.If material is available for free, read a few stories or poems. If it’s not, but you are particularly interested in that market, consider buying a copy to get a feel for what they publish.

Choosing the Right MarketFit: Make sure your word count, genre,

and subject matter ALL match what the magazine is looking for. If these don’t all match up, this isn’t the right market for you.

Rights: What do they offer? Avoid markets that request exclusive rights for short works, especially if they don’t offer monetary payment. First North American Serial is typical for print, and One-Time Electronic is typical for electronic.

Choosing the Right MarketPayment: Most magazines don’t pay money

for short pieces. It’s very common to receive payment only in the form of a free copy, or nothing in the case of electronic publications Whether you want to get paid monetarily is up to you, however, and something you should consider.Simultaneous and multiple submissions: Always something to consider, especially if the piece you’re submitting is already being considered somewhere else.

Choosing the Right MarketPublication form: This isn’t as big a deal as it

seems, but it is a question you should ask yourself. Would you rather your work be available in a book, or on a website? There are advantages and disadvantages to each option. Some magazines publish in both formats, or even in something different, like audio.

Who are they looking for? Some magazines will only read work by people of certain age groups, locations, genders, races, religions, or even afflictions.

Choosing the Right MarketStatistics: If you’re using Duotrope, remember that

users can submit their rejections and acceptances. Magazines with a higher % of rejection rates on Duotrope are likely harder to break into, but will often bring more prestige. The magazines themselves may also provide these statistics on their website.

Themes: Sometimes, your work may fit their general topic, but they might have a theme that it doesn’t stick to. CHECK FOR THEMES (they tend to hide), and don’t submit to a themed market unless your submission fits.

Choosing the Right MarketReading periods: NEVER submit to a

magazine when they are closed to submissions. Your work will not be read, and it will only annoy the editors. Sometimes magazines accept submissions outside of reading periods, and simply put them aside until the next one. In that case, it is fine to submit.

Submission format: Would you rather submit electronically, or by mail? Or does it not matter to you?

Choosing the Right MarketAvoid markets that charge fees for non-contest

submissions. This is considered rude and amateurish, even from markets that pay their contributors.

NEVER send a piece to a market without checking to see if it will be a good fit. Blanket submissions will not get your piece accepted faster; it will only show editors that you haven’t done your research and keep your piece in the slush pile for longer.

Simultaneous SubmissionsThis is when you are submitting the same

piece to more than one market at a time.

Some markets forbid it, others encourage it.

NEVER simultaneously submit to a market that states they do not accept those. It will only upset the editors.

If you are submitting simultaneously, make sure you state so in your cover letter, and make sure you withdraw a piece immediately if it is accepted elsewhere.

Multiple SubmissionsThis is when you are submitting more than

one piece to the same market at one time.Generally, this is accepted for poetry, but not

for fiction.

NEVER send multiple submissions unless the market states it accepts them.

Keep Track of Your Submissions!If you register on Duotrope and report your

submissions accurately to them, their database will keep track of your submissions for you. All you have to do is report when you submit, when you receive an acknowledgement, when you receive a rejection or acceptance, and when you withdraw a piece.

You can also keep track of submissions quite easily with a program like Microsoft Excel.

Submitting by MailNEVER send the only copy of your

manuscript. Editors rarely return them.

ALWAYS include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope for the editor’s reply, unless specifically asked not to.

DO NOT staple your manuscript. Use a paper clip, or rubber band for longer works.

MAKE SURE your cover letter is on a separate page, and at the top of the pile.

DO NOT use Certified Mail. Editors don’t want to sign for your manuscript.

Submitting ElectronicallyThis means you’re submitting either by e-mail

or through an online form or service.Electronic submissions need to have the same

level of professionalism as a paper submission.

Never use webspeak or abbreviate unnecessarily (e.g. “U” vs “you”).

When submitting by e-mail it is especially important to pay attention to submission instructions, since some editors prefer attachments, and others only accept work pasted into the body of the e-mail.

Cover LetterFor electronic submissions, this might be in

the body of the e-mail, in the comments section (for online forms), or as an attached document. Do whatever the magazine tells you to do.

It should never be more than one page, single spaced. In fact, you will rarely need more than a few short paragraphs.

Identify the editor by his or her FULL name, if given.

Do not summarize your piece unless asked. This is typical for book publishers, but not the short story and poetry markets.

Treat this as a business letter, not a way to sell your work.

Sample Cover LetterYour Name

123 Anytown RoadAnytown, FL 33619

Editor’s Name (If Provided)Magazine Name321 Maple RoadSpringfield, WA 11111

October 8, 2010

Dear Editor,

Please find attached my short story, “My Ice Cream,” for consideration in Magazine Name. This is unpublished and in simultaneous submission.

My work has also appeared in Short Story Magazine, Cool Tales Monthly, and Awesome Fiction.

Thank you very much for considering me.

Sincerely,Your Name

Sample Manuscript Page

Following UpResponse times can be anywhere from a few

minutes to a few years. Seriously.If the market lists an approximate response

time, or says to follow up after a specific number of time, DO NOT FOLLOW UP EARLIER.

If no time is given, 90 days is generally acceptable.

Be polite, neutral, and concise.Remind the editors of your name, the name of

your piece, and the date you submitted it.Never assume a long response means acceptance

OR rejection, unless the magazine says different.

RejectionsEveryone gets them. It’s important to

remember that they are never personal.Even if your work is great for the market, it

may simply be that the magazine had more good submissions than they could publish.

Form rejections are not a sign that you are doing something wrong.

You may encounter dozens, even hundreds of rejections before your first sale. Remember, if you let rejection stop you, then you can be certain your work will not be published.

DO NOT respond negatively to rejections in a public manner.

AcceptancesFirst, CONGRATULATIONS!

Second, most markets that accept your piece will also, in their acceptance letter, request additional information from you, such as a bio or a statement giving them permission to use your piece. Reply promptly. If they send you a contract, read it carefully. Remember, you don’t have to sign anything you don’t feel comfortable with, but if you approach the contract with a realistic eye, you will find that most of them are fair.

Most markets will send you a proof of your piece before they publish it. Check it carefully for any errors (yours OR the editor’s).

WithdrawingIf your piece is accepted, then one of your

first responsibilities is to withdraw it from all the other markets who currently have it.

Usually, this will be done via a short letter or e-mail. Thank the editor for considering your work, but keep it prompt.

Electronic submission forms sometimes have a “Withdraw” button, which will make your life a lot easier.

You might also withdraw a piece if you become uncomfortable with a market that is reading it, or if they are reading it exclusively and have had it for much longer than the designated time.

Sample Withdrawal LetterDear Editors,

I am writing to withdraw my piece, “Fabulous Story,” from Short Story Quarterly. Thank you very much for considering it.

Sincerely,Rachel Lieberman

Useful ResourcesAbsolute Write Water Cooler: A forum with sections

for almost everything to do with writing and publishing. There is also a passworded forum where you can get your work critiqued.

Duotrope: A database of nearly every fee-free short story and poetry magazine out there. Updates very frequently.

Preditors and Editors: Lists of proven problems with agents and publishers. Mostly used by authors working on book-length work, but useful for some shorter things too.

Writer’s Market: A yearly collection of agents, publishers, contests, and magazines. Also contains useful articles. There is a main edition, plus specialized editions for subjects like children’s writing, photography, and short stories.