How to get Your Short Stories Published in

Journals and Magazines

 Share
 Pin
 Share
 Email

BY GINNY WIEHARDT

Updated December 17, 2018

The idea of trying to publish a short story can be daunting but it needn't be.
Having a system in place and making it a part of your writing routine will help
distill the fear. An organized system will also help position you as a professional
in the eyes of an editor, which is key to getting published, no matter how
exemplary your work.

01

Complete and Proofread Several Stories

Tara Moore/Taxi/Getty Images

While you may not have control over an editor's tastes or preferences, you do
have control over ensuring that your work is free of errors in spelling and
grammar using this self-editing checklist. You might also workshop your stories in
a class or writing group, all of which can be found online. You should also have
more than one piece ready for submission to a journal or magazine just in case
an editor asks to see more of your work.

02

Research the Market

Ginny Wiehardt
A little research goes a long way and will make your efforts to getting published
incrementally more successful. Start by researching the overall publishing market
to determine which magazines and journals will be open to your work. Once
you've narrowed down the market, find the submission guidelines for the journals
you've selected.

03

Format Your Short Stories Properly

Editors expect to find certain information as a part of each short story that is
submitted. For example, editors want to know up front if your story is the right
length for their journal, so it's common practice to include the word count at the
top of the first page. You also want to make sure that your contact information is
included in case your cover letter gets lost.

04

Write a Cover Letter

peepo/E+/Getty Images

Your cover letter doesn't have to be long and, in fact, most editors prefer short
cover letters because they're crunched for time. That said, you need to include
a brief biography listing any publications that have accepted your work. If you've
not be published yet, don't fret, you have to start somewhere and if you keep at it,
eventually someone will give you a shot. To streamline the submission process,
keep a generic cover letter saved on your computer, preferably your desktop,
and adapt the heading and salutation for each journal you reach out to. For more
on writing a professional cover letter, see "Cover Letter Advice."

05

Track Submissions

Google Images

A spreadsheet is an easy way to track submissions (see one example at left),

though some people go old-school and use index cards. Whichever process you
choose you need to be able to see at a glance each story you've submitted to
avoid submitting to a journal more than twice a year, or sending the same story
twice. This will also help you track simultaneous submissions, so when you get
that acceptance letter, it's easy to contact the other journals who might also want
to publish your story.

06

Observe Simultaneous Submissions Policies

Tetra Images/Getty Images

Each journal has a policy on simultaneous submissions (i.e., whether they prefer
an exclusive or not). If a story that you have simultaneously submitted is
accepted somewhere, write the others to withdraw your submission. If you don't
hear back from a journal in a year, it is acceptable to contact them again to either
inquire about the status of your work or withdraw your submission. Otherwise,
don't email or call editors.

07

Keep Rejection in Perspective

David Gould/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images

The best writers out there have a stack of rejection letters so keep sending out
stories, especially after a rejection. It's easier to weather rejections if you have
multiple samples of your work out there and still have the possibility of
acceptance in the wings. On the other hand, if you've been at it for awhile and
find yourself growing bitter that will affect your writing, so take a break and
concentrate solely on writing for a