The brief look at your story is not a summary. Rather, limit this to 25 words and quickly explain who the main character is and what the conflict is about. Address the letter to the editor by name. You can usually find the names of editors in the “About” sections of magazine websites or in books previously published.
You may want to list where you live, work, and where else you have been published. If you’ve never been published, focus on your experience and education.
Also avoid creative font colors and varying sizes of font.
Take into account that many editors don’t like to see overwriting. Paring down your extra adjectives and being conservative with adverbs can keep your language simple yet engaging. [4] X Research source One way to trim the fat from your writing is to use simple dialogue tags like “said” instead of flowery verbs like “uttered. ”
If you do submit the same story to different magazines at the same time, inform the editors in your cover letter that it is a “simultaneous submission” and assure them that you will inform them if your story is chosen elsewhere before they get to it. Some journals and magazines do not accept simultaneous submissions. Such magazines will sometimes automatically reject your story if this is the case. Read closely when you send in your story to make sure it is ok to send it to more than one place at the same time.
Another way to find a magazine that will fit the style of your story is to look at the publication history of your favorite contemporary author and see what magazines they submit to. Chances are that your style models theirs, so magazines that took their story might accept yours.
Submission guidelines are usually posted on the same page as the online submission portal or near the address where editors want stories received.
Literary magazines aren’t the only magazines that take short stories. The New Yorker, for example, has a short story section. There are many articles on the internet that compile lists of magazines that accept stories. Find one of these lists to get started. [6] X Research source Some magazines advertise for submissions to “contests” rather than directly to their magazines, so include the word “contest” in an internet search for magazines to submit to.
If the latter is required, the address to send the story will be published on the magazine’s website or can be obtained over the phone and in previous magazine printings.
Don’t try to contact a magazine that has rejected your story. This displays immaturity and a misunderstanding of how the publishing industry works. You don’t have to steer clear of a magazine just because they rejected one story. Unless they ask you to stop submitting, you can continue to submit other stories. The truth is that the publishing industry is very competitive, and even small presses get flooded with submissions. As a result, almost all submissions get rejected. Don’t take it personally.
Send a thank you letter when accepted. A thank you email works, but a real letter makes more of a lasting impact, which can increase your reputation and odds of getting published again.
