Many of us make a career in writing non-fiction, whether it’s articles for Associated Content, for magazines, or books. Short fiction is an entirely different animal. Usually short fiction is harder to get published than non-fiction, but it can be very rewarding. Before you give up on writing altogether, try submitting to smaller markets and see if you get some responses. But these should be the first markets you submit too. I would recommend submitting to the periodicals you read first, as it ups your chances by giving you an understanding of what you want.
Here is a list of markets I am most familiar with and dream of being published in. They are the diamonds in the rough of the short fiction market, and a few sales can add up to checks the size of a first novel.
The New Yorker – This would be the hardest of markets to break into, but possibly the most rewarding. I have no actual numbers on the amounts they pay, but I think a conservative estimate would be $1,000-2,000. The New Yorker can be had at any major magazine outlet or book store, so pick up a copy. The writing is usually unique, and its hard to submit a piece elsewhere after writing it just for this magazine. There is a general rule that you only submit two stories a year, so send your best. Many top writers have been published here, most notably John O’Hara and John Updike.
The Sun – This is my favorite of all the magazines listed here. The Sun publishes both fiction and non-fiction. The magazine has quite a history, and even publishes articles on writing on occasion. The Sun accepts fiction and pays professional rates for short fiction from 1,000-7,000 words, usually $250-1000.
Glimmer Train – Glimmer Train is one of the first markets I ever submitted too. They pay a good price for short fiction, $700 for accepted works. This is a very hard market to break into, but the entire submission process is automated and allows the writer to see the status of the submission online.
Zoetrope All-Story – Zoetrope is a magazine founded by director Francis Ford Coppola. Payment for short stories usually is $1,000, and there is always the chance that your work will be made into a film, as Zoetrope is Coppola’s film company.
Usually a sale in one of these periodicals will lead to a few calls from agents. They will want to see a novel, which is where the true money lies. Stranger things have happened in a writer’s life. It won’t guarantee further success, but if you work hard and find a voice it should.
If you have a short story you’ve been dieing to get published, study these markets. Don’t change your work because of what you read, but try to go with the house style on things like punctuation.
Having trouble with the writing process? Read some of my articles for Associated Content on writing.
