/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.4165191]

I've written a few short stories and would like to submit them to some magazines / journals, but the sheer number of them is intimidating. I thought I'd start a general thread on publishing, making money from writing, etc. Some questions for discussion:

>how do you pick a magazine or journal to submit to?
>is it better to target specific ones or send blanket submissions to many at a time?
>is it easier to publish genre fiction?
>What are advantages / drawbacks to using a pen name?
>What are advantages / drawbacks to self-publishing?
>What should a writer know about copyright and general ownership / publishing rights before submitting to literary magazines?

So, any thoughts or experience?

[Anonymous No.4165258]

Sign up over a duotrope (the monthly pittance is worth every penny). Their search engine/database is the best one I've found online and you can get pretty specific with genre/subgenre to dial in a good match.

That being said, there's no substitute for first-hand knowledge of a particular periodical's style, taste, etc. Reading sample copies is your best bet.

Most places don't like simultaneous submissions. Check the submission guidelines.

Last four questions are too broad to answer easily, but don't sign anything you don't understand.

[Anonymous No.4165297]

>how do you pick a magazine or journal to submit to?

I look up lists of journals that have published pushcart prize winning stories, and best american inclusion. I then read sample work provided on websites, and journals that seem promising I get from the library/buy and read an issue.

I also follow contemporary authors' work from the "previously published in" parts of the book. If you don't follow any contemporary authors, get some of the prize anthologies and read them, then follow the authors to journals. You can also pick up journals at random and follow authors you like.

You should be able to get an idea what the top-tier journals are pretty quickly like this and then, if you start to follow contemporary authors, you'll start being able to discern journals that are prestigious to certain camps.

>is it better to target specific ones or send blanket submissions to many at a time?

Targeted submissions are best for demographic journals that publish mostly a certain kind of fiction. For example, you don't want to send your meta-fictional magical-realism stories to Glimmer Train.

Mass are better for journals that publish a hodge-podge, and a lot higher-tier journals that do this and will most likely reject you anyway.

>is it easier to publish genre fiction?
I don't know. Probably not.

>What are advantages / drawbacks to using a pen name?
Anonymity. So you can write offensive shit without linking it to your name or you can control your personae more closely. You can also use this to publish lower quality/experimental/genre work.

>What are advantages / drawbacks to self-publishing?
Good editors make your writing better than you can make it. Quality control. Lack of prestige. Lack of built-in readership.

>What should a writer know about copyright and general ownership / publishing rights before submitting to literary magazines?
Google this.

[Anonymous No.4165309]

Yeah, use Duotrope, pick some markets you like the look of, and be aware that most places offering professional payment can afford to be very, very choosy, so don't be too crushed if you don't make a sale to any of those at first. Self-publishing short stories is not a great idea, you're much better off latching onto a magazine or anthology if you want your story to be read. Advantages are that you will keep 100% of your profits if you self-publish, disadvantages are that 100% of nothing is still zero. There is very little money in writing short stories even at the professional end, they're just not very marketable even from known authors, let alone self-published short stories from nobodies.

[MrThrills !aAnvD.FqpM No.4166135]

>>4165191
It's imperative you do your research, as >>4165258 and >>4165297 have pointed out.

I recently had the chance to ask a published author, Rob Roensch, what the initial steps of getting your name & work out there are. He says that carefully picking out litmags is a MUST.

There is one thing you should keep in mind, though: don't submit to journals based on their quality/popularity. Submit to ones you like/are interested in.

Good luck!