... And I've been contemplating this for months. I don't know much about publishing, I was focusing more on my writing (currently 56.000 words of my first novel - yaaay) and I said to myself I'd start learning more about publishing after I finish the first draft. I wrote a short story for a university contest in the spring of 2015 and it landed among top 5. I translated it to English and also a couple of English friends read it and said it was good. One of the things I learned about publishing so far is that it is easier to get a publisher for the first novel if your'e already published, that's why I decided to try and get this short story published in a magazine. I saw that some magazines have guidelines on how to submit, but I would like to know if you, more experienced colleagues, have any recommendations. Here are some details of my story: Word count: 5.404 words Title: 2015 (This sucks, but I'm terrible at titling a story. Need to reconsider, though) Genre: general fiction Summary: Arthur Conrad is a young but very respected man in literary community. Not long ago he wrote an essay comparing The Brave New World and 1984 with modern world. The essay is highly regarded by the literary theory community and it organizes a celebration in Albertina Museum in Vienna. Arthur is a guest of honour. Unfortunately no one in the community knows that Arthur is a psychopath. Nick, Arthur's friend is aware that Arthur's behaviour can sometimes be challenging, so he escorts him to the ceremony, hoping he can control Arthur's behaviour. Thank you.
If you're in England (as I am) i think the magazine market is a lot smaller than it is in the states - i don't know if an non american can submit to the US magazines or not.
If you have a story ready to go, there isn't a reason to send it off. Make a list of possible markets that appear to be a good fit (what they publisher for their readership, genre, length, etc.) Consider the better paying markets as a priority because they likely have a larger readership. Also, if you hope to use the story as a publishing 'credit' the more well-known and prestigious the market where the story appears the better. Then, send off the story, following the guidelines...starting from your highest ranked market on down, until it finds a home. When accepted, read the contract to be sure it's reasonable (that's a whole different topic). Publishing a story (or a handful) won't hurt, but may not help a great amount, especially if the story isn't in the same genre as your novel. In the end, your novel will sell itself. But, having worked with an editor and showing that you're 'serious' about writing, and that at least one piece of your work was deemed good enough to be published, can only help. Good luck!
My suggestions: First, since you say the title needs work, that's a hint that the story needs critiquing. Friends saying they like it won't help you polish it like other writers will. Fifth place in a university contest may or may not be publishable quality, as is. Then, study the markets to pick the best choices. The length of your story will narrow it down some. Duotrope.com ($5 a month but it's been around a long time) or Submission Grinder (free but newer) are pretty comprehensive search engines for finding markets that fit your story. Also, you can definitely send your story to US markets. Being previously published doesn't help much for getting a novel published, though. Unless you're so well known you'll bring in lots of sales based on your name alone, they really just want a good novel. Good luck!
Given submissions are electronic, the pond is not a barrier. I submitted to a magazine in the UK and they published two of my short stories (I'm in the US). They don't pay much and they may or may not be a plus on your query, but it's still rewarding to have something actually published. Go for it, @Poziga!
Doing it properly (researching to find legitimate publications and then sending off a package that meets submission guidelines) takes a lot of time - as long, if not longer, than actually writing the story. Since your main goal is getting your novel published, your time is better spent (IMO) working on that novel. One published short story won't help you in that goal. If it will help you in other ways, like boosting your confidence, then it might be worth it. Based on your OP, I wouldn't go down this route.
...all reasonable responses, by and large, if a little reasoned and rational in perspective... The other way is to google 'magazine,' send it to the one magazine with an open submission window, forget about it, receive a rejection two weeks later, draft [it] again, google, and send again. After about three years the piece is up to scratch, appears somewhere probably, in my experience... Otherwise you might find yourself published in a respected literary journal. That's not right. One needs to serve time in trenches with font and page number. Also, the stories in those big magazines can be quite irritating - [picture] the use of metaphor and allusion. [And] sometimes they read nasal or introspective, metropolitan, and are always annoying - amusing travails of young father/coffee-breath lecturer/poet who has an initial in his pen name which is criminal, as you know. [draft 6]
Thank you for your replies. I read through the story and edited it mroe than ten times, I reckon. I'll do it again of course. But the title is bugging me, can't find the suitable one. -.- Practically all of you wrote that it doesn't help with publishing a novel later on. Fair enough, I accept that. That is not my main goal, though. The main goal is to boost my confidence, like @Tenderiser said and maybe to earn a bit of money, even if it is a tiny sum. I'm in my last year of undergraduate so I don't have time for a job, meaning that every dollar is worth something. I'll get to it, I'll start searching for magazine. Meanwhile, if anyone is interested in reading it, I would be happy to send it, every feedback is appreciated. PM me, or write me here and I'll PM you.
