Getting your short stories published can feel overwhelming—knowing where to send them, dealing with rejections, and figuring out the money side of things. Trust me, you’re not alone in feeling lost or unsure about navigating this whole publishing thing.
But don’t stress—I got your back! Stick around and I’ll cover how you can target the right magazines, impress editors, make sense of pay rates, and handle submissions with way less frustration. Soon, you’ll have a solid roadmap to get your stories out there.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Key Takeaways
- Start by sending your short stories to top-paying magazines first, such as The New Yorker or Clarkesworld Magazine, to avoid underselling your work.
- Choose journals and magazines that publish your specific genre (like horror or sci-fi) to increase your chances of acceptance. Study their recent issues to understand preferences.
- Always follow submission guidelines carefully—editors often reject stories simply because rules were ignored.
- Write brief, friendly cover letters that quickly show you know and appreciate the publication.
- Explore different platforms beyond magazines, such as ebook collections, audiobooks, podcasts, Wattpad, and themed anthologies, to reach new readers and build your credibility.
Submit Your Short Fiction to the Best Paying Outlets First
If you’re serious about making some real money from your short fiction, start by aiming high and submit your stories to the highest-paying literary magazines first. Publications like The New Yorker (approximately $1 per word), The Threepenny Review ($400 per story), and One Story ($500 per story plus contributor copies) are prime examples of places to target. This approach makes sense because once your story is accepted and published in a smaller market, many of the top-tier journals consider it “previously published,” and they’re unwilling to accept it later.
A helpful tip: create a prioritized submission list, beginning with your dream publication at the top. Understand your market—if your story is literary and sophisticated, send it somewhere appropriate like The New Yorker first. If it’s science fiction or fantasy, aim for genre leaders like Clarkesworld Magazine (paying $0.12 per word for stories up to 5,000 words).
You can always move down your prioritized list later—but you’ll kick yourself if you undersell a great story. Also, if you happen to receive personal rejections from top-paying journals praising your writing, take it as a good sign, tweak and improve your piece, and submit again.
Find the Right Journal or Magazine for Your Genre
If you write horror, don’t waste your time and the editor’s patience by submitting to romance magazines. Matching your work with the right genre-specific publication or journal greatly improves your odds of being published and building your audience.
Make it a habit to actually read at least a couple of issues of a journal before submitting, or at least browse their website or read sample content online. For horror stories, magazines like Nightmare Magazine (which pays around $0.08 per word) are perfect matches, while crime and mystery can find a home in journals like Mystery Tribune.
You can also consider submitting your fiction to anthologies or special themed issues of literary magazines. Editors putting such collections together usually have clear preferences and submission guidelines, so check carefully to see if your work aligns with what they’re after. You can even find prompts if you’re feeling stuck by exploring creative ideas like these realistic fiction writing prompts.
Always Follow Submission Guidelines Exactly
This sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed how many submissions get tossed because writers skip basic guidelines. Each journal or magazine will have clearly listed submission guidelines, usually easy to find on their website or on their submission pages (often linked in specific categories).
Editors are busy people who receive hundreds of submissions per month. Ignoring guidelines instantly signals you’re either careless or didn’t respect their requests. This can get your work rejected without editors even giving it a proper read.
To avoid frustration, pay attention to simple things like preferred formats, word counts, subject lines for email submissions, file types (most prefer .DOC or .DOCX nowadays), and whether they accept simultaneous submissions (sending your story to more than one publication at a time) or only exclusive submissions. Don’t sabotage your chances by giving editors a convenient excuse to toss your piece aside.
Write a Short and Clear Cover Letter to Editors
Editors are busy people, dealing with dozens (sometimes even hundreds) of submissions each week, so a short, clear, and friendly cover letter is your best bet to catch their attention.
Your cover letter doesn’t need to spill your entire life story—just highlight a quick introduction, your writing credentials if you have them, and briefly mention why you chose that magazine in particular.
Include important details like your story title, word count, and genre right upfront so editors see essential information immediately.
Say something genuine and personal to show you’ve actually read their magazine or website, like “I especially loved your recent flash fiction issue; it’s exactly the kind of storytelling I try to achieve.”
For example: “Dear [Editor’s Name], I’m sending ‘Shadows at Dawn,’ a 3,400-word science fiction piece, to Clarkesworld Magazine because I enjoyed your November issue’s focus on character-driven sci-fi.”
Sweet, short, and to the point; exactly the way editors like it.
Try Different Ways to Publish Short Stories
Submitting to traditional magazines isn’t the only way to get your short fiction out there—in fact, plenty of alternative options can help you build an audience.
One popular choice is creating a collection of your short stories as an ebook on platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), where you can control pricing and marketing and earn royalties directly from sales.
You could also share your fiction through podcasts or audio platforms—audio short fiction remains hugely popular and continues experiencing double-digit growth annually.
Websites like Wattpad offer another way to build a community around your stories and gather valuable reader feedback, though this generally won’t bring in much income initially.
If you’re someone who enjoys creative experiments or multimedia storytelling, consider platforms that allow you to turn stories into interactive ebooks, graphic novels, or even coloring books—you can learn more about how to publish a coloring book on your own and diversify your publishing efforts.
Submit to Independent Publishers for Anthologies
If your goal is getting published quickly and building publishing credits, submitting to anthologies can be a smart move.
Independent publishers often seek new or emerging writers for themed anthologies, giving newer authors a chance to share space alongside more established voices.
Anthology calls for submissions often list specific themes or genres—so always ensure your story matches exactly what the editors ask for.
Check websites such as Submittable and Duotrope regularly, as anthology submission calls can pop up without much notice and often have tight deadlines.
Not only will anthology appearances bolster your author bio, but they can also expand your audience reach and help you network with editors and other industry professionals.
Understand Pay Rates and Payment Policies
Before you even submit your fiction, take a careful look at pay rates and what rights the publication is asking for so you clearly know what you’re getting into.
Top-tier publications like The New Yorker pay around $1 per word, but plenty of decent paying markets like Clarkesworld ($0.12 per word for sci-fi) or Nightmare Magazine ($0.08 per word for horror) also reward you fairly for your work.
Be cautious of journals that ask for too many rights without proper payment—always check explicitly if they’re looking for first publication rights, exclusive rights, digital rights, or anthology reprint rights and for how long.
If aiming for longer-term earnings, understanding how to sell ebooks on your own website can provide additional revenue streams beyond traditional publication.
Bottom line: read the fine print carefully and never hesitate to ask editors to clarify if you’re unsure.
Track Your Submissions and Resubmit After Rejection
Don’t despair over rejections—instead, think of them as part of the author business model.
Set up a basic spreadsheet or try tools like Duotrope or The Submission Grinder to keep careful track of where you’ve sent your stories, the dates, the outcomes, and editor feedback.
Tracking submissions helps you avoid sending the same story twice to publications that don’t allow simultaneous submissions, and it ensures you never miss following up after a long wait period.
If you’re faced with a rejection letter, give yourself a day or two to shake off disappointment, then immediately pinpoint a new potential market to send your story to—we’ve all heard those hero stories of famous works facing multiple rejections before landing successfully.
Your persistence (and organized tracking habits!) will absolutely pay off down the line.
Keep Writing and Submitting Regularly to Build Your Career
Just like anything else, if you want to build a steady, sustainable career writing short fiction, you’ve got to stick to a regular writing—and submitting—schedule.
Take yourself seriously as a professional writer by dedicating time every day, or at least weekly, to generating and polishing your stories.
Regular writing not only improves your craft but it consistently gives you fresh work to send out, building your odds that something will eventually get published.
If you’re struggling with writer’s block or need fresh ideas, try some creative winter writing prompts to keep your creativity flowing.
Make a goal—such as one submission per week or a set number of new stories each month—and stick with it.
Writing careers grow out of steady habits and determination, not waiting around for creativity to randomly visit.
FAQs
Research publications by reading past issues and submission guidelines. Match your story’s genre, style, and themes to journals that regularly publish similar material to improve your chance of acceptance.
Cover letters should include the story title, genre, word count, a brief author bio, and relevant publishing credits. Keep it concise, professional, and personalized to the publication you’re contacting.
Don’t get discouraged by rejections—most writers face them regularly. Track submissions carefully, update logs promptly, and resubmit your story elsewhere until it finds the right home.
Independent publishers’ anthologies can offer meaningful visibility, solid networking, and valuable publishing experience. They’re useful avenues when building your portfolio and reaching new reader audiences.
