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How to Publish a Short Story

It may be tempting to start sending boxfuls of your poetry and short stories to as many magazines as you can find. But hold up - there are techniques to getting your short work published.

Those of you who write poetry and short stories have it both easier and harder than your novel-writing brethren. You stand a much greater chance of getting your work published in magazines and multi-author anthologies; but the chances of getting a collection - a book you can call your own - straight away is extremely slim. It's always best to bombard the small magazines before you start sending your work off to Faber & Faber.

CHOOSING CAREFULLY

Knowing which magazine or anthology to submit to is a case of reading as many as possible and getting to know what kind of material each publishes: it's no use sending your short fantasy fiction to a magazine that specialises in Navajo lyrical poetry. Likewise, reading a publication will give you an idea of the quality of the material inside. I've seen some truly dreadful pamphlets that take on pretty much anything submitted to them. If you think the general standard of a magazine is low, you don't really want your work to be associated with it.

It may not seem like it but there are hundreds of literary magazines and anthologies out there. Most are tiny, regional and practically unheard of outside of a small circle of writers, but this doesn't always detract from their quality. If possible, try and find out what kind of distribution a magazine has: does it have a print run of 5,000 distributed nationally or a print run of five passed round the editor's kitchen table? Learn what kind of production values it embraces (whether it's a hastily folded sheet of photocopied A4 or a perfect bound colour journal) and whether it has a good reputation among writers and readers alike.

THE FIRST COLLECTION

Getting your work published in a number of magazines is the best path to take towards your first collection. I won't lie - single-author collections of poetry aren't common, and single-author short story anthologies are even rarer. But this doesn't mean it will never happen. If you're thinking of approaching a publishing house, include a professional-looking pack of material, including a letter explaining that you've got a collection, samples of your published work and any reviews you've been given. Be wary, however, of rushing into publication: make sure you're putting your best work in, otherwise the book reviews you get may make future deals hard to come by. Also, look closely at the companies you approach: some small publishers may be willing to publish your collection but may not have the means, experience or motivation to do a very good job of it. Always look at books they've brought out previously to get an idea of print and design quality. It may seem foolish to turn down an offer of publication, but it might be better in the long run to wait for a better offer.

GOING SOLO

If you're tired of rejection, and want to go it alone, then it is possible to design and print your own poetry or short story collection. This can be a photocopied pamphlet or a professionally printed hardback depending on how much you want to invest. Be very wary when treading this path, however, as the printing is the easy bit: it's knowing what to do with the mountain of books in your kitchen that's tricky. It's up to you to generate publicity for your work: contact magazines and newspapers, send off review copies, attend as many readings and meetings as you can. The more you're in the public eye, the better your work will sell.

COMPETITIONS

One way to get a head start when looking for publication is to enter as many writing competitions as you can find. There are awards for every type of writing imaginable, some with pretty impressive prizes including publication and payment. Winning any award is a major boost for your own confidence, and may attract a publishing deal.


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