Recently, I’ve had several people ask me where I find places to submit my short stories. The world of submissions can be daunting, and not knowing where to start makes it even more so. I’ve decided to share some of my resources with you.
Keep in mind–if you are not a writer, but you love to read good short fiction, these sources are going to help you as well by pointing you in the direction of various magazines, both online and in print, that may be publishing stories you’d like to read.
First, the big gun: Duotrope. If you’re a short story writer and haven’t heard of Duotrope, then this is the place to start! It’s a database filled with magazines and anthologies listed by genre, story length, pay scale, medium (print, electronic, or both), etc. They provide links directly to each magazine or anthology’s website. Simply click on either the “fiction” or “poetry” tab and select your parameters, and poof! Instant submissions list.
Another place to look for specifically speculative fiction markets is Ralan’s Webstravaganza. Yeah, I know. But it’s well organized. It’s not as comprehensive as Duotrope, which covers far more genres, but it’s a handy little place to browse.
I also follow a blog called Anthology News and Reviews. It’s not highly active (a new post every few weeks), but I’ve found good leads on there in the past that eventually led to acceptances. (Even if all it did was link me to an anthology that provided inspiration for a story that ended up published elsewhere.)
I am involved in several online writers groups that have Yahoo loops where fellow writers will post open submissions. The main two I’ve found most helpful are The Lost Genre Guild and Christian Fic2. Remember, Yahoo groups often require you to request membership. It is worth contacting the moderator! To join The Lost Genre Guild, send an email to lost_genre_guild-owner at yahoogroups.com, specifying your reason for interest in the group. I promise it’s painless, and we’re quite a friendly bunch.
This one’s another biggie: Join forums at small presses, and/or follow their blogs and Facebook pages. Small presses are the main anthology producers, and they often post about open submissions on their blogs and FB pages. Also, if they offer an email newsletter, sign up. Nothing is easier than having calls for submissions drop right into your inbox. (Which reminds me–Duotrope has both an email newsletter and an RSS feed.)
My last hint is less specific, but one of the most important. Keep your eyes peeled. Pay attention when other writers post on FB or on their blogs about short stories they are writing–leave a comment and ask, “What is it for?” Maybe the anthology they are writing for is something you would be interested in. One of the stories I sold just recently came from me asking a fellow writer about an upcoming anthology she kept mentioning.
OK, so I’ve given you some tips and some links to check out. No excuses now–start submitting!
The New Authors Fellowship 
My dearest Kat,
I for one , thank you very much.
You are most welcome :).
Helpful, but not overwhelming.
Well, good. That was what I was aiming for. Thanks, Susan!
And don’t forget the annual Writers of the Future contest started over two decades ago by L. Ron Hubbard. Yeah, he may have started a kooky religion that got real controversial, but let’s not forget that he was a major player in the pulp fiction of that era as well as various sci-fi epics later on. He started the contest to help the best unheard of speculative fiction writers get a good “hand up” and many of the contest winners of years past are the very writers we love to read today. So be sure to check that out. The contest runs every three months with an annual publication for top prize amount. You can find out more details here at the website – http://www.writersofthefuture.com – and for artists they have a similar contest that runs on the same schedule called Illustrators of the Future and info on that can be found at the same website.
But I like my excuses, Kat!