How to Get Published

You're all asking for it, so here it is: a step-by-step guide to how to get published.
Step 1: Edit your story to perfection.

Step 2: Find the magazine you want to submit this story too. Use a market listing such as Duotrope.com or Ralan.com.

Step 3: Find the magazine's submission guidelines page (this page is linked to on Duotrope or Ralan). Make sure your story is formatted to fit their guidelines.

Step 4: Send your story in. Either

a) send it by paper mail, with a cover letter* and a SASE. Double-spcaed, in 12 pt Courier New font, with your name, address, phone number, e-mail and word counter in the upper left hand corner of the first page and your name, title, and page number in the header on all pages.

send it by e-mail, with the correct e-mail address (found on the guidelines page) and your story either attached as a document in wahtever format they request OR pasted in the body of the e-mail. Include your cover letter in the body of the e-mail.

*A basic cover letter looks like this:

Dear [Editor's name--if you can't find this, simply put Editor],

Please consider my [# of words] [genre] story, "[Title]" for publication in [magazine]. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

For example:

Dear Ms. Arkenberg,

Please consider my 5,500 word fantasy story "The Faery Ball" for publication in Mirror Dance. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Joe Smith

There it is--the ultra-simple guide to getting published. Any questions, post them in the comments.

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  • Horanzu
    August 16, 2009
    Edit | Reply
    So ... this is how to get published in a magazine ... what if you want to get a book published to be sold in bookshops? I'm not looking for that at the moment, I'm just curious.

    ~Horanzu xxx


    • Bitter Irony
      August 17, 2009
      Edit | Reply
      I have no first-hand experience with publishing novels, but the basic steps are surprisingly similar; find market, format according to guidelines, send query, await response. Both duotrope.com and ralan.com list book publishers who consider unagented submissions; if you wish to go through an agent first, there are plenty of listings online.


  • Parody Paradox
    August 15, 2009
    Edit | Reply
    Thanks so much for the advice! Woww.... It sounds so easy but actually it isn't, is it?


    • Bitter Irony
      August 15, 2009
      Edit | Reply
      Yes, it is. Submitting is simple; writing a story good enough to be accepted is the difficult part.


  • Raining.Fire
    August 9, 2009
    Edit | Reply
    wow. You make it sound so easy. lol.


    • Bitter Irony
      August 13, 2009
      Edit | Reply
      It IS easy. Unpublished writers wrap this rediculous mysticism around the whole process, when really, it's a simple matter of research and following directions.

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