The latest count of Lit Mags is at 5,000, and there are close to 1,000 in the United States alone. The good news? As far as getting my short fiction published, I only need to win the heart of one!
Gaining publication in a literary magazine is a foothold in the world of published authors. Once you reach that goal, people often take a second glance at your future work, possibly even a full collection of your short fiction. What does it take to publish a story in a literary magazine? Well, let me take you through the process.
Write it.
This is the fun part! Put your heart and soul into this short fiction piece. Go back, review, and revise repeatedly. Write several more stories to increase your bank of submission options.
Edit and Format, including word count.
Most publications will allow a 3-error minimum, and then they stop taking your work seriously. Have respect for the polished version. Master the form. Edit your work. Also, include the word count up by the title, as word count is a big deal in space-limited magazines. My advice, don’t worry too much about the word count as you write, but know that anything over 5,000 words can really limit your options for submission. Double-space it, size 12 font, Times Roman, and add page numbers. If you need a writing coach or freelance editor, I’m your girl.
Refine the Search
There are plenty of current lists of literary magazines online, but take your time reading through their individual websites. Not every magazine is appropriate for every story. Most specialize in certain genres, certain subgroups of writers, certain topics, and so forth. Some pay the writer. Some have a small submission fee. Word count alone can knock them off your list. I don’t change my work for any publication. I just seek those who have interest in what I’ve got.
Set a goal.
I just sat on a mountain in a campervan for nearly three hours, submitting stories to online platforms. I was able to send a story to seven publications, and this is long after I made a curated list of magazine options. My goal is to send 30 submissions by the end of April. So I have 23 to go and 9 weeks to get there. That requires 2-3 submissions and at least an hour per week. Setting a goal is essential for my continued motivation. Querying really is work.
Write up a bio and one sentence summary, just in case.
The Short Fiction gig is a little different, and mostly a faster pace. Now and then a submission platform will ask for an elevator pitch, or single sentence summary. I like to have one on hand, just in case. Same idea with the third-person author bio – keep it under 75 words – just in case they ask for one. I write up all my stuff before I set to filling out a submission form, including a brief cover letter.
Write a very brief cover letter.
According to Alex Shvartsman, a short fiction cover letter is all about brevity, and it might look something like this:
Dear Editor or Name of Publication,
Please consider “Cold Brew Americano” (fictionalized memoir, 3071 words).
I am a debut fiction writer with a strong nonfiction background as a columnist and blogger. This story is the last in line out of eight from a story sequence of autofiction.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Isa Glade Day
Record all submissions and details.
I keep a chart of all submissions, including the date, which story I submitted, and to whom. I also note which publications are only accepting submissions at certain times. I include any useful details that I might want to recall months down the road. If one magazine picks up my piece, I need to inform the others as soon as possible. I admit, I’d be more than happy to let them know!
Isa, what a great post! I’m going to forward it on to a couple of writer friends of mine. I had no plans to submit to magazines, but you made me want to write a story and try! Thank you for sharing your expertise.
That is fantastic! Let me know how it goes!