How many queries for short fiction?

[GreaterGatsby]

I'm new to the short fiction market and have started submitting a piece. I know for novels we should query in batches of 5-10. Is there a different rule of thumb for short fiction?

Thank you!

[Polenth]

You don't usually query for short stories. Most places want to see the whole story with a short cover letter (title, genre, word count, credits if you have them... don't describe the story unless they ask you to in the submission guidelines). Simultaneous submissions (sending to more than one place at once) are often frowned on by markets. They won't look on it kindly if you withdraw because you've sold elsewhere, unless they stated in their guidelines that sim subs were okay. So mostly, you'll be sending the story to one place at a time.

[Anne Lyle]

This.

Pick a publication, send them your story in the format requested in the guidelines. If/when it's rejected, rinse and repeat until sold or you run out of markets for that story.

You can have multiple stories out on submission to different markets at the same time. But only one story per market. And unless the rejection says "Please for the love of God never send us another story - ever!", assume you are free to try again with something else :)

Short fiction is a totally different beast to novels.

[Buffysquirrel]

Always follow the guidelines. You will be loved. Well, within reason.

[Ken]

... for me, I only have a few places I'd really want to submit to for any given piece. I rarely submit simultaneously. Some markets say you can't and others prefer you don't. Best thing I've found is to research places that publish stuff similar to what you write in terms of slant and all. Then sub to them regularly. As soon as you get a piece back, send out another, and another, till you get an acceptance. That's been my tactic in any event. G'luck.

[Jamesaritchie]

I can think of only three short story markets that ask for queries. The rest want the complete manuscript. And you submit to one market at a time.

[Kate Thornton]

Best of luck with your story - now get to work on the next one while you're waiting to hear!


..

[Stijn Hommes]

It really depends on the market you're aiming for. The better paying ones tend not to like simultaneous submissions, but there are also quite a few who have no problem with them.

Just send it to the market you most want to see your story published and work your way down the list -- submitting simultaneously when the opportunity arises.

[GreaterGatsby]

Thanks for the comments. I had no idea it was one at a time! But I'm confused - what's a "market?" does that mean one magazine or publication? Or something else?

[Adam Israel]

Yes, a market is the magazine or publisher you'd be submitting to.

Check out Duotrope (http://www.duotrope.com/) for a list of markets. It's the best resource of its kind.

[johnnysannie]

I can think of only three short story markets that ask for queries. The rest want the complete manuscript. And you submit to one market at a time.

Unless it is one of the increasing number of markets that is open to sim-subs (simotaneous submissions) but even so, be sure and tell them it's out to more than one market.

[Jamesaritchie]

Unless it is one of the increasing number of markets that is open to sim-subs (simotaneous submissions) but even so, be sure and tell them it's out to more than one market.


I don't think it's a good idea, even if the markets allow it. Send a story to five markets at once, and you just lost four chances to make the story better.

Better to send a separate story to each of the five markets, and then do a rotational submission until each of the five has rejected every story.

[blacbird]

And you submit to one market at a time.

Not everyone, including many successful writers and editors, agrees with this statement.

[nkkingston]

Not everyone, including many successful writers and editors, agrees with this statement.

True, but since the majority of short story markets are fairly prompt compared with novels, unless you've only got one story on the go patience is a virtue. It's rare not to hear back within a month, unless you're pitching at one of the really big markets. I've got a story out with a market that typically takes 9 months to respond, which I'm very tempted to submit elsewhere, but I don't lose anything by waiting (and I might well gain!).

ETA Looking through my duotrope stats, places that take electronic submissions usually get back to me within a month. Postal subs usually take longer (around three months)

[MJNL]

Personally, I think a story should be the best it can be before you start subbing (not that I've always done that or anything), so submitting to one market at a time, versus 5, to ensure that you get 4 extra chances to edit seems a little silly.

But, I usually only submit to one market at a time, because I have a top-down system. There aren't 5 markets that I'd be equally pleased about if I were to be published in them. I have my favorites.

So, let's say you send your story out to 5 markets-- two you really love and 3 you feel so-so about. A month later, one of the so-so markets gets back to you with an acceptance. Hooray! Except, you haven't heard back from any of the other markets yet. Selling shorts isn't like selling a novel--typically you don't sit around waiting for the best offer. You sell the rights to the first bidder, not the highest. It's unprofessional to write back and say, "Thanks, but I'm waiting for my preferred market to respond" or, "Thanks for the offer, but a better market has decided to buy it."

Of course, if all 5 markets are the same to you, it’s a moot point.

[blacbird]

Personally, I think a story should be the best it can be before you start subbing (not that I've always done that or anything), so submitting to one market at a time, versus 5, to ensure that you get 4 extra chances to edit seems a little silly.

Not to mention that it flies directly in the face of Heinlein's sacred Rule Number Three:

You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.

[nkkingston]

Not to mention that it flies directly in the face of Heinlein's sacred Rule Number Three:

You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.

Don't think I'd have made a penny without rewriting. I just need to get into the habit of doing it before the first, impulsive sub...

[Jamesaritchie]

Not everyone, including many successful writers and editors, agrees with this statement.

Can you name a few?

It' s areally, really dumb thing to do, and agree or not, when you submit to five markets, you just lost four chances to rewrite.

[nkkingston]

I don't think rewriting is the reason most people tell you not to; you shouldn't submit at all until the story is 'done'. MJNL nails it above: if you submit to five markets, and one of the least known/paying/favourite markets responds first, do you accept and hope the better markets would have rejected you anyway, or turn them down and hope you haven't thrown away your only acceptance?

I can't think off the top of my head, but if you look through the threads here you'll find a couple of fairly big authors who've never subscribed to one-at-a-time, but they're an exception rather than the rule.

[AlwaysJuly]

I don't think rewriting is the reason most people tell you not to; you shouldn't submit at all until the story is 'done'. MJNL nails it above: if you submit to five markets, and one of the least known/paying/favourite markets responds first, do you accept and hope the better markets would have rejected you anyway, or turn them down and hope you haven't thrown away your only acceptance?
That's why if you simultaneously sub (only to markets that allow it, of course), you have to sub in tiers. I did a workshop with a writing teacher (who has a pretty long list of short stories published in the lit fic world) who recommending doing simultaneous subs, but he has a tier list - so he sends out to, say, the 5 best know, highest paying markets, and he'd be equally happy to get an acceptance in any. Then if they all pass, he sends the story out to the next tier list down.

If you're going to simultaneously sub, it has to be done thoughtfully - it does not make sense to send the same story out to The New Yorker and Bob's Basement Journal at the same time.

[Gray Rose]

If you're going to simultaneously sub, it has to be done thoughtfully - it does not make sense to send the same story out to The New Yorker and Bob's Basement Journal at the same time.

While I agree in principle, I also want to point out that TNY does not accept simultaneous submissions.