First Short Story Sale

Stormlord · Feb 10, 2016

I have finally made my first sale, at Fiction Magazine. It took about 4 to 5 months since I began to submit stories to be accepted in a paying market and it took about a month to be accepted by fiction magazine after submission. I was a bit worn by the process but i'm glad I kept trying. What helped me is branching out to different genres, so if you're having a hard time, perhaps switch it up a bit. You never know what you'll be good at.

So what was everyone's first sale and where at? Did you ever expect to sell the piece accepted?

CL Polk · Feb 10, 2016

Mine was at Gothic.net, years ago. the first short story I ever wrote. I sent it to four markets before it was sold.

Kind of a curse, really. it took years for me to sell another short. Baen's UNIVERSE, the first market I sent it to. and then, one market away from qualifying for SFWA? I quit writing for ten years.

Michael Panetta · Feb 10, 2016

Congratulations on selling your story.

4 to 5 months is pretty impressive. In my two years of submitting, some of my sh** clung well enough enough for a round two bump/we're holding this for consideration/close but no cigar, but no sales as of this moment.

blacbird · Feb 10, 2016

Stormlord said:
So what was everyone's first sale and where at?

Not everyone has had a first sale.

caw

Glyax · Feb 11, 2016

I haven't sold to anything to an official medium

....just pitty purchases of my self published book from friends and family haha

Jamesaritchie · Feb 11, 2016

Stormlord said:
I have finally made my first sale, at Fiction Magazine. It took about 4 to 5 months since I began to submit stories to be accepted in a paying market and it took about a month to be accepted by fiction magazine after submission. I was a bit worn by the process but i'm glad I kept trying. What helped me is branching out to different genres, so if you're having a hard time, perhaps switch it up a bit. You never know what you'll be good at.

So what was everyone's first sale and where at? Did you ever expect to sell the piece accepted?

Congratulations! That's wonderful news. Another upside is that from now on, whenever you get worn down, whenever you feel a bit depressed, whenever the submission game isn't going your way, you can look at this sale and say, "I did it once, so I can do it again."

My first sale was to a western magazine called Far West Magazine. It was called "The Ordeal". That was roughly three hundred years ago. I'm still proud of that story. It was the first short story I ever wrote, and I quit my day job based on that sale, so it holds a special place in my memory.

Roughly every five years, some editor tries to get me to turn that story into an MG novel. I always says I'd really love to do that, but then I never find the time. Ah, well, maybe next time.

- - - Updated - - -

blacbird said:
Not everyone has had a first sale.

caw

Yet.

Fruitbat · Feb 11, 2016

Congrats, stormlord! :partyguy:

Shadowflame · Feb 12, 2016

Congrats!

JimRac · Feb 12, 2016

Stormlord said:
I have finally made my first sale, at Fiction Magazine. It took about 4 to 5 months since I began to submit stories to be accepted in a paying market and it took about a month to be accepted by fiction magazine after submission. I was a bit worn by the process but i'm glad I kept trying. What helped me is branching out to different genres, so if you're having a hard time, perhaps switch it up a bit. You never know what you'll be good at.

So what was everyone's first sale and where at? Did you ever expect to sell the piece accepted?

Congratulations!

A few minutes ago, I just received my very first rejection. I feel like a real writer now!

Taylor Harbin · Feb 13, 2016

Great job! I sold my first story to Bards and Sages Quarterly in September of last year. It will be published in an anthology next month, "The Great Tome of Lost Relics and Forgotten Artifacts." My story is called "The Nimrod Lexicon." Took me about two years since I began writing shorts to make a sale, but grad school kept me occupied and I wasn't letting myself write speculative pieces like I do now. One of my goals for 2016 is to sell some work to a SFWA qualifying market.

Stormlord · Feb 13, 2016

JimRac said:
Congratulations!

A few minutes ago, I just received my very first rejection. I feel like a real writer now!

My first rejection was from Asimov's haha And I felt it was important as well because I had finally taken that first step to submit something. I admit, a few times I wanted to give up, but don't! Who knows what may happen. Give it your best

Jamesaritchie said:
Congratulations! That's wonderful news. Another upside is that from now on, whenever you get worn down, whenever you feel a bit depressed, whenever the submission game isn't going your way, you can look at this sale and say, "I did it once, so I can do it again."

My first sale was to a western magazine called Far West Magazine. It was called "The Ordeal". That was roughly three hundred years ago. I'm still proud of that story. It was the first short story I ever wrote, and I quit my day job based on that sale, so it holds a special place in my memory.

Roughly every five years, some editor tries to get me to turn that story into an MG novel. I always says I'd really love to do that, but then I never find the time. Ah, well, maybe next time.

I do feel better about my work, like I know it's possible now.
You quit your job based on your first sale? Wow xD I'm imagining that. A dramatic "I quit" after you realize it sold.
I would like to try my hand at a western one day.

Michael Panetta said:
Congratulations on selling your story.

4 to 5 months is pretty impressive. In my two years of submitting, some of my sh** clung well enough enough for a round two bump/we're holding this for consideration/close but no cigar, but no sales as of this moment.

I had a lot of no's before the yes. To the point where I wasn't sure if I could keep it up. But I tried branching out and trying different places. I submitted a lot, maybe that's why it happened in 4 to 5 months. I tried to pick places that accepted simultaneous submission (After I tried the bigger markets like Clarkesworld and such). I say don't give up! For every 60 No's you're bound to get a yes!

Stormlord · Feb 13, 2016

I guess the first sale will always be the fondest. And if you haven't yet, then it's coming! I'm certainly not going to stop trying. It'll probably be another 60 no's to the next sale haha

Thank you everyone for the support. I look forward to being there when you make your first sale!

Jeff C. Stevenson · Feb 14, 2016

Congrats Stormland! I've been fortunate to currently be mining a lot of ideas, having written 15 short stories since September and sold 4 with the rest out being read/rejected/considered. I love having so many ideas "coming to me" and then writing them and sending them out to see how many float...or sink!

PEBKAC2 · Mar 3, 2016

Congratulations!

Calla Lily · Mar 3, 2016

Congratulations!

CharlyT · Mar 4, 2016

Stormlord said:
I have finally made my first sale, at Fiction Magazine. It took about 4 to 5 months since I began to submit stories to be accepted in a paying market and it took about a month to be accepted by fiction magazine after submission. I was a bit worn by the process but i'm glad I kept trying. What helped me is branching out to different genres, so if you're having a hard time, perhaps switch it up a bit. You never know what you'll be good at.

So what was everyone's first sale and where at? Did you ever expect to sell the piece accepted?

Congrats!!

My first 'sale' was to a non-paying market for a fantasy flash fiction piece this past October (started writing shorts in March of last year). Does that count? My first paid sale was to a token market (got paid a whopping $7.50!) the very next month, and there's been nothing since then. There've been long breaks (anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months) over the last year during which I've either been working on novel projects or just not been writing at all because of getting discouraged. I always come back to doing shorts, though. The urge may go to sleep, but it seems to come back tougher after every 'nap'.

gettingby · Mar 18, 2016

blacbird said:
Not everyone has had a first sale.

caw

Exactly, I've been trying with some new stuff. I kind of love how long it takes to get a response right now. I can start expecting them around graduation. Hopefully, after my thesis defense. Unless some crazy editor actually wants one of my stories. Then I want to hear today. I know that's not going to happen. I want to have stuff out there because I'm really trying to be a short story writer. Everything I'm sending out is polished and my best. I would like to think me new best is better than my old best. I've gotten hundreds of rejections. I really want to break in somewhere, but, man, it is tough out there.

First Short Story Sale

Stormlord

Child of Thoth. I am the Scribe.

CL Polk

Michael Panetta

blacbird

Glyax

Self-proclaimed Wordsmith

Jamesaritchie

Fruitbat

.

Shadowflame

Gametrovert

JimRac

Taylor Harbin

Power to the pen!

Stormlord

Child of Thoth. I am the Scribe.

Stormlord

Child of Thoth. I am the Scribe.

Jeff C. Stevenson

Author of FORTNEY ROAD

PEBKAC2

Will crit for food.

Calla Lily

On hiatus

CharlyT

gettingby