firstwriter or writersmarket or other tools?

Here are a few magazines that publish literary short stories:

http://www.pshares.org/ (Ploughshares)

http://www.thesunmagazine.org/writer_guidelines.html (The Sun)

http://www.glimmertrainpress.com/writer/html/index2.asp (Glimmer Train Press)

As for Writer's Market, I use it. The New 2006 Deluxe edition gives you the book and online access for a year for $32.99 on Amazon.com. Of course, with any listing, you should cross-reference with that particular magazine's web site.

stormie said:

Here are a few magazines that publish literary short stories:

http://www.pshares.org/ (Ploughshares)

http://www.thesunmagazine.org/writer_guidelines.html (The Sun)

http://www.glimmertrainpress.com/writer/html/index2.asp (Glimmer Train Press)

As for Writer's Market, I use it. The New 2006 Deluxe edition gives you the book and online access for a year for $32.99 on Amazon.com. Of course, with any listing, you should cross-reference with that particular magazine's web site.

Click to expand...

These are good journals, but none of them publish fantasy stories, or genre stories period, for that matter. Definitely check out a copy of writer's market. I know there are other sites, like ralan's, that list genre markets. good luck.

Uh, Anna did say, "I'm looking for literary competitions and magazines for my short stories. " And I have seen stories in those publications that might be a good fit for what she's written.

And, remember, those were suggestions. And yes, I use ralan.com a lot. Doubt many of the listings would be for her. But you never know. Again, these are all just suggestions.

Anna, the first place you should send your work
is to the magazines you read. What are your
favorite mag? That's where you start.

Next, go to ralan.com and check out the pro
markets. You should always send your work
to the best-paying, highest-circulation, most-
presitgious markets first. You don't want to
publish in Vampire Dan's Story Emporium if
Asimov's would have bought the story.

When you skim through Ralan's listings, look
for mags you recognize first.

Also, I'd skip contests and look at anthologies
instead. Just as you should submit to mags
you read, take notice of the editors on the
anthologies you read and look for their names
in the listings.

And if you haven't already, check out Black
Gate. They're a pretty good fantasy magazine,
even though they have long response times.
They did just buy another one of my stories.

stormie said:

Uh, Anna did say, "I'm looking for literary competitions and magazines for my short stories. " And I have seen stories in those publications that might be a good fit for what she's written.

And, remember, those were suggestions. And yes, I use ralan.com a lot. Doubt many of the listings would be for her. But you never know. Again, these are all just suggestions.

Click to expand...

stormie, i wasn't trying to bash your suggestions -- just trying to steer anna in a more helpful direction, as those three magazines won't look at fantasy stories of any type. sorry if the comment rubbed you the wrong way.

You caught me in one of my "not calm" moments. Thus, "stormie." Sorry, too, for being annoyed and abrupt!

HConn said:

Anna, the first place you should send your work
is to the magazines you read. What are your
favorite mag? That's where you start.

Next, go to ralan.com and check out the pro
markets. You should always send your work
to the best-paying, highest-circulation, most-
presitgious markets first. You don't want to
publish in Vampire Dan's Story Emporium if
Asimov's would have bought the story.

When you skim through Ralan's listings, look
for mags you recognize first.

Also, I'd skip contests and look at anthologies
instead. Just as you should submit to mags
you read, take notice of the editors on the
anthologies you read and look for their names
in the listings.

And if you haven't already, check out Black
Gate. They're a pretty good fantasy magazine,
even though they have long response times.
They did just buy another one of my stories.

Click to expand...

Why anthologies instead of contests? Is there some hidden benefit of anthologies I don't know about? By the way, I write mainstream/literary.

La Reine, I don't know much about the mainstream short fiction world, but I do know contests are more accepted in that world.

For fantasy stories, there are enough outlets for your work that you don't have to enter a contest to be published, *especially* one that charges fees. The slush pile is the only contest anyone needs to enter.

And anthologies pay pretty well and they stay on the shelf a long time, if they're pro level.

But that's fantasy/science fiction.

Marketing literary short stories

Anna, you say your stories are fantasy cum Eastern philosophy which doesn't sound like literary fiction to me. But if you are sure you have written literary fiction then I have a few suggestions.

1. Check out all those websites and READ what the magazines publish. If you enjoying reading the magazine then it's probably a market for you. You can often buy a sample copy there. This is worth doing not only for the obvious reason of seeing what the editors like but also because when you buy a literary magazine you will often find that other literary magazines advertise their journal or competition there. I usually learn about four or five other magazines from reading one.

2. Here is the Canadian literary magazine website
http://www.placesforwriters.com/journals.htl

3. There aren't many literary anthologies but the competitions run by the magazines do count among the editors of such magazines. Also your story may not win but the editor might like it enough to ask to publish it any way. That has happened to me several times.

Many of the Canadian literary magazine competitions charge a highish entry fee but it includes a year's subscription to the magazine as well. This is a great way to support the magazine and read enough copies to know what the editor(s) wants.

4. In America there is a specific market book for short stories that covers Canada and the USA. It's the 'Novel and Short Story' markets book from the Writer's Digest people who do all the USA markets' books. It comes out every July/August I believe.

5. It takes time to learn about your markets so don't rush. If you are an organised writer who can write every day then you can profitably spend one hour a day researching markets and it pays dividends when you have short stories to send out.

conests

In truth, you need just about every guide you can get your hands on. Hit and miss doesn;t work well when looking for markets. You also need to read as many magazines as possible. It's very difficult to sell to a magazine unless you read several issues.

About 99% of all contests for any genre are worthless, even if you win. Anthologies are hugely better than all but a tiny handfull of contests.

Anna, you don't need published short fiction to write novels. If it's novels you love, it's novels you should write.

Why not concentrate on the novel and write short stories (more for fun) on the days you can't focus on the novel?