Paying it forward: Where to submit short fiction (lists, sites, and how I do it)
(Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash)
Writers are subject to the stereotype of lonely, isolated hermits. Anyone actively engaged in a writing life know that while solitude is a requisite for actually getting the writing done, a writing community gives you the scaffolding to keep standing tall and continue reaching for the stars.
I'm lucky. Confidence was instilled in me from my birth, my parents letting me pursue every interest and hobby (hello competitive dance, what's up print journalism as a high schooler, let's get it varsity track, yearbook editing, school plays, etc). I did a lot. I still do. I actually enjoy being active, but hey, I get it it's not for everyone. And so I always wrote. Snippets of sappy poetry. Song lyrics reflecting the inner turmoil over an unrequited crush (or dozens). And I got a degree in journalism. I've been writing for hours, days, weeks, months my whole life. They say (and by they, I mean Malcolm Gladwell), that it takes 10,000 hours of practice before mastering a skill. And of course this has been debunked, but bear with me. I've been doing the thing and writing for a long time. I've had teachers, mentors, writing friends along the way. But I don't have a twenty-person MFA cohort of folks in my genre that have been ride or dies for years.
Find your writing tribe
My writing community, my group of creatively minded peers is scattered, folks I've picked up along the way by happenstance and destiny (Nicolas DiDomizio), by some light stalking (shoutout to the lovely Katie Cline), and by putting myself out there by submitting my work to literary magazines, residencies and retreats, and conferences (Josh Sippie and Moe Shalabi, what would I be without your email penpalship and each of your unique brand of writerly cheerleading?!).
And so when I attended the Generation Women Writers Residency earlier this month, I left with the feeling that my wolf pack had grown by a dozen. And one of the things I had to share was a prized list of literary magazines to submit to.
Credit where credit is due, always: this is not a list I curated or created. I found it. And I'm here to share it far and wide, because there's enough opportunity, enough sparks from the muses, and enough writing love to go around the world over (many many times).
The Holy Grail – Top 500 Literary Magazines to submit short fiction to
Writer Erika Krouse manages this incredibly helpful list and ranking of literary magazines for writers to submit short fiction to. Personally, it's open in a tab alongside my bespoke submission tracker (ahem Google Sheet) and I must bestow a shower of blessings and gratitude to Erika who updates it each and every year. She also paid it forward and gave credit to the folks she referenced Clifford Garstang and John Fox (both have excellent writing blogs).
Here is (what I consider) the definitive ranking of fiction literary magazines.
So how do I do it?
Easy. (Jokes. It's not easy. It takes the finicky combination of guts, perseverance, patience, and crocodile-hide skin).
My step-by-step process for writing and submitting short fiction
Write the thing. Write with reckless abandon. Pants it, plot it, first draft it. Whatever. Jot down the ideas and then hustle toward a rough (ROUGHHHHH) first draft. You can't finesse without something to work from.
Edit. In whatever way works for you – a round of character revisions. Tightening dialogue. Line level edits. A copyedit to find and correct those pesky typos and brain swaps (write and right, amirite?)
Leave it alone. Let it stew. Go take a walk, a run, a bath, a vacation. Live your life.
Keep editing, baby. Revisions could go on forever (more on that later, you shouldn't let them).
Maybe it's ain a good place? Perhaps you're not deathly embarrassed of the words you've ached and stewed over? Share it with friends, loved ones, lovers, family, writing family, your neighbor who has a subscription to the New Yorker.
Ask for feedback, and be specific. Do you want applause and congratulations for simply finishing? Prob send it to your mom. Need a skewering critique? Off to your most discerning writing partner. Desperate for a reliable account of how it lands? Call in those beta readers and book lovers from your network.
Keep revising. Throw some feedback away, keep what works for you.
Research a ton. Read literary magazines and short stories, contemporary and classic alike. Devour stories. Listen to stories. Read them out loud, others', yours, whatever.
Come up with a short list of 5 or so mags that accept simultaneous submissions. Be super respectful, humble, and confidence at the same time. It sounds like a weird mix, but just do it.
SUBMIT.
You did it! You've accomplished what so many struggle to – you've written a piece of your soul, a story ready to share with the world, and you've taken the giant jump of faith by daring to share it with the world.
Happy submitting! Can't wait to hear about your success, and share our collective wins along the way.
