Short stories may be shorter in length, but that doesn’t mean they’re less impactful. They’re generally more focused, emphasizing critical characters and significant plot points. Even though the word “short” may make the process sound simple, it can actually be harder to write a short story. In fact, if you want to know how to get a short story published, there are secrets you need to know.
Here at The Unapologetic Voice House, we aspire to help every unspoken voice be seen, heard, and witnessed.
In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to get a short story published, and even provide you with five tips for successfully publishing your short story.
How to Get a Short Story Published: Five Tips You Need to Remember
Write a Cover Letter
Apart from writing your short story, you’ll want to include a cover letter when you submit it. A cover letter explains who you are, what your story is about, and why the publisher should accept your work.
A cover letter is short, sweet, and straight to the point. It’s also the easiest part of submitting a short story. Although all publishing houses have different submission guidelines, you’ll want to include your name, the name of your story, and how long it is.
Do Your Research
From one-person operations that offer copies to larger magazines that pay cash, there are a plethora of publishers to choose from. You should never send your work just anywhere, but you shouldn’t send it everywhere either.
First of all, you want to make sure the publisher has a good reputation. If they have several awards or offer money for submissions, that’s even better. However, you should never limit yourself to paying markets.
Read the Submission Guidelines
The submission guidelines may be intimidating, but that doesn’t mean they’re not important. When you’re ready to submit your short story, you should read the guidelines thoroughly.
Additionally, you should follow the guidelines to a T. If the maximum word limit is 1,000, you shouldn’t submit a story with 1,001 words. Publishers receive a lot of submissions, which means they use the guidelines as criteria for accepting or rejecting a story.
Accept Rejection
You may get 100 rejections before you get one “yes.” Rejection can be frustrating and even embarrassing, especially if you’re constantly being told “no.”
Unfortunately, publishers may reject your story for reasons you won’t even know because some publishers don’t take the time to explain why you were denied or provide helpful feedback.
Keep in mind that while your story may be rejected, when you finally get accepted, it’ll be even more exciting and worth celebrating!
Embrace the Editing Process
The editing process is essential for publishing a short story. In fact, it’s even more important than writing your story. While editing a short story will most likely be quicker than editing a novel, it’ll still take some time to make sure that there are no plot holes, style problems, and your grammar and spelling are correct.
If you’ve finished your story before you start looking for a publisher, consider investing in having a professional editor review your manuscript before submission. A poorly written manuscript filled with errors can elicit a rejection, even if you have a good idea. You can ask your family, friends, and reading group to review your manuscript and give you feedback.
At the end of the day, the more editing you do, the closer to perfect your short story will be – which means the better your chance of getting your short story published!
Share Your Story With Us
Want to learn how to get a short story published? We can help. As an independent book publishing house, The Unapologetic Voice House offers a blend of traditional and self-publishing services, as well as developmental editing and proofreading, to provide you with flexibility.
To learn how we can help bring your story to life, submit a query letter today!