Joined: 4/7/2013
Posts: 4
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I've heard that a great way to break in is to sell short stories. Well, I've written a few, but I'm now having a hard time figuring out where to place them. Just like with my longer stories, I write stories that connect with me, not stories that will fit a particular publication. I guess what I'm asking is, does anybody know of some places that accept good, general fiction? Other than Glitter Train and Writer's Digest, that is.
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Joined: 6/18/2012
Posts: 228
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There are a lot of great places out there that specialize in short fiction.
Many academic lit mags are great. Depending on where you set your goals, there's also Tin House, The New Yorker, One Story. There are overseas mags as well. I placed a piece in Versal, and really enjoyed working with their editors.
I like Duotrope (https://duotrope.com/) as a resource to research pubs that are open to submission and to discover pubs that are similar to my voice. (I joined a long time ago, but it now has a $5 monthly fee.)
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i can help with dark sci-fi/fantasy/horror but not general fiction, unfortunately. 
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A couple of months ago, I came across everydayfiction.com, where people submit short stories no more than 1,000 words long. I submitted one story two months ago, and a second last week (average time in queue is three months, so I'm still waiting on a response). It's an excellent exercise in conciseness, and it's a good outlet for when you have an idea for something quick. The average story quality on the site is hit or miss, but it's a chance to get your work out there, and they pay ($3 per story that they publish, but better than nothing). They also do print edition anthologies every year of the best stories they get. --edited by Ian Nathaniel Cohen on 7/15/2013, 12:26 PM--
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Joined: 9/17/2013
Posts: 104
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I don't know if I've "broken in" yet, but I have published some short stories.
I searched through the markets in the big directories, searched the web for years, sent stories to magazines and journals, and sold nothing. Then I started writing fiction and creative non-fiction for free for a club newsletter. Only a small part of what I wrote would work for the club, but it was something. I won modest cash prizes in story writing contests sponsored by a local newspaper. Then I went to the bookstore and bought copies of regional magazines that sometimes printed short fiction like mine, and I made a connection with a magazine editor who liked my stuff. He even paid me for a couple of stories.
I researched publishing houses and after a couple years I was fortunate to find a small traditional publisher with ties to my part of the country. The publisher had not been working in fiction but he took a chance on my first collection of short stories two years ago. I sold some books and I made some friends. My readers said they liked the book and asked for another, and my second collection with the same publisher should be out late this year.
I give about a dozen stories a year to a local community events newspaper and the club newsletter. I'm happy to do this for no pay. The editors are good to me and it reminds some of my readers that I'm still out here.
There is a lot of good writing that never finds its audience. My advice is to start small, start local, be persistent and be patient. After a very slow start, I think I've seen about 60-70 of my stories in print. It helps to be lucky. I think I am.
I'm working on my first long story now. I have 52,000 words. It won't be done for a year. When I'm ready to release the book, I hope my record of publishing short stories will help sell it.
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