How to Get a Book of Short Stories Published

How to Get a Book of Short Stories Published How to Get a Book of Short Stories Published Getting a book of short stories published takes persistence. Most manuscripts get rejected. You can’t take the rejections personally, though. You have to keep writing, revising, and submitting. These tips will put you in the best position to grab an editor’s attention. Getting Published Starts All with the Pitch Putting together a proper proposal is the first step in capturing any editor’s attention. Many conventional publishers prefer that writers present their pitches via mail with a cover letter. And while each publisher typically provides specific submission guidelines- formatting standards, the rules on simultaneous and multiple submissions- generally, the formatting is likely to be similar. In a sample template shared on his website, science fiction author William Shunn fleshes out the fundamentals. The example provided is presented as a pitch, and it shows precisely where to put contact information and word count, while also offering tips on what fonts are best to use, explains why double-spacing and wide margins are essential, and more. How to Decide Which Stories to Pitch Once you’ve figured out the formatting, do some legwork and make sure you’re reaching out to the right person. Perhaps try small presses that publish works similar to yours or works you admire. It’s also important to present stories that flow together and fall within the publisher’s wheelhouse.   When you’ve got a batch of stories that you love, compile the best ones together in one document. This way, you can see how each story works together as a short story collection. Your presentation will have continuity rather than reading like a random assortment of all the stories you’ve written. You might spend seemingly endless hours rearranging the order, putting new stories in, pulling old ones out, putting old ones back in again. Its worth the effort, as the sequence here is critical.   You’ll want to front-load your manuscript with your strongest stories. Rather than thinking about how they should be ordered when your book is published, you should instead focus on blowing an editor’s socks off right away. How to Get Experience Practicing Pitches Maybe youre not a seasoned writer, or perhaps you’re not ready to start pitching book editors yet. In this case, you might consider presenting your individual stories to online publications or literary magazines first. There are some practical ways this can be productive.   For starters, it can help you become proficient with the process. It can also help strengthen your resolve and make you resilient to rejections. And when you do get published, you’ll gain insight into which stories editors consider compelling. You’ll also build a body of work to bolster your credentials. Submitting your work to online publications and magazines is more streamlined and convenient compared to conventional publishing. As a result, you can spend more time developing pitches and less time tracking down pitching candidates and studying submission policies. Many publications use a piece of submission management software called Submittable to accept and review submissions, allowing writers to send their work and cover letters electronically.   The sites searchable database resembles a job board in that it lists the publications that are currently accepting submissions. The listings themselves include information on associated fees, submission requirements, and writers can submit all the files electronically. Even better, When you sign up for a free account, Submittable keeps track of your submissions and recommends other opportunities based on what you’ve already submitted. Alternative Publishing Avenues Pitching, of course, is the most prominent way to get published, but it isn’t the only way. Another road some writers take is self-publishing their stories digitally through Amazons Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).   Publishing an e-book is relatively easy, and it’s a great way to gain notice as a burgeoning author. If you sign up or already have an Amazon account, you can upload your manuscript and be exposed to a broad audience almost immediately.   For its part, Amazon provides plenty of resources to help get started with KDP. There is also a built-in community of established writers to answer questions and offer advice with formatting, marketing, and more.   Participating in contests can also sometimes lead to getting published. There are many short story contests (Press 53, the New Millennium Awards, the University of Notre Dames Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction) that you can find on sites like Poets Writers to enter. Several renown authors, including Antonya Nelson, Gina Oschner, Amina Gautier, Hugh Sheehy, Nancy Reisman, and Anthony Varallo, among others, have had short story collections published as a result of winning a contest.