In early 2020, I became managing editor for the online magazine of the Chicago Writers Association. At that time, 1-2 submissions hit my inbox daily, but it wasn’t long before that number doubled. Perhaps it was due to the pandemic and writers having more time. Perhaps more people were trying their hand at fiction and starting with short stories. Perhaps the magazine had a wider footprint since we were getting a lot of entries from outside the U.S. Whatever the reason, in a normal week I now read close to thirty short stories before forwarding about a third to my three associate editors for their feedback.
Unfortunately, while the quantity mushroomed, the quality did not. Many of the submissions meandered, had no discernible arc or ending, and were either overly wordy or conversely, so obscure it was hard for me to even tell what the story was about.
So, to improve your chances of getting published in literary journals, which can lead to landing an agent, a publishing contract, and a fan base of loyal readers, here are my short story publishing recommendations, paired with remarks from my associate editors.
It may be short, but it still needs a beginning, a middle, and an end
Short story publishing is no different than novel publishing in this sense — your story needs forward momentum. Introduce us to a character who has a conflict that propels them forward and then show us the challenges in the way toward their goal, until at the end there is either a plot twist we didn’t see coming or a character who is different than they were at the beginning. There must be a payoff.
To quote one editor recently, “I kept waiting for this to get to the point and it never did.”
Pick one central theme
You don’t have the luxury of 300 pages. (Check maximum word count for literary journals. Most today are around 4000, but many are much lower.) You only have time to focus on one major through-point. What is the overarching theme or emotion you’re exploring in your piece? Don’t jump around. Everything that happens must relate to this theme. Concentrate on the here-and-now.
Another editor advised: “Pick one thing and develop it better.”
P.S. The theme doesn’t always have to be serious. Most editors would love to see a well-written submission that uses humor to explore a familiar human challenge. Some days it’s seriously depressing to read five stories in a row about the death of a parent or a child.
Watch your pacing
When you have a limited word count, you can’t afford to spend a great deal of time delving into back story, excessive world-building or vast amounts of description. Winnow these down to specific evocative details that pack a punch and carry the story forward and/or flesh out the character.
Remember
“No tension, no surprises.”
“Too many side roads that weren’t important to the main story.”
Less truly is more
This is where we see writers violating the guideline of “show, don’t tell” because they think they need to dump loads of extraneous detail into the narrative for us to get it. Don’t wander into sub-plots or diversion. One main character. One main conflict. One main goal. Short stories are about one experience, not an entire person’s history.
“Don’t tell us his whole life story – show us one incident that changed or affected him.”
Clarity is paramount
Make sure you don’t raise questions you don’t answer. Don’t bring in secondary characters you don’t need. Don’t tell us about what happened “before” unless it serves the current story. Don’t confuse us or leave us dangling about motives, or relationships between characters.
One editor's complaint: “I literally had no idea what was going on in this story.”
Don’t neglect character development
It’s no different than a longer work – readers need to identify with your main character, understand what’s in their heart and mind, and know what makes them tick. This can be done deftly with telling details, through showing how they relate to others, or by writing in close POV so we’re privy to their thoughts. If possible, stick with a single POV and make them real to us.
As one editor put it: “We never get to know the main character, so we don’t care.”
Polish your writing
Even when the piece is short, you still need to watch your spelling, your punctuation, and your word choice when working toward short story publishing. Eliminate fluff and filler, make sure your similes shine or eliminate them. Long, convoluted descriptions may impress your writing pals but they take up precious word count which can be better used on strong plotting and character development.
“Too wordy and overwritten” is a frequent comment from my editors.
Spend Time on Your Title
In short story publishing, your title matters. It’s the first thing I see when I open your piece. Pique my interest. Is “Pinhead” or “Darkness” or “Home” really the best you can come up with? On the other hand, don’t pull out every fancy word you know just to show off. Brainstorm a bit and come up with a title that will catch not only my attention but those of our readers.
MAGGIE SMITH's debut, Truth and Other Lies, published March 2022. She hosts the weekly podcast Hear Us Roar (200+ episodes) and serves on the board of the Chicago Writer’s Association, as Managing Editor of their Write City E-Zine. She is currently querying her second novel, a psychological suspense called Blindspot.
Thank you, Maggie, for casting out excellent recommendations to reel writers back into a stronger focus on their work before submission.
Great advice!