Do you want to see your short story get published? There is much more to it than just sending in submissions to magazines. To help you see your writing in print (or online) Skills Academy have put together 10 of the BEST tips you will ever get to help you publish your short stories.

1. 10 Tips to10 Tips to
Help YouHelp You
PublishPublish
Your ShortYour Short
StoriesStories
A Presentation

2. Maybe you have a whole
folder full of short stories

3. Maybe you have a whole
folder full of short stories
But you just can’t seem to get
them published

4. Maybe you have a whole
folder full of short stories
But you just can’t seem to get
them published
To help you do just that,
we’ve put together 10 of the
BEST TIPS you will ever get for
publishing your short story…

5. 1.1. Write aWrite a
good covergood cover
letter whenletter when
submittingsubmitting
your storyyour story

6. Your cover letter is the first
impression you make on the
editor

7. Your cover letter is the first
impression you make on the
editor
So make sure that you are
successfully selling yourself
and your story

8. What to write:
•A short introduction
of yourself.
•A summary of your
publication history
•And then a single
paragraph on your
story (this should be
a pitch, not a
synopsis!)

9. 2.2. Don’t justDon’t just
submitsubmit anyany
story tostory to anyany
publicationpublication

10. It is crucial that you research
and read the magazine or
journal you want to submit to
beforehand

11. It is crucial that you research
and read the magazine or
journal you want to submit to
beforehand
Make sure your story fits the
tone, style, and genre of the
publication – otherwise you
won’t get published

12. If you are too lazy to
do publication
research yourself,
you can subscribe to
Duotrope.com
“We have gathered millions
of points of data on the
publications that we list. All
this information is compiled
into useful reports that help
you make smart decisions”
– Duotrope

13. 3.3. Look forLook for
onlineonline
magazines –magazines –
not just printnot just print
publicationspublications

14. In today’s digital world,
online magazines have
become just as well-
respected as print magazines

15. In today’s digital world,
online magazines have
become just as well-
respected as print magazines
What’s more: There are far
more online magazines out
there, and its easier to get
published in them

16. You can also think
about starting to
write for blogs as a
way of building
your reputation
and experience a
bit
This is something
you can mention
in your cover letter

17. 4.4. Show yourShow your
stories tostories to
friends,friends,
colleagues,colleagues,
and peopleand people
whose opinionswhose opinions
you trustyou trust

18. Sure, you might feel too shy
to let anyone read your story.
But in the end you want to
submit the best story you
possibly can

19. Sure, you might feel too shy
to let anyone read your story.
But in the end you want to
submit the best story you
possibly can
So get over yourself and let
people read and critique
what you wrote!

20. If you are still too
shy about your
work, join an online
writer’s community
like
www.writerscafe.org
Here you can post
your work and get
reviews and advice
from thousands of
other writers

21. 5.5. ConsiderConsider
enteringentering
writingwriting
competitionscompetitions
as wellas well

22. A great alternative to getting
your short story published in a
magazine is to win a short
story competition

23. A great alternative to getting
your short story published in a
magazine is to win a short
story competition
There are countless
competitions out there – just
do a simple Google search to
find them

24. Here are some of
the biggest writing
competitions out
there:
•Commonwealth Short Story Prize
•Global Short Story Competition
•Bristol Short Story Competition
•Tom Howard/John H. Reid Contest
•Fiction Desk’s Ghost Story
Competition
•Lorian Hemingway Short Story
Competition

25. 6.6. BeBe
innovativeinnovative
andand
interestinginteresting

26. Maybe you are a good writer.
But every editor reads
thousands of well-written
short stories every month

27. Maybe you are a good writer.
But every editor reads
thousands of well-written
short stories every month
Write stories that are
innovative, engaging and
that will stay with the reader
long after they’ve moved on

28. Read your story
before submitting it
and ask yourself:
“Is this captivating
and interesting
enough to stand
out from other
equally well-written
stories?”

29. 7.7. Read theRead the
submissionsubmission
guidelinesguidelines
and followand follow
them to thethem to the
letterletter

30. Editors throw out submissions
merely because they don’t
follow simple submission
guidelines or format

31. Editors throw out submissions
merely because they don’t
follow simple submission
guidelines or format
If you were too lazy to follow
the guidelines –why should
an editor waste time reading
your story?

32. If you can’t find a
specific
magazine’s
guidelines online,
simply send an
e-mail to the
magazine or
journal and ask for
it

33. 8.8. MoneyMoney
comescomes
second!second!

34. Sure, you want to start
making money from your
writing, but it is more
important to get published
and start building a
reputation

35. Sure, you want to start
making money from your
writing, but it is more
important to get published
and start building a
reputation
Money comes later. If you
keep it up, it will come

36. “Yes, I’ve made a great deal
of dough from my fiction, but
I never set a single word
down on paper with the
thought of being paid for it …
I have written because it
fulfilled me … I did it for the
buzz. I did it for the pure joy
of the thing”
- Stephen King

37. 9.9. KeepKeep
working –working –
keep tryingkeep trying

38. If your story gets rejected, go
back and rewrite it, or write
something else – something
better

39. If your story gets rejected, go
back and rewrite it, or write
something else – something
better
It might take a while before
you perfect your style, but the
only way to do it is to
practice

40. “A professional
writer is an amateur
who didn’t quit”
- Richard Bach

41. 10.10. Don’tDon’t
ever fearever fear
rejectionrejection

42. Maybe you will only get 1 in
10 stories published – maybe
less. This is normal, so don’t
stress about it

43. Maybe you will only get 1 in
10 stories published – maybe
less. This is normal, so don’t
stress about it
Just keep submitting stories.
Submit as much as you can!

44. Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone
was rejected 12
times before J.K.
Rowling found a
company that
wanted to publish
her book

45. Bonus Tip:Bonus Tip:
If you wantIf you want
to learn howto learn how
to writeto write
better…better…

46. You can enrol for one of Skills
Academy’s Writing Courses
Learn how to craft better stories,
and develop new writing skills

47. You can enrol for one of Skills
Academy’s Writing Courses
Click on the button below to find
out more

48. You can enrol for one of Skills
Academy’s Writing Courses
Click on the button below to find
out more
OR talk to us on 0800 040 040