This document outlines the typical lifecycle of submitting a short story from selecting markets, submitting to multiple publications, dealing with rejections, potentially revising and resubmitting, and finally getting a story purchased. It discusses the differences between professional and prestige markets and payment rates. It also provides resources for finding appropriate markets, submitting correctly, and tracking submissions. Key steps include reading guidelines, starting with top markets, using standard formatting, handling form rejections, and promoting work if purchased.

1. THE LIFECYCLE OF A SHORT
STORY
LYNNE M. THOMAS AND MICHAEL DAMIAN
THOMAS
UNCANNY MAGAZINE

2. WHERE ARE THE MARKETS?
• SFWA Eligibility List
• Tracking
• Submission Grinder
• Ralan
• Duotrope

3. PROFESSIONAL VS PRESTIGE MARKETS
• Professional rates
• Exposure
• For the love

4. SUBMISSION LIFECYCLE: SELECT YOUR MARKET
1. Read the magazines/markets
2. Read the guidelines
3. Start at the top, work down

5. SUBMIT YOUR STORY
1. Standard Manuscript Format
2. Cover Letter: Less is more
3. First Readers: They are YOU.
4. The numbers game

6. REJECTOMANCY
1. Form rejections from first readers
2. Personalized rejections from first readers
(where applicable)
3. Making it to the fiction editors (YAY!)
4. Personalized rejections from fiction editors

7. REVISE AND RESUBMIT
• Less common
• No guarantees, but general intent to
purchase if revisions approved

8. STORY PURCHASED ! WOO HOO! WHAT NOW?
• Contract
• Line Edits
• Copy Edits
• Proofs
• Publication

9. PROMOTION!

10. REPRINTS

11. SFWA QUALIFYING MARKETS & SHORT FICTION
VENUES
• AE
• Analog Science Fiction &
Fact
• Apex (June 2008-)
• Arc Manor
• Asimov’s Science Fiction
• Beneath Ceaseless Skies
• Buzzy Mag
• Cemetery Dance
• Cicada
• Clarkesworld
• Cosmos
• Cricket
• Crossed Genres
• Daily Science Fiction
• Diabolical Plots
• Escape Pod
• Fantastic Stories of the
Imagination
• Flash Fiction Online
• Galaxy’s Edge Magazine
• Grantville Gazette (May
2007-)
• Highlights
• Interfictions Online
• Lightspeed Magazine
• The Magazine of Fantasy &
Science Fiction
• Nature
• Nightmare Magazine
• Odyssey
• Orson Scott Card’s
Intergalactic Medicine Show
• Star Citizen Jump Point
Magazine
• Strange Horizons
• Tor.com
• Uncanny Magazine
• Unlikely Story
• Writers of the Future
Anthology
http://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/sfwa-membership-requirements/#qualify

12. SUBMISSION RESOURCES
Submission Grinder (Free: you add your data)
http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com
Duotrope (NOT free: you still add your data)
https://dupotrope.com
Ralan (market list only: no additional data)
http://www.ralan.com
Standard Manuscript Format: Short Story
http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html
Standard Manuscript Format: Novel
http://www.shunn.net/format/novel.html

13. QUESTIONS?