So you’ve decided to take the plunge and start submitting your short stories to publishing markets. But if you don’t know how to read submissions calls for short fiction, you’re going to have a bad time. One wrong move could spell disaster for your story’s chances. Thankfully, it’s not hard to learn the lingo and keep yourself out of trouble. It all boils down to learning a few common terms.
How to Read Submissions Calls for Short Fiction: Common Terms
When you’re first learning how to read submissions calls for short fiction, the common terms used in every listing can seem pretty opaque. How are you supposed to know what all of these words and phrases mean, and who the hell is Shunn? Take a deep breath and keep reading to find out how to tell a simultaneous submission from a multiple submission and more.
Compensation
Compensation is the amount of money you can expect to make if your story is selected for publication. Some outlets will also pay partially in contributor’s copies, which we’ll talk about in just a moment. At the time of this writing, a professional rate is $0.08 USD per word for fantasy and science fiction or $0.05 USD per word for horror. Semi-pro rates range from $0.02 USD/word and up, and token payments are capped at $0.01 USD/word. Token payments are common in the case of reprints, which are discussed later in this list.
Only you can decide whether the amount of compensation a market offers is enough for your story. There are advantages to writing for token payments, but remember that people die from exposure. I generally recommend exhausting the pro-paying markets before submitting to semi-pro and token outlets, but you may feel differently, and that’s OK.
Contributor’s Copies
Contributor’s copies are copies of the book, journal, or magazine in which your work appears, given to you in exchange for the right to publish your work. Digital-only markets may offer .EPUB copies of their work, or they may publish blog-style instead. Some markets will allow you to purchase additional contributor’s copies at a reduced rate, but this is becoming increasingly rare as publishing adapts to the recession.
Cover Letter
Your cover letter is just that: a brief letter to the editor, letting them know that you’re submitting to their publication. When you’re learning how to read submissions calls for short fiction, remember to always take note of what the outlet wants you to include in your cover letter. I have a handy guide to writing a short story cover letter on this blog.
Multiple Submissions
The term “multiple submissions” refers to authors submitting more than one piece at a time for consideration. Most outlets don’t allow this, or will cap multiple submissions at two or three. Most publications that accept multiple submissions will ask you to submit each story as a separate file.
Some markets may invite you to submit another story as soon as you receive a rejection. Others may impose a cooldown period after a rejection or acceptance, in which case an author must wait a set amount of time before submitting again. I’ve seen cooldown periods as short as three days and as long as one year.
Note that these rules apply less often to poetry. Poetry markets are more likely to accept multiple submissions, and they often want them in the same document. Still, these rules are subject to change and vary widely from outlet to outlet, so you should always read the submissions guidelines carefully before offering up your work for consideration.
Querying
Querying has two meanings when it comes to short-fiction submissions calls.
The first and most common refers to a polite inquiry to see whether your story is still under consideration at the market. A publication will often invite you to query via email if you have not received an acceptance, rejection, or hold notice after a set period of time—usually one to six months. If the submissions guidelines do not list a time frame after which to query, look for a notice about how long they expect their response times to be. If you’re well past that time—two weeks or more—I recommend sending a brief email to ask whether your story is still being considered for publication.
The second meaning of “query” refers to an email sent to the editors before you submit. Markets accepting this type of query will ask you to send them a message under certain circumstances—if your story is over a certain word count, say, or involves a particular trigger warning. Make sure to check for this kind of requirement and query first if your story meets it.
Reprints
Reprints are pretty self-explanatory. These are previously published stories. For most markets, a story is considered a reprint if it has ever been available to read in print or on the web—including on your Patreon or Substack. Some markets will accept reprints only under very specific circumstances, like those that are not or never have been available online, or in print, or as an audio recording.
Why does it matter? Because most markets purchase first rights, meaning they’re the first to publish the work in question. You can only sell first rights once—hence, why reprints are often sold for semi-pro or token payments. Clarkesworld editor Neil Clarke has a great guide to knowing whether or not your story is a reprint here.
If you choose to submit a reprint, be sure to include the original publication information in your cover letter. This includes the market, editor, and date of original publication.
Shunn Manuscript Format
Ah, Shunn. Know it. Love it. Memorize it. Because you’re going to be using it a lot.
Shunn manuscript format—sometimes referred to as “standard manuscript format”—is the gold standard for fiction formatting. There are two versions: modern and classic. The main difference between the two is that classic manuscript format calls for a Courier font face as opposed to Times New Roman, but there are a few other stylization changes you’ll have to make to switch between formats.
My advice: get used to writing your stories in Shunn modern format, and make sure you make any changes requested in the submissions guidelines. These requests are usually matters of font face, but some may ask you to blend the two manuscript formats together, e.g., using Courier and italics instead of underlining.
Simultaneous Submissions
A story is considered a simultaneous submission if it is under consideration at multiple outlets at once. Some markets accept simultaneous submissions—a.k.a simsubs or simusubs—and others don’t. It’s up to you to make sure you’ve followed the rules for every submission; not doing so could get you blacklisted from a market. Best practice is to indicate a simsub in your cover letter and email the editor to withdraw it immediately if it’s accepted elsewhere.
Story Length
This is pretty self-explanatory, but I include it here because so many writers completely ignore markets’ story-length requirements. They think their work is the exception, that if the editor only reads it, they’ll see they have to publish it.
This is not the case. You are not the exception to the rule. If you think you are, then you are probably the reason the rule exists. If a market says their upper threshold is 5,000 words, do not submit a story that is 5,001. Find a word and cut it instead.
Submissions Manager
Some markets use submissions managers to, well, manage submissions. These platforms include Submittable, Moksha, and Duosma. Others may have their own proprietary submissions tools. Still others may simply use email to keep track of who submits what.
Regardless of how a market chooses to manage its submissions, it’s up to you to follow the rules. If they accept submissions via Moksha, don’t try to email them your short story. This applies even if they are closed to Moksha submissions. Similarly, if they have one email for submissions and another for queries, use the one that applies to you.
Submissions Period
Finally, let’s talk about submissions periods. Most outlets are not open to submissions year-round. Some are only open a few days per month, or a few weeks per year. A market may open every other month to submissions, or have special submissions periods for LGBTQIAP+, BIPOC, and disabled authors. They may close after they reach a certain number of submissions.
No matter what the case may be, it’s imperative that you not try to submit while an outlet is closed. They’re closed for a reason. Respect that.
Now that you know how to read submissions calls for short fiction, let’s talk about writing cover letters for your short stories and self-editing your work.