Submit!

I put on my big girl panties and submitted my latest short story to Clarkesworld Magazine. Wish me luck! I should know something within a week!

But, before you get all YEA! and YOU GO GIRL, keep in mind that the rejection rate at Clarkesworld is like 98.8 percent. So, rejection – focus carefully!

I’m beginning to contemplate seriously on what kind of approach I want to take with my short stories.  I enjoy writing them. That’s a starting point. I LOVE sending them to Review Fuse to be critiqued.  I love helping other authors improve their stuff. Then, once I get the story the way I want it, what should I do?

There are two schools of thought: Sales or contests. Conveniently, the rules apply to both: Submit each story to only one contest / magazine at a time. If it is rejected – try again. I have a chart to keep track.

Here’s the difference – IF I enter a contest, there is usually something to me won. At my favorite contest site – Words for Dollars, the turn around is quick – about a week, but the prize is fairly small – about 100 bucks.  If you win a contest – they publish your story either on a web page or an anthology from an event. Not generally very prestigious, but something.  Some contest ARE prestigious and pay top dollar, but those are few and far between. Lastly, there is usually an entry fee.

IF I submit my story to a Magazine, there is the potential for some money (pro-mags get 5-10 cents per word) and honor, but it takes FoReVeR. Clarkesworld is one of the shortest turnaround times at 2 weeks. I sent another story to Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show and they say 3 MONTHS is the average.  Yikes! I’m a doer – not a waiter. I’m a writer!

So, what way would you go? Fast or slow?