Selling Library Fantasy - on submitting my newest short story to lit mags
Back on November 14, a day before my 10th chemotherapy session, I submitted a short story to Chicago Reader's upcoming Fiction Issue. It's the story I mentioned in an earlier post. While it's an Urbis Arcana story, one that features a character readers of my earlier work will recognize, it doesn't really require you to read any of my previous work. Which is kind of the point - I tried to submit it as a standalone, the sort of thing that adds to the greater whole but doesn't feel like it's missing parts.
Submitting stories to Chicago Reader's Fiction Issue has become something of an annual ritual for me. Sometimes, I submitted stuff that I honestly kind of threw together in a hurry just because I wanted to have something submitted. Sometimes, it's stuff I actually worked hard on. "Library Fantasy" is definitely in the later column - it had not one, not two, but three betas, and I revised it extensively both before and after finishing it. Whether or not that will actually make a difference remains to be seen - we won't find out who made it into the Fiction issue until January.
When I submitted stuff to the Fiction Issue, I never really tried to submit it anywhere else. But this year, as I was putting final touches on "Library Fantasy," I realized - hey, why the hell not? Even if nothing comes of it, every self-respecting writer is pretty much contractually obligated to talk about all the rejection letters he or she got.
ANd I decided to chronicle the process on this here LJ.
I'm not sure if I'm going to make a separate entries for each time I submit, or just update this post as I go, but for now... Let's start with the places I already submitted to.
Chicago Reader Annual Fiction Issue
What is it: An annual issue of Chicago's larger alterntive newspaper released in the beginning of each year, it contains stories by Chicago and Chicago-adjesent writers, along with regular Chicago Reader stuff. Over the years, the fiction part of the issue got smaller, and some of the stories were posted online only, but it still usually includes at least three stories in the print issue.
Where it can be found: Everywhere Chciago Reader is distributed - which is pretty much every neighborhood in Chicago and some nearby suburbs.
Why Did I Submit Here: Like I said - it's an annual tradition. Plus, my story is character-driven and not exactly literary, and I think it's more likely to appeal to the Reader's regular readers. Plus, as I told randirogue, the Reader lets you say "fuck" and "Library Fantasy" has quite a few of those. In more ways than one.
Do they pay: Their submission guidelines say they do, but I have no idea how much. If I had to guess, somewhere around $75-100. Maybe less.
Status: Submitted on Nov 15, 2014
Another Chicago Magazine
What is it: A Chicago literary magazine released annually, it's one of the few that managed to last for longer than two decades (37 years, to be exact). It aims to give exposure to younger writers who are just starting out. It has a reputation for beingmore down-to-earth than some of the other long-established Chicago lit mags.
Where it can be found: Chicago independent bookstores like Women and Children First and The Book Cellar. The Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Library has some older issues in stock, on the 7th floor Fiction collection (ask the nice librarians and one of the desks - so long as you have some kind of an ID or a library card, they'll let you read it. Just don't try to leave the floor with it)
Why Did I Submit Here: I've been kind of thinking of submitting something to AMC for a while. As a Chicago-based writer, it feels like its almost my obligation to at least try to get published in a Chicago lit mag. And, quite honestly, it feels less intimidating than the more academic Chicago lit mags like Chicago Review and the Chicago Quarterly Review. It just feels like AMC would be more likely to be receptive to character-driven stuff that doesn't try to challenge the limits of literature and what have you. Also...
Do they pay: Here's the thing. I am fairly sure I read somewhere that AMC pays it's writers, and that's why they have a $3 reading fee. But when I tried to verify it, I can't find a link anywhere. So... maybe? (Though if it turns out they don't pay, I would be a bit annoyed, because then what the heck is the reading fee for?)
Status: Submitted on November 19, 2014
I have some ideas for a few other places I can submit my story to, and I'll write about them once I actually do. And if anybody reading this has any suggestions for where I should submit my story, please feel free to leave a comment.
Wish me luck.
Submitting stories to Chicago Reader's Fiction Issue has become something of an annual ritual for me. Sometimes, I submitted stuff that I honestly kind of threw together in a hurry just because I wanted to have something submitted. Sometimes, it's stuff I actually worked hard on. "Library Fantasy" is definitely in the later column - it had not one, not two, but three betas, and I revised it extensively both before and after finishing it. Whether or not that will actually make a difference remains to be seen - we won't find out who made it into the Fiction issue until January.
When I submitted stuff to the Fiction Issue, I never really tried to submit it anywhere else. But this year, as I was putting final touches on "Library Fantasy," I realized - hey, why the hell not? Even if nothing comes of it, every self-respecting writer is pretty much contractually obligated to talk about all the rejection letters he or she got.
ANd I decided to chronicle the process on this here LJ.
I'm not sure if I'm going to make a separate entries for each time I submit, or just update this post as I go, but for now... Let's start with the places I already submitted to.
Chicago Reader Annual Fiction Issue
What is it: An annual issue of Chicago's larger alterntive newspaper released in the beginning of each year, it contains stories by Chicago and Chicago-adjesent writers, along with regular Chicago Reader stuff. Over the years, the fiction part of the issue got smaller, and some of the stories were posted online only, but it still usually includes at least three stories in the print issue.
Where it can be found: Everywhere Chciago Reader is distributed - which is pretty much every neighborhood in Chicago and some nearby suburbs.
Why Did I Submit Here: Like I said - it's an annual tradition. Plus, my story is character-driven and not exactly literary, and I think it's more likely to appeal to the Reader's regular readers. Plus, as I told randirogue, the Reader lets you say "fuck" and "Library Fantasy" has quite a few of those. In more ways than one.
Do they pay: Their submission guidelines say they do, but I have no idea how much. If I had to guess, somewhere around $75-100. Maybe less.
Status: Submitted on Nov 15, 2014
Another Chicago Magazine
What is it: A Chicago literary magazine released annually, it's one of the few that managed to last for longer than two decades (37 years, to be exact). It aims to give exposure to younger writers who are just starting out. It has a reputation for beingmore down-to-earth than some of the other long-established Chicago lit mags.
Where it can be found: Chicago independent bookstores like Women and Children First and The Book Cellar. The Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Library has some older issues in stock, on the 7th floor Fiction collection (ask the nice librarians and one of the desks - so long as you have some kind of an ID or a library card, they'll let you read it. Just don't try to leave the floor with it)
Why Did I Submit Here: I've been kind of thinking of submitting something to AMC for a while. As a Chicago-based writer, it feels like its almost my obligation to at least try to get published in a Chicago lit mag. And, quite honestly, it feels less intimidating than the more academic Chicago lit mags like Chicago Review and the Chicago Quarterly Review. It just feels like AMC would be more likely to be receptive to character-driven stuff that doesn't try to challenge the limits of literature and what have you. Also...
Do they pay: Here's the thing. I am fairly sure I read somewhere that AMC pays it's writers, and that's why they have a $3 reading fee. But when I tried to verify it, I can't find a link anywhere. So... maybe? (Though if it turns out they don't pay, I would be a bit annoyed, because then what the heck is the reading fee for?)
Status: Submitted on November 19, 2014
I have some ideas for a few other places I can submit my story to, and I'll write about them once I actually do. And if anybody reading this has any suggestions for where I should submit my story, please feel free to leave a comment.
Wish me luck.