I’m continuing my quest to find a publication that might actually welcome the submission of my 6000 word horror/literary short story.
Let’s see how the next batch will hold up.
The Iowa Review – https://iowareview.org/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – No clue, paywall
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – No clue, paywall.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – Unless you’re submitting for a contest, you can only send in your work in September, October, and November. None of the current prizes are accepting work anytime soon, and don’t line up with the parameters of my story. Doesn’t look like it’s going to work for this story at this time.
The Idaho Review – https://www.idahoreview.org/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Elevated literary, with a dark twist
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – While not as aggressive as my story, a lot their published works have a similar, dark tone.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – Their reading period closed on March 7th. Blast.
The Kenyon Review – https://kenyonreview.org/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Elevated literary with an earthy Midwestern twist.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – While their writers are clearly of a higher quality, the tone and direction of the pieces they publish feels pretty close to mine.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? The next reading period doesn’t start until September 15th. BLAST.
The Massachussetts Review – https://www.massreview.org/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Elevated literary, with a focus on showcasing writers of color.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Not really, but that’s a good thing! We need more writers from different backgrounds to not just be published but get a chance to claim a spotlight in the literary world.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – While they are open for submissions, my work doesn’t fit the tone of their publication or their current focus. I’ll be coming back as a reader, but I won’t be contributing right now.
The Missouri Review – https://www.missourireview.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Elevated literary.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – So much is behind a paywall with this. So. Much.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – I haven’t read anything they’ve actually published. With the other magazines I was able to grab bits and pieces of the published work off of their websites. Because of that, I felt like I could make a semi-genuine guess at whether or not it was a good fit. This is giving me almost NOTHING. And because libraries are closed due to Coronavirus, I honestly don’t know if I could. Not going to submit to a journal that I know nothing about.
New England Review – http://www.nereview.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Delightfully dreamy poetry and fiction that is desperately focused on the life experiences of people living in New York State and the East Coast.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Does anyone else remember that twitter post that went viral where the writer was hanging out in Barnes and Noble? Said Twitter-er was browsing the books when he heard someone in the next aisle say “I hate adult fiction, it’s nothing but unhappy people getting divorces.” Yeah. NER is doing more to advance that sub genre than any other publisher I’ve seen so far. The stories are all excellent, but they’ve made me realize was why I had never gotten a divorce, never written about divorces, and had no desire to do so.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – I’m just not the right writer for them. They’re doing their own thing, and I’m doing mine.
The Ninth Letter – http://www.ninthletter.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Fiction and poetry. Appears to be elevated literary.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Maybe?
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – This is another one where everything is behind a paywall. The art is gorgeous, and I may be kicking myself later, but I’m going to skip this one for now.
One Story – https://www.one-story.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Fiction between 3000 and 8000 words. (Again, with Coronavirus, it’s hard to get more than that.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – I honestly don’t know. I can pull up excerpts, and from what I can see they’re keeping in line with a lot of elements of my story. But I can’t find enough information to say, “Yes! This is it!”
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – Not that I can see. They’re open for submissions and they seem to pay well. They come highly recommended by a lot of resources. I might have a snowball’s chance of making the short list, but I’m going to give it a try.
The Paris Review – https://www.theparisreview.org/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Hemingway-esque writers. In that they were one of the first publications to publish Hemingway and the Lost Generation when they were kicking around Paris, and the magazine does a lot to keep the magic of that age alive.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Yes-ish? I’ve written stories like this, but, again, after reading their current works and reviewing the story I’m trying to publish, I’m not seeing an excellent match.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? While they are one of the few publications that are accepting submissions right now, their tone is so clear and their concept so set in stone that I honestly don’t think it’s a good idea. It would be like saying that Jack London and Stephen King should drop in on one of F Scott. and Zelda’s parties. Things are destined to get weird and uncomfortable, fast.
The Rag – http://raglitmag.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – A little ugly, a little gritty, a little rough, but deeply excellent.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – YES.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – There isn’t really a submissions page on their website, just their previously published work – thank you! – and some picks of their latest display at a trade show. I feel a little nervous submitting to a place with just the Writer’s Market to guide me, but this magazine feels too good to pass up.
The Saranac Review – http://www.saranacreview.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Elevated literary
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Their authors have a bit of darkness in their stories, and while they write with a literary tone it doesn’t overwhelm the story with dreamy imagery.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? Doesn’t look like it! Their response time can be lengthy, but they’re open for submissions, they like a wide range of styles, are interesting in simultaneous submissions, Definitely one to take a chance on!
Sequestrum – https://www.sequestrum.org/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Dark modern stories
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Their authors are a more diverse mix, but there are a couple of stories in there that feel like mine.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – Not really! They prefer 5000 words, but they set a firm cap at 10,000 – they also read year-round! Because of their high quality requirements, sending this piece might be a bit of a stretch, but not by a huge amount!
The Strand Magazine – https://www.strandmag.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Mainly Sherlock Holmes-style mystery stories
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Not really, since I’m not a mystery writer.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – It’s more of a horror story than a mystery. And it’s set in the US, in the present time.
Tin House – https://tinhouse.com/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Novel-length fiction
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – No, they’re only publishing novelists right now.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story?– I’m trying to shop a short story.
West Branch – https://westbranch.blogs.bucknell.edu/
- What type of fiction do they normally publish? – Slightly twee Americana based around childhood dreams and experiences.
- Do they publish authors who write like me? – Sort of? I’ve written stories similar to theirs, but the story I’m trying to shop definitely isn’t one of them.
- Is there any reason why they might not publish my current story? – Due to Coronavirus, they’re shutting down submissions on April 1st. That plus the fact that they aren’t exactly a good fit for this story make me think skipping would be best.
Now that I have the publications that seem to be the best fit for my story, it’s time to separate them into tiers. We’ll be doing that next Monday.