I'm scared this question is going to be stupid...

[skankityspence]

So I'm finally taking some initiative and finding places to submit some of my work so I can join the club. haha

So in my random search of submitting, I thought Quick Fiction would be a fun start. In there submission place, they have a box for a Cover Letter...? haha Not real sure what to put here and Google doesn't seem to help me. (It says it is recommended, so I don't think it is required?)

Anyway,
As long as we're on the subject of n00b submissions, do you guys know any good/favorite places to submit short/flash fiction? (Besides this fine magazine, of course! ) I'm definitely unfamiliar with it all... haha

[kaolin]

:heh: cover letter would be a few places you've been published before, awards you've won, that sort of thing. I'd say leaving it blank is best when it's not required

Places to submit... well, I hope you know duotrope as a resource for that sort of thing. And to a large extent, it depends on the story. But off the top of my head, some of my top places to submit to are F&SF, Strange Horizons, and Lone Star Stories.

[skankityspence]

Thanks!

Yepyep, making use of Duotrope. It's just a lot to take in. Even refining a search brings in a lot of places -- which is a good thing I guess.

[kaolin]

Thanks!

Yepyep, making use of Duotrope. It's just a lot to take in. Even refining a search brings in a lot of places -- which is a good thing I guess.

Just sort by pay, and start at the top I also don't send anywhere that requires paper submissions (almost--F&SF requires paper submissions, but I think they're the only exception for who I submit to).

[skankityspence]

Just sort by pay, and start at the top I also don't send anywhere that requires paper submissions (almost--F&SF requires paper submissions, but I think they're the only exception for who I submit to).

haha of course, of course.

[jei_toh]

kaolin: for some reason, I would have taken you for a Cemetary Dance sort of person.

skankityspense: It really does seem like a lot to take in at first! I've only been submitting for a little over a year now, and believe me, it really does get easier!

I went the opposite route than suggested. I sent to a bunch of smaller, nonpaying markets, went, "Yay! My confidence is up!" and then started working my way up. Would I suggest that? Not really, because it's backwards. But if you find a charming market that pays little or nothing, then I'd send there, as well. There are some really beautiful sites and magazines that don't pay in anything more than exposure. But maybe you're a bit more confident than I was. Rejections seldom bother me now, but that's because I had to sit and have a long talk with myself. Then we went to lunch. Now myself and I are in love and planning a lovely wedding in June.

Wait, what?

[skankityspence]

haha thanks, Jei_toh.

My confidence level? I'm not exactly sure what mine is... I feel that I write pretty well, but I'm always seeing things that trump my stuff by a mile.

As for payment? Not paying too much attention. Mostly just worried about if my writing is the sort for the place and if it fits very nicely - I'll send it. If it happens to pay, very cool. But if it doesn't, I'm not worried. (Now, if I get anywhere, that may be subject to change. who knows. )

[Debbie]

If places are paying in exposure, make sure they have some . Many non-paying markets are obscure.

[jei_toh]

This leads me to a question that I've been wanting to ask. How exactly do you find out what is or isn't a top market? I've seen some pro paying markets that seem chintzy, and some nonpaying that are beautiful. Is there some sort of a guide for that sort of thing? I usually just ask random people, but can I just look up a list somewhere?

[kaolin]

This leads me to a question that I've been wanting to ask. How exactly do you find out what is or isn't a top market? I've seen some pro paying markets that seem chintzy, and some nonpaying that are beautiful. Is there some sort of a guide for that sort of thing? I usually just ask random people, but can I just look up a list somewhere?

There's the rule of thumb of always reading what you're considering submitting to... I don't submit to "top" markets if they seem chintzy, but I'm kind of a snob like that. You might cross-reference pay (and given the fact that many [i]literary[i] mags don't pay, ...) with what mags are publishing stories and poems that win awards. You can check Year's Best Fantasy & Horror, Year's Best Science Fiction, Pushcart Prize, ... stuff like that. A blog post a little while back I linked a running tally someone's doing of what mags have gotten honorable mentions or better in Year's Best Fantasy & Horror over time.