How to Get Your Short Stories Published

Why you need a Target Audience and Target Publisher

When I started writing, I used to sit in my room and put pen to paper for 1-2 hours every morning. It didn't matter if I had an idea, or if what I was writing even made sense. What was important was I was learning to sit and write for extended periods of time.

It's the same as learning to draw or paint. You spend a lot of time just making marks on paper in order to train your brain and muscles to create beautiful images.

Once you get the hang of that, then you can start thinking about what you're actually creating, and who is going to read it.

Always Write for an Audience

If you have a target audience for a story, you have a framework upon which to attach the bones of a skeleton. What works for one audience won't work for another, and unless or until you are an accomplished author, it's a good idea not to blur the lines between who you are writing for.

Research the Demographics of Your Audience

I write horror primarily; therefore my target audience is predominantly 15-17 years of age, Caucasian men and women, approximately a 60/40 split. The horror audience expects to be frightened, shocked, and grossed out (but not too grossed out, because that is extreme horror, and it's a lot harder to find publishers for that).

Having an audience in mind will also help you to:

• Stay on track

• Avoid tropes and cliches

• Look at your work from a 3rd person point of view

• Find publications to submit your work to

• Select appropriate language/pacing/tension in the work

This brings me to my next point:

Always Write with a Publication in Mind

This one is an empty-skulled zombie: A no-brainer. Publications will actively tell you what they will publish, and what they are looking for, and what to avoid. If you are writing short stories, you will be unlikely to publish them unless you write them for a collection or anthology.

To look for publications to write for, I frequently check websites like horrortree.com and Australasian Horror Writers Association for submission calls.

Armed with a publication and target audience in mind, all you need to do now is come up with an idea and create a story; everything else is taken care of.

Good Luck!