Top Tips:

*First off (and you won’t hear this many places), your work has got to be really good to get published. It has to be excellent to be published in the Best American Short Stories journals. SO, you need great readers, people who critique your work and help make it better. You don’t need “cheerleader-readers” who say all of your work is ‘fantastic’ and hand it back to you. Good feedback will make your work better.

*No database or submission magic will get you published in the top journals if your work isn’t top quality, so do the work, learn the craft, and read the best stuff out there so you know where the bar is set.

*If you’re a beginning writer, submit to niche markets (regional or restricted some other way) to decrease the competition for space on the page.

*Again, if you’re just starting out, submit shorter work. Even micro or flash pieces. Getting published gets the ball rolling.

Useful Links:

http://thereviewreview.net/ This site actually reviews the reviews (the journals). You can get more information here about what each editor wants, what they’ve published, and what they are looking for.

http://www.indiebound.org/ Locate the independent bookstore nearest to you and support them. Without indie bookstores, may indie publishers would fold, so the book you save may be your own!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/openbook/ Great interviews with authors and people from the publishing world.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10448909 NPR’s Book Tour page. Great readings by authors (both fiction and non-fiction)

http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/ Good place to keep touch with the publishing world. Sign up for their FREE, daily newsletter.