Usually I don’t do much work on short stories when I’m neck-deep in the first draft of a novel manuscript. Once I’ve gotten that draft packed up and shoved into a drawer for proper aging, I then turn my mental eye onto whatever short story ideas have been simmering in the creative crock pot for a while. Sometimes it’s just a matter of updating my submissions spreadsheet (yes, I have an Excel spreadsheet that manages all my stories and where I’ve sent them) to see what rejections I’ve received lately, and therefore what stories need to be revised and sent back out.
Here is a market research tool that I’ve used at times to give myself fresh submission options once I’ve exhausted my first few choices. Plus, this site looks up contests and anthologies as well (and poetry/novels markets if you need) so you can tweak the search parameters for whatever you happen to have.
It has advice for both writers who want to stand out from the rest of the envelope-packing crowd, as well as for editors who want to get publicity and exposure for their magazine or publishing company. You can look up response times, average pay, and all the other important details. Ever been in that quandary where you don’t really think there’s a place you can send this weird little story to? Think again. You’ll never run out of markets with this site handy.
I see that smile.