Where to send short stories for publication?

Probably the easiest way to publish these days is with Amazon and Kindle

There are scores of literary journals and magazines that accept submissions if that’s what he’s interested in doing. Check out the racks at B&N or local universities. Those can be rather selective though—but, it does lend more credence to his skills.

If he’s just wanting to publish them quickly, then I second @Lightlyseared‘s suggestion of using Amazon and Kindle services.

If they are in a particular genre (for example, science fiction, mystery, fantasy), he could try genre publications, both offline and in print. If they are general or literary, there are many outlets, and you can find lists of literary journals and magazines by searching online. Publications like The Writer and Writer’s Digest also have market lists.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that even the lower-tier publications receive hundreds if not thousands of submissions every month for just a few slots, that most of them will be rejected (many with scarcely a glance), and that you can wait six months or more to hear back. I know some very good writers who have never managed to place a thing in a traditional print magazine or journal and who have even been rejected by online publications for which “space” limitations and print budgets are not a consideration.

Wanting to be published is a mark on the road at mile zero, and being published is at mile 1000 or beyond.

For some writers, entering contests is a good alternative. There are likely to be more entries and fewer prizes, but your entries get read, and a win is a great credential. Small contests such as those associated with a writers’ conference can be a step on the way.

Traditional publishing is in a period of upheaval, and its future is uncertain. So yesterday’s answers may not work tomorrow. But there will always be an appetite for good stories. I hope there will always be an audience for good written stories and not just a video market.

It all depends on the genre of the stories. For example, for science fiction, there’s Analog and Asimov’s. Your friend needs a copy of The Writer’s Handbook, which is published yearly and lists every market for every type of story.

Writer’s Market is the publication that lists markets for various genres.

Try Smashwords. They publish stories for various ereaders and do allow for you to choose which ones to publish to.

Thanks a million, I’ll just show him this thread.