What the Publisher Wants

by Richard Roche

The answer to this question is easy. A masterpiece written to perfection. The only problem is that your idea of a masterpiece and theirs may differ. One of the thoughts which has come to my warped mind is what did Shakespeare do with his rejection slips.

The women’s magazine publisher is just as discerning as the book publisher and will only tolerate short stories which have an appeal to their readers. So you have to think about what type of reader will they have. Many woman’s magazines have aimed at a particular age group in the market. Sometimes locality dictates the type of readership. A magazine which caters for a female readership in a rural area will probably give preference to a story with a rural theme.

It would probably be easier to draw up a list of the things to avoid. Unlike a novel there really is no place for any thing which might offend any section of the community. Politics, religion and even any sort of graphic description of sex should not be included in the short story. They will not get published. Keep it clean. Keep it short and keep it interesting.

Many of today’s women’s magazines have printed guidelines for potential short story writers and will forward a copy on receipt of a S.A.E. . Another small but very important tip is to send your submission addressed to the person who is responsible for editing the fiction section of the magazine. A phone call prior to submission will at least insure that your story falls on to the right desk. This will certainly earn you a couple of ‘Brownie Points’.

Like all submitted manuscripts presentation must be given the highest consideration. Keep in mind that the proof reader will have to make the necessary changes and the easier you make their job the better chance your story will have. If the first couple of paragraphs are riddled with errors then the rest of the paragraphs may only be viewed from the inside of the waste paper basket. I once received back one of my stories from the proof reader and I could not believe the number of errors both grammatical and otherwise which it contained and this was after reading it over and over myself before submission.

The same rules apply for all writing. Neatly typed in a clear and legible font. Double spacing with borders at least an inch wide. An introductory page with the title of the story, your name and address and telephone number and a word count. Some magazines also like to have the title printed on the top right hand corner of each page hence the idea to have the magazines guidelines at hand before going to the trouble of submitting your story. Needless to say if you want your story returned you should include an S.A.E.

So best of luck. Give it a try and you never know some day a small envelope may drop through your door with your first publishers cheque.