In this week’s guest post, Louise Baker looks at the options available for writers hoping to publish their first science fiction story.

How To Get Your First Sci-Fi Story Published
By Louise Baker

If you have written a science fiction story, you might be wondering if you should try to get it published. Some talented writers worry that they will never get published because they do not even know how to get started. Although navigating the publishing industry can be a challenge, with the right story and the right amount of patience, you can become a published writer.

Make Sure Your Story Is In Good Shape

The first thing you should do is make sure your story is in the best possible shape it can be in. Make sure you have several trusted readers go over your story, looking for plot holes and contradictions. You should also make sure that your story is free from any grammar and spelling errors. Although your story might be entertaining, errors such as these will signal to any editor that your story is not ready for publication. Send out a polished version of your story, so that any editor will see a story ready for a magazine or an anthology.

Get A Copy Of Writer’s Market

Writer’s Market is a book that is a must have for any writer trying to get published. This book catalogs all the publications that might be interested in purchasing and publishing your sci-fi story. Writer’s Market can help save you time, as you will not try to send your story to a publication that is just not interested in publishing science fiction.

Send Out Your Story

Send out copies of your short story to any publications that might be interested. If your story is long, you might want to send a sample instead of the entire story. You should also send along a cover letter that details why you think your piece is a good fit. Make sure that your cover letter, like your story, is professional and free from any errors.

Be Prepared For Rejection

It is unlikely that the first place that you send your story will publish your work. Be prepared for rejection. Try not to take it personally. Magazines receive hundreds and even thousands of short stories each month. They do not have time to read each story carefully. Even if you story is exciting and nuanced, they might have missed its appeal if they only took a quick glance at it.

Be Persistent

Do not let rejection kill your dream of becoming a published writer. You might need to submit your story to one hundred different publications before someone agrees to print it. Once you have a story in a magazine, you will have your foot in the door of the industry. Some publications accept submissions via email, so you can submit your story to those publications without having to worry about paying for postage.

Consider Self-Publishing

If your efforts are not producing any results, consider self-publishing your sci-fi story. You could publish your story on your blog, or sell copies of your story on your website. You could even sell a digital copy of your work to e-book users.

Louise Baker writes about online degrees for Zen College Life.

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