Or, rather, on NOT publishing short stories.
I’ve never had a short story published in a literary magazine. There, I said it. I’ve written tons, but I stopped submitting them. There was a time, when I was fresh out of grad school and full of enthusiasm, when I subscribed to Poets & Writers magazine and ripped out the submission calendar section that showed the dates and entry fees for every contest known to man. I entered. I spent hundreds of dollars and kissed the envelopes for good luck. Nothing ever happened.
So I just stopped submitting.
People have told me that my stories are good, that I just need to submit to the right magazine. But do I? The joy for me is in the writing. And sharing the stories with a handful of people who will appreciate them. Maybe more than a handful would appreciate them if they were published somewhere, but I don’t really need that to feel complete as a writer or a human.
I suppose I’ve become rather cynical about the whole publishing thing. From my perspective, it’s mostly about luck, knowing the right people, or being fiercely persistent (which, frankly, I’m not). There are not many mainstream homes for short stories these days but, if it matters to you to publish, you will find a home for your stories–but you may have to spend some money and time.
I think what most writers want is some kind of immortality for their stories. They want the stories to live somewhere besides their own minds (and laptops). My suggestion would be to create a website online. Send the links to your stories to friends and family. It will feel fulfilling.
That said, you can read some of my stories right here!
>> Really short stories
>> Not-so-short short stories
Enjoy.