Writing the story is the passion and the glory. Marketing the story, the necessary business end of writing is just purely pain. But some things help.
0. Write the stories.
1. Keeping track of submissions.
2. Keeping track of markets.
DON’T PANIC! It all works out in the end.
Writing.
I’ve recently begun using Scrivener, (Scrivener) a manuscript engine, for writing and keeping track of all the partial ideas.
I also use paper and pen (yes, I am just that retro!) and print outs of stories in progress. I’m a disorganized mess until everything comes together and it’s time to sell the work.
My stories so far encompass science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and range from microflash to flash to short story length. I like to have 10 stories out on submission at a time as I’ve noticed I sell 1 story per 10 submissions.
Submission tracking.
I use Sonar (Sonar) to track my manuscripts and submissions.
Markets.
I use Ralan (Ralan) and The Submission Grinder (The Grinder) to find markets and guidelines.
Most markets use a manuscript submission service and they keep track of the stories I’ve sent to them. Many lines of reject and the occasional blue of ACCEPTANCE.
Facebook has several pages devoted to new short fiction markets.
jude-marie green 