How to publish a short story in 2024? 4 effective ways

While writers believe that writing a story is challenging, publishing it is a whole new feat. If we disregard self-published authors, roughly 500,000 to 1,000,000 books get published per year. In that case, how do you add yourself to that statistic? 

Most writers will choose traditional publishing, but it’s not the only option you have. Writers now have the freedom to choose from multiple publishing options to publish their short stories.

Challenges in Publishing a Short Story

An obstacle that many writers face is finding a way to actually get their short stories out there. Traditional publishers are known to have high rejection rates for various reasons. Some publishers may think your short story doesn’t suit their brand, while others may think they can’t market your story. 

However, that doesn’t mean your story isn’t good. Renowned author J.K. Rowling had her manuscript for Harry Potter turned away 12 times before a publisher decided to take it. 

Publishing your story boils down to three things: your persistence, patience, and publishing paths. Patience is key here since some publishing routes, especially traditional publishing ones, will take some time. Note that you may likely have to try getting your story published multiple times until it gets accepted. 

How to publish a short story? Here are 4 possible courses of action

These are four ways you can publish your book. You can pick multiple methods or stick to one at a time.

1. Self-Publishing 

If your goal is to stay an independent and free writer with full control over your work, you may want to look into self-publishing your short story. As an independent writer, not only will you have the freedom to write whatever you want—but you’ll have full control over how your story will appear and how it will be marketed. You’ll have all the rights to your story with no middleman. 

Open a website for your short stories

You can simply set up a blog for yourself, make it look exactly how you want it, and release your short stories there whenever you want. However, the clear downside to this is that you will have to find ways to gain readers. You will need to think of promotion ideas for your book such as  social media promotion, paying for online ads, or posting your stories on other platforms, though the latter may also mean that readers will find your stories but never visit your blog.

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Additionally, setting up your blog is a feat in itself that will potentially require additional skills such as design and even coding. You will have to put additional effort into building your blog from scratch or through platforms like Wordpress or Blogger, make it well-designed and easy to navigate, or hire someone to do all that for you.

Create an Ebook

You can also self-publish your work through eBooks. Even short stories can be turned into eBooks, allowing you to sell short stories on Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing, or through other options like Smashwords or Creatspace.

A downside to self-publishing your stories, whether through a blog or eBooks, is that this can lock you out of contests, anthologies or literary magazines that will require submissions to be “previously unpublished.” It doesn’t matter if your blog traffic is very small—it will still count towards your work being previously published. 

2.  Traditional Publisher

Traditional publishing houses are a tried and tested option for writers to try publishing their books, but this is actually the hardest option for a short story writer. Most traditional publishing houses won’t go for short stories at all since they’re less marketable than full novels. 

If you still want to pursue this path, you will first have to get a literary agent, whose job is to sell your short stories to traditional publishers. You cannot be your own literary agent.

Literary agents are in charge of presenting your stories to publishers while keeping your business interests in mind. They’re also responsible for negotiating a contract between you and the publisher if the publisher accepts your book. Notably, literary agents may also work as your editor. Most literary agents will edit manuscripts before presenting them to publishing houses with the goal of making the story as appealing as possible.

However, having a literary agent and an edited manuscript won’t necessarily mean your story has a better chance of being published. Short story collections aren’t considered commercial products unless the author is someone award-winning or a celebrity. 

Don’t worry though, there are more viable options to publish your short story that won’t be as difficult.

3. Independent Publisher

Independent publishers are an easier way to have your short story presented to the public. They are also more willing to work with writers without agents.

An independent or indie publisher simply operates as its own entity without the influence of a large corporation. They often have their own niche, and will publish stories that aren’t necessarily guaranteed to make a profit or sell. They publish what they believe in and aren’t often driven by popular trends. 

Indie publishers can help you with editing and marketing your work, but keep in mind that these are services that will usually cost you. Certain indie publishers may not include something that sounds as basic as proofreading or marketing in their basic services, potentially costing you more. 

Another important thing to note is that indie publishers can take much longer to publish your work compared to other options below. It can take around half a year to have your story released, and that’s after it’s already accepted. Just being accepted can take another half year’s worth of waiting. 

4. Online Submissions 

If you have not had much luck getting accepted by a traditional publisher or an independent publisher, or if you find either option too costly, you can try your luck with online publishing. This is similar to submitting to an independent publisher. For example, the Paris Review and the New Yorker are notable online publications that will accept and publish short stories.

You can also try joining short story competitions to bring visibility to your short story. A bonus to joining a contest is that they are often held by publishing houses or literary magazines, which will help get more eyes on your story. Winning contests can add clout to your name as an author, and some contests will even provide cash prizes. There’s also the fulfillment and satisfaction of seeing your work online (or even in print) knowing a panel of editors chose to put it there.

Another more modern method is by submitting your story to podcasts and radio shows. Some of the presenters on these platforms ask for story submissions to read on their show, which can also propel your writing career. A great example of this is David Sedaris, a known author, comedian, and radio contributor. National Public Radio’s Morning Edition read his essay called Santaland Diaries, which eventually lead to him becoming a popular author today.

Similar to independent publishers however, you will still have to wait for your online submission to be accepted. There is also no guarantee as to whether any of the platforms above will publish your short story. 

Can I Try Multiple Publishing Methods at Once?

If you want to build up your name as an author and potentially earn from your short story, it would be best to try your hand at independent publishers or online submissions. However, these options can still take a long time to get your short stories out at all. If a certain story isn’t accepted after a few submissions, try to see where you can improve your writing then resubmit it. These options will also provide you with added clout since being accepted by them gives your work a degree of recognition.

The self-publishing route, on the other hand, will guarantee you immediate publishing but not immediate readers. People will only read your story if you promote it enough or, more rarely, if they happen to find it online themselves. You can also earn money if you can sell your short stories online via eBooks or through ads on your blog. 

Let Your Goals Decide Your Publishing Path

Writers have multiple options when it comes to publishing their short stories, but it’s best to decide what you want to accomplish first. Independent publishers, online submissions, or self-publishing for short stories are the generally great ways for new writers to get their work out. 

Just remember that rejections are part of growth, and that they don’t mean your stories aren’t worth reading. What’s important is that you stay persistent, patient, and determine what feels right for you, your story, and the way you want to grow as a writer.