🚀 go-pugleaf

Get from the library or buy the 1993 WRITER'S MARKET.  It is not the
Bible, but it's the most accurate thing you can get.

Find markets in there that sound like they might print the sort of
story you have written.  Write to these markets for guidelines for
submission.  Include an SASE.

As soon as you finish a story, start the next one.  This is important.

While waiting for those to return, find copies of as many of these
markets as you can, read the stories, and see whether they are, in
fact, publishing the sort of story you have written.

Simultaineously, keep working on the next one.

When you have guidelines for at least the one you want to shoot for
first (ideally, a paying market), print out your story in proper
manuscript format.  This is important.  Mail it off.  Include an SASE
with sufficient postage (and or suffiient size) that the story can be 
returned -OR- clearly mark that "this is a disposable copy" and 
include a regular SASE.  This is also important.

Do not send any story to a market that doesn't print that sort of
story.  E.g., children's books to a publisher of military fiction (this
really happens).

While waiting, keep writing the next story after that, and continue the
market research.

When ever a story comes back, send it to the next market on your list.
When you finish a story, send it to the top of the list.

A rejection that says "This isn't right for us" means just that.
Trying to read anything more into it is like trying to prophecy from
entrails.

A letter tha say "We want to buy it" means just that.  What comes after
is out of the perview of this reply.

If you've reached this step you should be several stories beyond the
first one.  Keep writing.

As soon as you finish a story, start the next one.  This is important.

Anyone who wants you to pay them to print something should be
dropkicked out the window, the name scratched permentantly off your
list, and forgotten about.

As soon as you finish a story, start the next one.  This is important.

      Larry "Keep sending them out.  This is also important" Hammer
--

LNH@physics.arizona.edu   \  For love all love of other sights controls,
GEnie: L.HAMMER2           \ And makes one little room an everywhere -- Donne