Authorship, Publishing, Books and More

Best Markets for Beginning Fiction Writers

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Another Tuesday without a guest blogger and it’s yours truly again. Last week I gave freelance writers some tips on the best markets for beginners and this week, I thought I’d do the same for fiction writers.

Here are what I think are your best markets when you’ve never been published before-

Anthologies 

I always had great luck when I’ve submitted stories to anthologies, everything from mystery to erotica. Why are they a good bet for newbies? An anthology isn’t just your work alone. The publisher has less to lose because with so many authors and writing styles, readers are bound to find something they love so they’re willing to gamble on a new writer being included.

Some of them pay, some of them don’t, but it’s a byline and maybe even your first step toward your writing career.

I found this site that has a list of anthology markets-

https://literarium.net/collection/anthology

 Children’s Markets

The irony is that the children’s book market is a tough one to crack but when it comes to the magazine market, it’s a whole new story…no pun intended.

I got some of my early breaks with my fiction being published in children’s magazines…Highlights, Story Friends, On the Line…yes, religious magazines for children are another great beginning market gem.

Here’s a site I found that has a list of magazines for children-

22 Best Magazines for Kids in Your Classroom

 

Sci Fi and Horror

I love mysteries, reading them, writing them, but when it comes to finding a market for them, well, it’s a little bit like the children’s book market. Two markets that are abundant and more willing to take on new writers are Sci Fi and horror. (And as a side note, I had my first horror story published in an anthology!)

Online

Online magazines didn’t have a presence when I first started out but I’ve seen the market grow and grow. It’s great to have your story published in something that you can hold, something that people can buy at the store, but there’s nothing wrong in having a story appear in an online magazine. They don’t usually pay as well, but it’s the byline and the knowledge that you’re on your way.

By popular demand, in the fall…when I hopefully have more time, I’ll be featuring in depth fiction and non-fiction market reports here at This Writer’s Life.

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