The first thing to remember when writing any piece is not to write for anyone. That is, do not write for an audience, and certainly do not write to get published. That can be your ultimate goal, but if you write while thinking about how to publish this piece, it will never succeed.

With that said, here are a few pointers on how to publish pieces you have honed, polished, workshopped, and edited enough times to say, "It's finished enough to be published."

SHORT STORIES/PERSONAL ESSAYS:

1. Find places to submit your stories.

Go to your local bookstore and check out the rack of literary magazines. Search for keywords on Google. Read lots of literary magazines, gloss magazines, and browse the internet. There are always contests going on, and everyone is accepting submissions. DO NOT submit to any place that requires a reading fee, and be wary of fine print. If the website or magazine looks shady and could have been produced by your high school AV club, don't give them your story.

2. Research sources.

Unfortunately I cannot give you a complete guide on where your story might fit into the market. You have to do your own research, and this is, perhaps, the most grueling part of being a writer. You must know your story well enough to know where it might fit in, and you must know the magazine well enough to know whether or not they would be interested in your story. This isn't to say you need to write pieces that sound exactly like those already published. That is completely contrary to the idea of writing. Rather, read the submission guidelines and order some back issues of magazines you find yourself attracted to, and use your judgement. The worst thing that can come of submitting is a rejection letter.

3. Write a cover letter.

Pick up any writing guide in your local bookstore that includes a how-to for writing cover letters, or just look them up online. They should be short and sweet for a short story or essay, and should definitely not include information about the story. All the editor wants to know is your contact information and what your previous publications are. DO NOT put down that you were published in your unknown high school/college literary magazine. No one cares. Mostly they want to know if you've been published in a well-known place, but you can put down less well-known magazines as well. If you haven't been published yet, don't put anything. It isn't a big deal.

4. Submit to literary magazines.

The best way to get a short story published is through literary magazines. This is a shame because there is a tendency where people who publish in literary magazines are writing for writers. They lack story and readability, shirking it for devices and mere craft. However it is next to impossible to get a collection of short stories published. The ONLY WAY to get a collection of short stories published is to either (1) publish single stories in high-profile magazines such as Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, New Yorker and have an agent approach you about whether or not you have a book or (2) graduate from a high-profile MFA program such as Iowa, NYU, Johns Hopkins and have some kind of connections which magically offer you a book deal. I'm not sure how this latter occurs exactly, I just know it does.

NOVELS:

1. Write a query letter.

This is the most important part of the process. Unlike the cover letter, you send this letter out before the manuscript, and if the editor/agent is interested after reading it, they will contact you and ask for a few chapters or the whole manuscript. I highly recommend that you read about how to write a winning cover letter from A NUMBER of sources, as many people have different views on what makes a good cover letter, and you can benefit from many sources, thus formatting your own in the process.

1. Write some shorter pieces.

While many agencies accept unsolicited manuscripts (that is, manuscripts they have not contacted you about sending them), many do not. The best way to find an agent is to have them contact you, and the best way to get published is to have an agent. There are other ways of getting an agent, of course, but this is a great way to get one who is already familiar with your work and feels they have what it takes to get your type of writing published.

2. Contact agents.

More research. Read novels that are in the same genre or are similar to yours in any significant way and find out who the author's agent is. Sometimes the agent is mentioned in the "thank you" page, while othertimes research must be conducted. Either way, contact agents using your award-winning cover letter who would be interested in your type of writing.

3. Submit to publishing houses.

If you decide you don't want an agent, you can submit your cover letter/manuscript to publishing houses directly. I don't recommend this as they are much less open to unsolicited manuscripts than agents and literary magazines. However, it never hurts to try, and if you fail, just try to find an agent.

SOME IMPORTANT POINTS:

1. Don't get discouraged by rejection.

Decorate a shoe box for your rejection letters so that you don't feel so bad when you get one after another after another. Another rejection letter is just one response closer to an acceptance letter.

2. Don't get discouraged by reading other authors.

Everyone starts somewhere. Even if you're not ready to be published, sending your work out for publication is an important thing to be doing at all times. It helps you to feel less hurt when rejected while honing your writing skills. It also allows you to become more familiar with the places your are submitting to as well as the process of submitting.

3. If you're worried about your work being stolen....

Only submit to accredited magazines/agents. There are many lists online of accredited agents and magazines, as well as scams to avoid. DO YOUR RESEARCH. It's boring but vital.

4. Notice that I didn't say anything about self-publishing....

I am not a believer in self-publishing, and I don't have any non-biased information about it. There are some people who have been wildly successful after self-publication (see Chris Paolini), but mostly it's a vanity thing. I recommend doing it the hard way and not shelling out a dime.

SOME WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT:

Writers Beware!: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/general.html

Literary Agent Search: http://www.literaryagents.com/

Literary Magazines: http://newpages.com/npguides/litmags.htm

For Great Information on Writing, BUY: "The Portable MFA in Creative Writing" ISBN 1582973504

GOOD LUCK, AND HAPPY WRITING!