Writers should edit manuscripts before submitting them for publication. Publishers will not consider a story that has plot holes, weak characters, poor grammar and typographical errors. It is best to have two or three professional writers/editors review stories after a second draft is complete. Writers cannot always see their own errors because the brain has a tendency to overlook them and fill in the mistakes. Writers should do one final edit. In addition to content and line editing, punctuation and spelling errors are best found when reading backwards -- bottom to top, right to left.
Getting published is all about finding the right niche for a specific story or genre. A parenting magazine is not likely to accept a science fiction adventure, nor will a business newspaper accept a horror tale. Writers should research the market to find the right publisher for each story they submit. Writers can examine various magazines, newspapers and other publications at local libraries or bookstores. For a paid subscription, the Writer's Market lists publishers and agents for all genres and subjects. Once the market is narrowed down to a select few, investigate the publishers to make sure the story is comparable. For example, if the story involves a murder mystery that takes place on a train, a good market would include publications with other mysteries. Read the most current issues, going back six months to a year to make sure a similar story has not already been published before submitting.
A query letter details the important information about the submitted story and its author. The query letter should be one typed, single-spaced page. It should start with an attention-grabbing sentence called the hook, followed by plot details, manuscript length and author background information and credentials. The query letter should be addressed to the appropriate editor of the publication. Often times, publishers have more than one editor. Writers might be denied if the letter is addressed to the wrong person. Writers must remember to include contact information. For queries mailed through the post office, writers should include a self-addressed-stamped-envelope (SASE).
Writers must always follow writer guidelines when submitting a story for publication. Every publisher has different rules, and if they are not followed, submissions will be rejected. You can find guidelines on publishers' websites, inside publications or have them mailed to you upon request. Guidelines include maximum word count, contact information and page formatting specifications like margins, line spacing font/type size and word count. Guidelines also tell writers how to submit. Some publishers want the entire or partial manuscript while others want a letter first.