enron1982

According to the "guidelines" a short story is up to 8000 words at its longest. I just finished one today that is 10000 words and i can cut some of it down after editing, but maybe only by about 500 words at the most, in order to keep the story. If i submitted this for publication, is it still possible for it to be accepted as a short story even at this length? Or would it automatically be denied?

surrealist

If the magazine you're subbing to says 8k max, and you send a 10k story, it's probably going to get rejected unless it's unbelievably good. I would either trim the story to the guidelines (well below them, in fact), or find a different magazine.

Kimberly Dawn

You have the painful Novelette. Cut it or you'll have to expand it into a Novella. Novelettes don't sell anywhere... at least I've tried to and was rejected many times.

sdavis2k

I agree with those above, if they says 8000 words they mean it. Now a great story written with says 8132 words could slide by, but your saying you can not cut yours any shorter than 9500. I would look for publications wanting work between 10-12k for your story, if you do not feel as though you can trim it down much farther. Most publications would look at the word count and reject it for not following guidelines if it is that much above their maximum.

surrealist

There are markets that publish novelettes; look for magazines that run the gamut from short stories to serialized novels. I'm currently outlining a 12k word story I'll write and submit for a local contest at year's end. Regardless of whether it wins anything, I'll start submitting it to such magazines next spring.

Mike C

There are a load of markets that'll buy 10k words, Enron; it's a harder sell, but they're out there. Check the guidelines. GUD magazine takes stuff up to 15k words. look on duotrope.com for others.

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enron1982

^^^Cool, thanks. P.S., Mike, check your pms.