You can make submissions on your own, or hire some help. Every story, on average, must be submitted to 100 markets before it is accepted. For short story authors, these numbers are sad, but true. Even best stories must cover a lot of territory before they appear on printed page. A reputable author’s submission service may offer you more time to write while they take care of submissions. Remember that a good submission service screens potential writers for quality work. They don’t take everyone.

Once your story has passed following tests, it’s time to send it out into world. 1. Is there an opening hook that grabs reader? Does it surprise/amuse/intrigue? Does it establish mood of story?

2. Are characters interesting to read about? Are their interactions with each other believable? Are they properly motivated? Do they each have flaws as well as virtues? (Or vice-versa in Horror stories.)

3. Does each character have his or her own voice? Is dialogue flowing and natural, not stilted? Does dialogue move story along?

4. Are secondary characters, if any, vivid without overwhelming main characters? Do they serve a useful purpose in plot? Do they add interesting elements to story?

5. Does narrative show action, not just tell about it? Do descriptive passages evoke vivid mental images? Is balance between narrative and dialogue appropriate for this work?

6. Is emotional situation and/or appropriate level of tension set up between characters? Is conflict clearly presented?

If you live with other people, I know you shudder to think about what would happen if your personal journal fell into wrong hands. Journaling is not about writing something and then leaving it on your bed so your family can see how you really feel about them. You may be tempted to do that at times, but don't.

It's just not cool for your mother to read your rant about how ugly you think her purple polka dot shirt is. You wrote that you scrunched down in your elementary school chair until your eyes were even with your desk, wishing to disappear when she walked into room wearing that purple people eater.

You can still hear little Jimmy Morgan snickering behind you, saying dots would make good bull's eyes for his spit wads. And look, she's still wearing that thing like some kind of vintage-fashion-rage fifteen years later and you want to barf.

Of course, it doesn't really bother you to that extreme, but you were thinking about it day you wrote it in your journal and it felt good to exaggerate. Writing even made you laugh about it. But thought of mom reading that entry makes your face flush and your knees feel weak.

I know one mom who read her daughter's journal all time. The daughter always left it open on her bed, knowing her mother would make bed and pick it up. After hearing about a few confrontational episodes between this mom and daughter, I suggested that mom buy a journal that she and her daughter could write in and exchange. This way, each person could "talk" without interruption and there would be no invasion of privacy.