We weighed criteria such as circulation, payment, rights, submission response time, and the number of manuscripts a magazine receives per year vs. Based on information from the 2003 edition of Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, and individual magazine's guidelines, we are thrilled to showcase the top 30 short story markets for 2003! In keeping with last year's ranking style, we've whittled down hundreds of fiction publications to a select 30, which we then classified into six categories. 'Though it might seem easier to write one of these stories in comparison to writing a regular-length story, I think they are actually more difficult to write, because you don't have a lot of space to get your story across.'Д®very year Writer's Digest rounds up the top short fiction markets for writers. 'Short shorts are popular-stories under 1,000 words, and flash fiction, which generally is a story under 500 words,' editors of Prose Ax say. We love it when we read a short or memoir or poem that makes us laugh.'ДЄlso, many editors are inclined to accept shorter works. We are literally dying for some humorous pieces. Fahey says he looks for 'a short but complete story with a change in character, great imagery and an unusual voice or POV. Humor, in fact, seems to be a prevalent theme throughout many of these markets. 'We look for a strong sense of voice, flashes of humor, concrete and condensed description in fiction that unites the heart and mind by avoiding the sentimental,' says Vivian Shipley, editor of Connecticut Review. Do your characters shine? Are their conflicts plausible? Does your plot move at a steady pace without being too wordy? Once you've brushed up on the basics, it's time to enhance the quality of your work. Don't let a lack of publishing credits prevent you from submitting!' Mindprints Editor Paul Fahey says.

'We especially seek out and enjoy publishing first-time writers and artists. By reading work the editor has already selected you can develop an idea of what that market is looking for.'Дon't be put off if you're a beginner. 'The most important advice any editor can offer is to read the previously published work prior to submission,' says Sean Meriwether, editor of Outsider Ink.' Each venue has its own particular obsessions.

Other publications offer even more specific advice. Jill Adams, editor of The Barcelona Review, says, 'First of all, read the submission guidelines carefully, which is, unfortunately, so rarely done.' This may seem like common sense, but many writers ignore this advice, submit on their own terms, and end up with a pile of rejections-or worse, no response at all. Not surprisingly, almost every editor makes some mention of checking the guidelines and reading past issues before submitting any work. Officer Friendly and Other Stories by Lewis Robinson (HarperCollins, $23.95). Henry Awards: Prize Stories 2002 edited by Larry Dark (Anchor Books, $14) The Pushcart Prize XXVI: Best of the Small Presses 2002 edited by Bill Henderson (Pushcart Press, $18) New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2002 edited by Shannon Ravenel, preface by Larry Brown (Algonquin, $14.95) The Best American Short Stories 2002 edited by Sue Miller, co-edited by Katrina Kenison (Mariner, $13)

The Half-Mammals of Dixie by George Singleton (Algonquin Books, $22.95) Speaking With the Angel edited by Nick Hornby (Riverhead Books, $13.95) You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett (Doubleday, $21.95)

Algonquin books submission guidelines