https://www.novelnoctule.com/post/match-man-by-alex-norton
Dear Readers,
In December I decided to write a short story and submit it to a horror magazine that was taking holiday themed submissions, my first time doing such a thing. Unfortunately, I only found out about this submission call the day before it was due, and I had to work that day.
Cut to the next day, my day off. I set two hours aside to write. Two hours I spent in front of the TV watching the Evil Dead and drinking coffee with rum…lotsa rum…tapping away on my laptop. Two out of these three activities are not ideal for writing a good story.
I submitted it anyway, and managed to send it in ten minutes before the deadline. It was crap by the way, the story and the query letter. A Hot Mess, as my sister would say. Because I was rushing and drunk, but mostly because I was rushing.
They rejected it politely a few days later. I expected, and deserved, that rejection. I was wasting their time with that nonsense.
But I liked the story, so I polished it up, read an article about how to PROPERLY format a magazine submission and write a cover letter for it, and sent it to another horror mag. One I read monthly, one of my favorites.
I had kinda given up on hearing back from them when I got the acceptance in my inbox. They published a much improved Match-Man in their January 2021 issue, lucky Issue 13. I’d love to claim that I was oh-so-cool when I got that acceptance email, but, man, no way…I ran around the kitchen yelling and jumping on things and making inanimate objects high-five me.
That felt good, so I think I’ll try it again. I’m taking a little time away from Book #4 of Witchbone to write some more short stories, and I have no shortage of beloved horror mags to submit them to.
Follow the link and read it if you feel motivated, let me know what you think if you’re so inclined, and if you’re a writer, storyteller or artist of any kind, keep on truckin’.
~Alex
Alex Parris Norton: Court Jester of Horror 
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