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[Little]

You actually think I have a chance? My writing isn't that good.

And how would I submit it? I don't exactly know how...Plus, none of my stuff is copyrighted.

[Gigalith]

You actually think I have a chance? My writing isn't that good.

I'd say you have a shot. Maybe you'll hit, and maybe you'll miss, but if you never try you'll never succeed. And if you fail, what have you lost?

If you do decide to take the plunge, submitting is actually pretty easy.

First, Find the name of a magazine you're interested in. Google their name. Every magazine has a website these days, and usually they have a section called Writer's Guidelines or Submission Guidelines, or the like. There they have the exact specifications down to the letter of how they want story submissions made. Also, the often have certain things they want or don't want to see content-wise i.e. Analog won't accept fantasy.

Alternately, you could just click on this link because I so happen to have it bookmarked: http://www.samsdotpublishing.com/aoife/AKguidelines.htm

Either way, you follow their guidelines, and either email it if they accept email submissions or snail-mail it otherwise. Then you wait. And wait. It helps to forget that you submitted it in the first place, because then you won't be bitterly disappointed if you get rejected after all that. And that's basically it. Sooner or later you will get a letter either rejecting or accepting you, and that's that. If you don't get in, you can submit to another magazine you find, or you could just write another story.

And as for copyright? Don't worry about it. For a story that size, you'll get maybe a few dollars, and the magazine will register the copyright for you. (And you still own the story, what most magazines buy are called 'first rights' meaning they own the right to publish the story for the first time.)  And U.S. copyright law automatically copyrights anything you create, the only point of registration is that it turns a one-sided battle (Any theoretical thief would not have your drafts and other versions) into a matter of paperwork.

P.S.: If you plan on making a career in writing, you will get rejected many times. It happens. So lay back and sing the Rejection Letter Blues (sung to the Dead Letter Blues):

I gotta letter this morning,
what ya reckon' it read?
it said: "Your story sucks.
and we're not gonna publish it." 

Sadly, I haven't thought of any more verses.

[Little]

Thanks for the recomendations!

I submited a story to Aoife.