Have you ever tried to get a work published?

[SebastiansLittleDoll]

I'm trying to publish stuff in magazines, and I've already submitted two fictional works. One's gonna be letting me know if I'm accepted this month, and the other in... September, I believe.

I expect to be rejected, honestly. But, even so, I worked my butt off and I gained something from it nonetheless, so at least there's that.

[lullar]

I've been published before in journals for writing. If you are interested in publishing short stories or poetry, you can also check if a university near you is looking for submissions. Most universities/colleges have some sort of creative journal where students and non-students can send in artwork, poetry, or writing of any kind. Good luck to you! God bless.

[CapelIa]

I've not been published yet, but I hope to be. At the moment, I'm writing for a few places that have fall deadlines and waiting on those who will reopen submissions at that time. My plan is to try to build up a short fiction resume before pitching a manuscript. Everyone generally faces more rejection than acceptance in publishing because that's just how the business goes. Submit often and submit everywhere. Never give up.

I haven't researched the novel publishing business in depth yet, but I can speak for short fiction. To everyone submitting or considering submitting, GOOD LUCK. I wish you the best. (:

Regarding short fiction:
Try online magazines like Pank and Failbetter... (there are more around the web, but these are the only ones I've read from). The good thing about online magazines is that the medium allows for them to publish more, faster. I know Pank updates every month. Some sites might update quicker than that. Online is definitely a 'do-able' option.

There are lots of indie presses. Some only publish works about a local area/region. Some only feature a certain range of topics/genres. I know my city has one that only publishes work about/set in it. It's really just a matter of finding what best fits you. As was mentioned in the post above mine, a lot of university English Departments also have magazines. Some even publish books and have contests/prizes. Of course, you can try literary print magazines like Tin House, McSweeney's, Ploughshares, Boulevard, as well as the "_____ Reviews" like Chicago Review and Yale Review. They're competitive, but it's an accomplishment if you can get in. I recommend reading an issue of any publication you submit to beforehand so you have an idea for what sort of work they publish. Some places accept genre fiction, some don't. A lot of them don't accept YA.
Hope this helps.