Originally Posted by Shadowborn

Well, there are a lot of avenues open as far as publishing goes.

Online publishing sites are becoming quite popular these days. A quick Google search can turn up quite a few of them. Then its simply a matter of finding one that suits you.

You might check with local colleges and universities in your area. They often have literary journals that are open to area residents.

You can also do the rounds of what one of my friends likes to call the "artsy-fartsy" section of town. The little downtown revival areas that have little bookshops, coffee houses, music shops, etc. Those places are usually tied in with the local artistic community, and would have information regarding small, local publications and how to contact them.

Finally, there are publications sold which are essentially national catalogues of publications of poetry and short fiction. You can pick those up easily at a bookstore. They provide names of publications, the styles they publish, and contact information to get their writers' guidelines.

The best thing to do is to get ahold of a copy of whatever publication you're submitting to, and read it. That way, when you send in your submission, your introduction letter can make commentary on their publication. Editors always like to know that a potential author has taken the time to read their publication. A mention of something specific you enjoyed in their latest issue is good.