macq

I have a Mac.

Thankfully, most Mac users are able to successfully make submissions at our site. Note that the information below talks about file extensions. If you don't see the file extension on your Mac, see the section below titled File Extensions. Here's some general information:

AppleWorks

AppleWorks 6.0 will allow you to save your work as Rich Text (.RTF) files, which work great. However, when you save an AppleWorks file in the .rtf format, apostrophes and quote marks will often turn to odd characters (take the opportunity to look at the story in the pop-up view that is offered prior to completing the submission.)

If, before submitting it, you can convert that file with TextEdit (just copy and paste your AppleWorks text into a blank TextEdit document,) you should be able to avoid the odd characters. But don't worry too much because we have become accustomed to those characters and know what you intended.

ClarisWorks

We cannot work with ClarisWorks files, I'm sorry. Please use Word, WordPerfect, or a program that can save your file in the Rich Text (.RTF) format.

Using iWork's Pages program

Apple's web site shows you how to save a .pages file as a Word (.DOC) file. The tutorial "Working with Microsoft Word" can be found at this URL: http://www.apple.com/iwork/tutorials/#pages-msoffice. This link was valid on June 8, 2011.

To save your .pages document as a .doc document, open your file and select "Export" in the File menu (not "Save As..."). A window with five icons will appear at the top of your document. Select the icon that has DOC at the bottom with "Word" beneath the icon, click "Next", and follow the menu prompts.

File Extensions

You might not be accustomed to file extensions at all, but your file name must end with an extension or the upload will not work. Here are two approaches to add the file extension to your file name.

To show the filename extension for a particular file:

Select a file and chose File > Get Info.
Click the triangle next to the Name & Extension to expand the section and see the filename extension for the file.
To show the filename extension, deselect "Hide Extension."

To show filename extensions for all files:

Choose Finder > Preferences and click Advanced.
Select "Show all filename extensions."

After you've made your submission, click on My Submissions (at our site) to confirm that the file made it through.

In a pinch you are always welcome to use snail mail!

To return to the FAQs, click here.

Every story we publish is unsolicited, and 86% of the stories we accepted last year came to us directly from the writer.
That's exactly how we like it.

One of the most respected short-story journals in print, Glimmer Train Stories is represented in recent editions of the Pushcart Prize, New Stories from the Midwest, O.Henry, New Stories from the South, Best of the West, and Best American Short Stories anthologies.