Rachel Hyde asked Jane Friedman:

How important are short fiction publication credits? As a mom who works full-time, I manage a max of two hours of writing time per day, and an hour or two of reading time. I've had one piece published in an on-line lit mag, but have learned that staying abreast of the lit mag market and submitting can really cut into my already tight schedule. Will this make it impossible for me to find an agent for my novel?

Jane Friedman Short fiction credits are not that important. They can be helpful as far as building confidence (small wins), but they don't necessarily indicate you have a salable novel to an agent. Now, there are exceptions to this, like if you place a short story in the New Yorker. But that doesn't describe the fate of 99.9% of writers!

So, in brief, I wouldn't worry about it; focus on writing and selling your novel (and reading the sort of thing you're trying to publish).

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