I don’t think big publications are a must, Melinda. I had a story published over 18 months ago in The Writing Cooperative. It was chosen for further distribution but, to date, has earned me only $0.80. It’s easy for a story to get “lost in the sauce” of a big publication. I published a story at the end of July in a publication with fewer than 350 followers. So far, it’s earned $1,949. We all keep looking for success formulas but I wonder if there really are any.