…So for example, when readers sign up for my list, they get 2 short stories. One is a back story to my main character in my novels, Leslie Kicklighter and the other is a back story to an explorer mentioned in my novels, Benedict Cecil Spafford. One story is an award-winner and the other is exclusive to the email list that way it encourages readers to sign up, and if they like the stories that leads them into my novels.
Also, you could submit a short story to a contest. There are a lot of fun writing contests out there – I know Hope Clarke’s newsletter called Funds for Writers shares a lot of options.
You could submit your short story to an anthology. I organized an anthology and one of the participants said that it had been her goal to publish this year and this made it much easier to reach that goal, There’s a group on Facebook called Anthologies seeking submissions, that’s a good place to start.
Writing a short story is also a great way to take a break from your other writing.
And what about publishing it to Amazon? I’ll tell you a secret – there is much less competition in publishing short stories than there are novels. I know this because every quarter I help writers write a short story and publish to Amazon and if they follow the information I give them, 90% have hit the best selling categories. It still takes sells and reviews, but it is very exciting when it works. Those are my short storyathons and the 2023 schedule is up in the events on my website – women’s thriller writers association.
One of my attendees, Pat McGregor, who hit #1 best selling in romance short reads with her magical story, Burning Curtains, had this to share “Short stories give you more immediate gratification – you can write and finish one in much less time than a novel. And they give you the chance to write and polish a perfect gem – a shining bubble of narrative to offer to the readers. Short stories are refreshing.”
Thank you Pat.
So, you have a lot of options for short stories, and I hope you give a short story a chance. If you’re a fan of reading short stories, then you might want to check Amazon short reads. I’ve added list of some great short stories to the podcast page in case you need some quick bites of reading.
Notes:
- Interested in adventure/thrillers? My email sign up is here http://eepurl.com/cAzV5v
- Funds for Writers newsletter – https://fundsforwriters.com/
- Dark Fantasy Anthology (warning – this is super spicy book!) –
- Facebook group – Anthologies Looking For Submissions – https://www.facebook.com/groups/2068041726554759
- Short Storyathon Events are in the Events Page – https://womensthrillerwriters.com/category/uncategorized/
Some Short Stories!
- Pat McGregor’s Burning Curtains (magical romance)
- Sonja Dewing’s Against the Grain (memoir)
BL Martinez, The Ghost of Her Perfume (Psychological Drama)
And, Amy Rivers Novel Stumble and Fall is on her website. www.amyrivers.com