Long vs short

[emeraldcite]

Just to throw some stuffin for the discussin:

I've got me some stories that are 10,000+ words, but under 15,000. Should I:

A) shop around some shorter stories, build up some strong credits, then approach print mags (semi-pro to pro) with the longer works?

or

B) Just shoot 'em out there and hope for the very best, knowing full well that once they're rejected from said print mags, I may never resubmit again...

and in general, the idea of stories approaching novelette/novella length...

I've noticed a growing trend (or maybe rather established...) of Asimov's, F&SF, and Analog publishing more Novelettes than anything else...

Opinions, well-worded rants, and complete blow-offs accepted!

Thanks!

[clintl]

I'd go ahead and send them out.

[stormie]

I can't find the link, but Story House coffee accepts novella-length mss. for their coffee cans (really!). They use them in continuing installments, I guess to get people into buying their coffee again and again in order to be able to read the entire story. Also go to www.ralan.com (http://www.ralan.com) for a good list of places to send your work to. If you can't cut the story down, there are magazines that take mss. that are as long as yours.

Good luck!

[mnmamma]

Have you tried submitting to Long Story? Also, SQ does long pieces from time to time. If you felt like getting ruthless with the editorial/trimming process - - enough to get it down to eight thousand words, you could submit to One Story (my favorite journal of all time).

kelly

[sunshinefaith83]

I'd go ahead and send them to magazines in fact I have a magazine called "The Sun" it''s a mag with nothing but short stories, poetry, and essays. In fact there short stories are about as long as the ones you have.You could try that one.

I wish you the best of luck!

God Bless

Kristy

[Mike Coombes]

Do your research. There are several mags that print 10k+ stories.

[Jamesaritchie]

J

I've noticed a growing trend (or maybe rather established...) of Asimov's, F&SF, and Analog publishing more Novelettes than anything else...



Thanks!

Well, they publish one or two per issue. Sometimes fewer. Most stories of this length go to name writers. It's very difficult for an unknown writer to sell a novelette to a top magazine.

This doesn't mean it can't be done. It happens now and then. Just check the guidelines. If the magazine accepts stories of the length you write, submit them. No harm done if they say no.

[AdamH]

I say send them out. If the only reason the story got rejected was because it was too long then you've got two choices: edit it down to something shorter and resubmit (if they're asking for it), or you can send it somewhere else. An editor will (this is the optimist in me who's had more than his share of rejections) show interest if it's got merit. Then, even after you submit to all those publications in its original long form, it still gets rejected. You can still re-edit, and try it all over again with a shorter version.

Someone on this board (forget who, sorry) posted this handy link: http://www.storypilot.com/

You can search by genre, wordlength, or any other possible search filter option you can think of.

It greatly simplified the research process for me.

-Adam

[kristin724]

As much as try, I can't seem to do flash or short fiction and most of my stories range over 10k. Novel excerpts are tough to, usually around 20k. The markets are there, but it can be a tough sell. :Smack:

My problem is the waiting verses the money. Do you sell a piece to a place with a quick return time to make small change, or do you wait and wait on a better place and hold out on the hopes of more money? Then of course you must factor who has what where and what rights are available. :Smack: :Smack:

I hate the technicalities. :idea:

[HConn]

My first story sale was barely under 10K words long.

Send them out.