Collections

gromhard · Jul 7, 2006

I've been writing short stories for a while, for exercise as well as trying to build a resume. I finally started getting some acceptance letters and seeing my work in print which is cool so now I want to concentrate on my novel. Yet what do I do with the 40+ non-published shorts I have? (they're all mostly lit-fict so they're in the same genre)
I'd like to put at least some of them in a collection but I don't know? Are short story collections something publishers consider with non-famous writers? I know Sedaris had a collection come out before his novel but then again he's Sedaris and had a following in mags before any of it.

Anyone have any experience/info about how to go about making your own SS collection and getting it published?

Penguin Queen · Jul 7, 2006

Firstly, it depends a little bit where you are -- if you're in North America, your chances are better than if you're in the UK. Dont know anything about rest of English-speaking world.

Secondly, short story collections by unknown authors are pretty hard to place.
What will hep is f.e. if your stories are in any way connected -- overlapping characters (not the right word, you know what I mean, if a character from one story reappears in another), all the stories being set in the same place, having a common theme, that kinda thing. I have been told by someone I know who knows someone in publishing (yes, I know) that themed short story collections are The Next Big Thing.

It so happens that I have got a (themed) short story collection accepted by a British publisher (she says blushingly). They're fairly small but have a bit of a reputation, and I'm more chuffed than I can say.

So it can be done, and I would say lit fiction is probably more likely to do it than anything else.

Just pick five dozen small publishers off the web & start sending out submissions. And good luck.

pdr · Jul 7, 2006

Short story collections.

It helps if some of those stories have been published in literary magazines. Some of the American literaries - usually those connected to Universities -also do collections if they like your work.

I'd suggest you send out your stories to magazines that do collections and take it from there.

gromhard · Jul 7, 2006

Good advice, thanks you guys. Yeah, I'm in North America. I get what you're saying about the common elements of a short story collection. At the very least it sounds like something that would be good experience to pursue while I finish editing my novel.

Jamesaritchie · Jul 8, 2006

collection

Even famous writers often have a tough time getting a collection published. In order to do so, all but one or two or the stories are almost certainly going to have to be previously published stories.

Literary collections, SF & fantasy collections, and mystery collections all stand a chance of selling, but in any of these genres, all the stories but one or two need to have been previously published.

If you can't sell the stories to magazines, a publisher isn't going to take a chance on them, either. Especially when collections usually sell poorly, even when written by known writers.

It also helps greatly if you've had a novel or two published, but this isn't an absolute requirement.

Collections

gromhard

Penguin Queen

Break the rules.

pdr

gromhard

Jamesaritchie