Found An Old Story on a Disk - Pondering

Dani Dunn · Mar 25, 2007

Hey everybody. I was going through my boxes, and found a 30,000 word novella I wrote in the late 90s. I buried because I didn't think it was any good, but other than the characters being really ghetto, the story isn't half bad. I would have to revise it to make it fit into 2007, but I think I could make it work. I looked on Duotrope, but I didn't really see much of a market for noevella length urban fiction.

Any advice?

PeeDee · Mar 25, 2007

There isn't a huge market for novellas. Duotrope probably gave you a fair sampling.

I say while writing it, see if you can't edit it down and tighten it up. Who knows? You might have a 30,000 word novella that can actually be a really tight 10,000 word short story.

Dani Dunn · Mar 25, 2007

PeeDee said:
There isn't a huge market for novellas. Duotrope probably gave you a fair sampling.

I say while writing it, see if you can't edit it down and tighten it up. Who knows? You might have a 30,000 word novella that can actually be a really tight 10,000 word short story.

I'll try to either get the word count up to novel length, or get the word count down to short story. Another thing I realized is I have another old handwritten manuscript that I scrapped years ago. It might make a good novella. Maybe I can finish it, and put the two together in one book.

Ali B · Mar 25, 2007

I read somewhere, can't remember where, damnit, that urban fiction and gang lit, is the new chick lit. It's really the "in" genre right now. The article said that it is drawing in low income kids and adults that otherwise would never buy a novel.
What I found interesting is that many of the authors self published because they couldn't find pubs that will take them. They're making big bucks selling out of the back of cars and in beauty salons in their area. Just lately have publishers started to accept this type of genre.
If I can find the article I'll let you know.

Ali B · Mar 25, 2007

Okay, this isn't the exact article I read, but it is still interesting: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA486531.html

PeeDee · Mar 25, 2007

Of course, the thing about aiming a story at a "hot" genre is that, especially for books, by the time your work actually gets published, the market will probably dead.

It may be the "new chicklit," but it's worth remembering that chicklit wasn't the "old" thing very long ago.

Dani Dunn · Mar 25, 2007

When I say ghetto, I don't mean anything like gang-lit or drug-realted. My characters are in their early 20s and they curse.

The_Grand_Duchess · Mar 25, 2007

Depending on the type of work maybe you can find an ebook publisher to put it out as a novella.

Alot of the urban fiction writers do self publish but it has been my experiance after talking with some that this is less becuase they are unable to find publishers/agents and more becuase they haven't tried.

heatheringemar · Mar 27, 2007

I know Echelon Press (http://www.echelonpress.com) is looking for Urban fiction submissions right now.

Dani Dunn · Mar 28, 2007

firefingers said:
I know Echelon Press (http://www.echelonpress.com) is looking for Urban fiction submissions right now.

Thanks, but they are full until next year. Thanks anyway.

Stijn Hommes · May 21, 2007

Dani Dunn said:
I'll try to either get the word count up to novel length, or get the word count down to short story. Another thing I realized is I have another old handwritten manuscript that I scrapped years ago. It might make a good novella. Maybe I can finish it, and put the two together in one book.

Looks like a sensible idea to me.

Found An Old Story on a Disk - Pondering

Dani Dunn

Huh? What?

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Dani Dunn

Huh? What?

Ali B

Just Hanging Around

Ali B

Just Hanging Around

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Dani Dunn

Huh? What?

The_Grand_Duchess

I record everything.

heatheringemar

lurking behind that corner..

Dani Dunn

Huh? What?

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...