Novel characters in short stories--problem?

Saanen · Oct 19, 2007

I was going to search on this topic but I can't figure out how to phrase the search. If this has been covered before and I missed the thread, I apologize and respectfully beg a link!

Anyway, is it a bad thing to write (and publish, obviously) a short story containing characters that appear in a book you're trying to sell? That is, might it affect the sale of the book? I've got a fun little short story I wrote with the main character of a book I'd recently finished. It's set long before the events of the book, shares only the MC and two other characters who are very minor in the book, and its tone is very different as well. It's even told in third person instead of first. But if getting it published might hurt my chances of selling the book, I'll withdraw it from the market I've got it subbed to and not send it out again. (Which is a shame, because I do like it.)

PeeDee · Oct 19, 2007

Nope, not a problem. As long the short story can be read without reading the novel, and vice versa. No problems at all.

Soccer Mom · Oct 19, 2007

No, it won't hurt your chances at selling the novel at all. If you sell the story and it does well, it makes a nifty credit to put on the query. "Stand alone story NAMED containing CHARACTERS X, Y, & Z, was published in MAGAZINE, etc...."

Just Me 2021 · Oct 19, 2007

Alice Munro did this in Lives of Girls and Women (her main character appears in other short stories she's written.) Andre Dubus used the same four main characters in three different novellas, with an emphasis on a different character within each of the novellas. John Updike uses the same characters in different short stories. I don't think it's a problem at all.

mscelina · Oct 19, 2007

Personally, I like writing short stories about the characters in my novel. It helps me get to know them better and gives them a little more freedom to wander through life outside of my convoluted political nightmares that I call plots.

A writer friend of mine wrote a series of short stories around the same character--sold 'em all too. Now the stories are being combined into a novella with an intro written by Michael Moorcock. So there are advantages the OTHER way too sometimes, if you know what I mean.

I'm so jealous of him.

jchines · Oct 19, 2007

I've sold four short stories with my goblin characters. If anything, I believe it helps sales of the books. And one of those stories appeared in an anthology produced by the publisher who bought the novels, so I assume they have no objections either

Saanen · Oct 19, 2007

Whew, okay, thanks y'all! Not that I was uber-worried or anything, but if I have to choose between a novel sale and a short story sale, the novel wins every time.

I found the story really interesting to write, incidentally, since changing the POV from first to third made me focus on the character again in a fresh way.

David I · Oct 19, 2007

Plenty of mystery writers have used ongoing series characters in both stories and novels, weaving back and forth between them. Lawrence Block is a good example: He's best known for his Matthew Scudder and Bernie Rhodenbarr novels, but he has standalone short stories featuring them as well.

More recently, his hit-man character Keller, who began in a series of short stories, got his own novel (and had the stories collected into a book).

Agents like this. publishers like it. fans like it. As far as I know, there's no downside. Go for it.

maestrowork · Oct 19, 2007

If you write well, this will only help your novel...

Fight Club was based on a short story Palahniuk had published, which later became Chapter 6 of the novel. Didn't hurt, did it?

Azraelsbane · Oct 19, 2007

I just sent out a short story about a char in my novels. I don't think it's an issue at all.

The_Grand_Duchess · Oct 19, 2007

I would say it would only help your novel. If it was placed in a magazine it would add to your credits as Soccermom already pointed out. Good luck!

veinglory · Oct 19, 2007

Before the novel is published I don't think it would be any issue unless the publisher grabs rights relating to characters and world. After publishing the novel you may find its contract does grab first refusal to stories with the same characters and world. So watch for that. I know some writers have generisized short sotries that were in their novel's world in order to use them with another publisher.

Kojiro · Oct 19, 2007

I'm pretty sure that it'd only help your book. Numerous other authors have pulled the same thing, and I've heard of no ill effects from it.

FennelGiraffe · Oct 20, 2007

I don't know how likely this is, but if your book isn't sold yet, isn't there a chance that when it is the editor could ask for changes that would make the short story incompatible with it?

Saanen · Oct 20, 2007

SouthernWriter1978 said:
Popeyesays had a novel turned down for publication due to the characters named in a short story. You might ask him why and how he was rejected as I don't know the specifics, but I do know that having characters in a novel and short story (that was already published) did affect the novel sale.

I saw the thread where he mentions that, over in Bewares & Background Checks, and that was actually what got me worrying. But I've decided not to worry. After all, there's no guarantee that I'll sell either the short story or the book.

PeeDee · Oct 20, 2007

SouthernWriter1978 said:
Or it could be the individual publisher had a problem with it, not really a legal issue. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with it. After all, Stephen Kind does it all the time!

Maybe if he hadn't, he would be more famous and someone would have heard of Stephen Kind. Poor guy.

a_sharp · Oct 20, 2007

You know Stephen Kind, PeeDee, the guy who wrote Carry, The Dread Zone, and KnommyTockers.

PeeDee · Oct 20, 2007

Oh! The guy who wrote Grumpy! How could I forget that book and movie?

Novel characters in short stories--problem?

Saanen

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Just Me 2021

practical experience, FTW

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

jchines

Got the hang of it, here

Saanen

David I

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Azraelsbane

Agony is defeat

The_Grand_Duchess

I record everything.

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Kojiro

FennelGiraffe

It's green they say

Saanen

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

a_sharp

Somebody give me an A

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?