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@James, in my experience, just about none of what you've said above is true with flash fiction, and probably not with literary short stories in general, either.
ETA: Short stories in general simply have far higher supply than demand these days. Cutting down on the supply won't increase demand at all. It's just not a way most people are going to make a living and hasn't been for years.
People are not going to stop engaging in any of the arts unless they get paid any more than they'll stop having sex unless they get paid. And why should they. Also, I have never heard of an editor turning down any writing simply because the author's other stories weren't published in paying or prestigious publications (which are not always the same thing, btw).
I know of many flash publications where no one is paid and have read many excellent stories in them. Obviously they do not have the funds to pay rent on a building, etc. that way and are small operations. Litmags, especially flash fiction ones, often don't have huge audiences but that doesn't mean they can't be good. The only way to judge the quality of any particular story or publication is to read it. If the short story market wasn't so much smaller than the number of good stories out there, then I'd expect the stories in the small or no-pay pubs to be of low quality but I haven't found that to be the case overall. They are still deluged with stories to choose from.
Also, people engage in all sorts of activities without getting paid, whether it's the arts, charity work or whatever. I don't think they are being duped, stealing anyone's job, or that it's proof they suck or whatever lol.
But, one problem on a writer's forum is that I often don't know "who" I'm speaking to and what their opinions are based on. Obviously, people have reasons to want to keep their professional identity separate from their forum presence, though...
P.S. As far as pay for flash stories in itself, tbh it just annoys me. They're so short that it's usually only like $5 or $20 or a prize like a bottle of wine or something. So then at the end of the year I have all these annoying little things to track down and report and I get audited constantly anyway is so it only causes trouble for me. But like I said, I'd probably feel differently if I wrote longer stuff.
ETA: Short stories in general simply have far higher supply than demand these days. Cutting down on the supply won't increase demand at all. It's just not a way most people are going to make a living and hasn't been for years.
People are not going to stop engaging in any of the arts unless they get paid any more than they'll stop having sex unless they get paid. And why should they. Also, I have never heard of an editor turning down any writing simply because the author's other stories weren't published in paying or prestigious publications (which are not always the same thing, btw).
I know of many flash publications where no one is paid and have read many excellent stories in them. Obviously they do not have the funds to pay rent on a building, etc. that way and are small operations. Litmags, especially flash fiction ones, often don't have huge audiences but that doesn't mean they can't be good. The only way to judge the quality of any particular story or publication is to read it. If the short story market wasn't so much smaller than the number of good stories out there, then I'd expect the stories in the small or no-pay pubs to be of low quality but I haven't found that to be the case overall. They are still deluged with stories to choose from.
Also, people engage in all sorts of activities without getting paid, whether it's the arts, charity work or whatever. I don't think they are being duped, stealing anyone's job, or that it's proof they suck or whatever lol.
But, one problem on a writer's forum is that I often don't know "who" I'm speaking to and what their opinions are based on. Obviously, people have reasons to want to keep their professional identity separate from their forum presence, though...
P.S. As far as pay for flash stories in itself, tbh it just annoys me. They're so short that it's usually only like $5 or $20 or a prize like a bottle of wine or something. So then at the end of the year I have all these annoying little things to track down and report and I get audited constantly anyway is so it only causes trouble for me. But like I said, I'd probably feel differently if I wrote longer stuff.
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