Comments on: Kindling interest in the American short story http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:35:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Marie Ann Bailey http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1036540 Marie Ann Bailey Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:30:03 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/05/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/#comment-1036540 Another source for short stories: Consider a subscription to One Story (http://www.one-story.com/) for delivery of a single story every few weeks direct to your home. The format is simple and small enough to slip into a shoulder bag. It's a wonderful concept. I've been subscribing for over a year, and the cost is less than most anthologies :-) Another source for short stories: Consider a subscription to One Story (http://www.one-story.com/) for delivery of a single story every few weeks direct to your home. The format is simple and small enough to slip into a shoulder bag. It’s a wonderful concept. I’ve been subscribing for over a year, and the cost is less than most anthologies :-)

]]> By: Dragoness Eclectic http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1032969 Dragoness Eclectic Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:29:12 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/05/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/#comment-1032969 I believe there is a very big opportunity for e-publishing short stories, if someone can just get a handle on marketing it. I have observed the amateur writing community (fanfiction) for several years now, and reader preference is definitely for short stories over huge novel-plus length epics, unless said epics are very, very good. The reason? Most online readers have busy lives and don't have hours to sit down at the computer reading a novel that may turn out to be of dubious quality (or worse yet, unfinished)--but they want to read *something*, and a short story ("fic") lets them get the satisfaction of an entire story in their short bit of leisure time, while minimizing the amount of leisure time/lifespan wasted if the story turns out to be of poor quality. The same applies to original fiction: "Sredni Vashtar" is a much shorter read than "The Shining". There is definitely a place for original short fiction in the hearts and minds of modern readers; it's just a matter of getting it to them. These days, it seems like the only place to find short stories is in anthologies or subscription 'zines. Anthologies cost just as much as a novel--and, like music albums, if you don't like all the stories in the anthology, the stories/tracks you do like are terribly overpriced because you had to pay for all the stories/tracks you didn't want, as well. Subscription-only 'zines also are not cost-attractive unless you know up front that you are interested in everything they publish. Bottom line: e-publish short stories, and promote them! I believe there is a very big opportunity for e-publishing short stories, if someone can just get a handle on marketing it. I have observed the amateur writing community (fanfiction) for several years now, and reader preference is definitely for short stories over huge novel-plus length epics, unless said epics are very, very good. The reason? Most online readers have busy lives and don’t have hours to sit down at the computer reading a novel that may turn out to be of dubious quality (or worse yet, unfinished)–but they want to read *something*, and a short story (“fic”) lets them get the satisfaction of an entire story in their short bit of leisure time, while minimizing the amount of leisure time/lifespan wasted if the story turns out to be of poor quality.

The same applies to original fiction: “Sredni Vashtar” is a much shorter read than “The Shining”. There is definitely a place for original short fiction in the hearts and minds of modern readers; it’s just a matter of getting it to them. These days, it seems like the only place to find short stories is in anthologies or subscription ‘zines. Anthologies cost just as much as a novel–and, like music albums, if you don’t like all the stories in the anthology, the stories/tracks you do like are terribly overpriced because you had to pay for all the stories/tracks you didn’t want, as well. Subscription-only ‘zines also are not cost-attractive unless you know up front that you are interested in everything they publish.

Bottom line: e-publish short stories, and promote them!

]]> By: Heather S. Ingemar http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1032700 Heather S. Ingemar Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:22:53 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/05/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/#comment-1032700 I think it's certainly something that could happen. I think it’s certainly something that could happen.

]]> By: Stephen Peters http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/comment-page-1/#comment-1032674 Stephen Peters Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:42:55 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/05/kindling-interest-in-the-american-short-story/#comment-1032674 I agree that the Kindle may spark an interest in shorts, but wish there was a better way to sort through them. We recently published "The Box" by Teresa Peters to explore the possibilities of short stories for the Kindle. It's available here: http://www.tinyurl.com/dyaydo I agree that the Kindle may spark an interest in shorts, but wish there was a better way to sort through them. We recently published “The Box” by Teresa Peters to explore the possibilities of short stories for the Kindle. It’s available here: http://www.tinyurl.com/dyaydo

]]>