Often viewed as a poor relation of the novel or distant cousin of poetry, short fiction tends to be under-rated, but could it help launch an unpublished author’s career?

The common perception of short fiction is not a healthy one in sales terms, yet this form of writing remains a highly useful tool for new writers seeking recognition; in short, it is a stepping stone. Writers, editors and publishers continue to harbour a passion for the short form, so harnessing this neat and powerful medium is a talent worth mastering, particularly for new writers.

Rosalind Porter, former Senior Editor of Granta literary magazine confirms,

“It’s always going to be difficult to get people to publish short stories. They’re a difficult form: difficult to write and read and requiring a huge amount of commitment from the reader. They’re always going to be slightly marginalized but I wish they weren’t, that’s just the reality.”

Take heart

Despite this reality check, new writers should take heart: the proliferation of opportunities for writers to submit work is continually growing, in particular for online magazines and regional and national competitions, including the inaugural Sunday Times short story prize and the Bridport Prize. Frances Everitt at the Bridport Prize HQ says:

“There seems to be a huge surge in interest in the short story at the moment, and the BBC’s www.theshortstory.org.uk website has been set up to encourage and support new writing. The number of new competitions in broadsheet and weekend newspapers is also growing and you can regularly hear readings of new work on Radio 4. The downside is the general consensus that publishers won't publish short stories unless the writer is well known. This is because short story anthologies are hard to sell, but the public do enjoy reading them and in our experience people like writing them.”

The publishing scene

Some publishers do continue to print short-story collections. Kazuo Ishiguro's new – and first – collection of short stories, Nocturnes, has had great success through the imprint of Harvill Secker. Assistant Editor there, Ellie Steel, says:

“Short stories are immediate, perfect reading for short journeys, and accessible – a good way to try reading the work of a new author. We receive 10 to 20 short story collections per year.”

While this may be very few in number, Steel confirms that short fiction is most prevalent in literary journals. If the novice writer looks outside of the traditional book publishing route, the Paris Review, New Yorker and Granta magazine all encourage unsolicited short-story submissions from new and talented writers.

Fiction Editor of The Paris Review, Nathanial Rich, confirms that, “There’s no money in short stories and short fiction collections so they are harder to sell to publishers and readers.” However, on a more positive note he states, “Short stories are the best platform for young or novice writers and once you appear in a journal you reach the people who need to see it. Very often, writers who are published in The Paris Review get an agent.”

Power of the internet

Let us not forget the power of the internet. In a recent letter to Hachette authors, Chief Executive, Tim Hely Hutchinson wrote, “The publishing and bookselling industries are evolving rapidly: retailing is changing and the digital world now dominates all our agendas, especially as we plan for the future...” And though the digital arena has had a negative impact upon traditional publishers, it has opened up new ways in which writers can publish their work. There are hundreds of online sites that accept short story submissions and, of course, writers can promote their work using blogs, social media sites and e-zines.

East of the Web is a good example of a reputable e-zine that accepts unsolicited contemporary fiction short stories of any length. They are interested in new authors with fresh voices and, once selected, writers own a dedicated online area to showcase their work and create a profile.

Short-story writer Simon Van Booy (pictured), author of Love Begins in Winter and The Secret Lives of People in Love, thinks, “The web is good for broadcasting short stories which are built on someone’s enthusiasm, whether in flash fiction format, a blog or podcast. One-person operations could be the future.”

To sum up, editors, publishers and readers enjoy short fiction and it’s a great medium for new writers who wish to showcase their work or enter competitions. Publishers are not in the business of ignoring excellent writing, and literary journals that accept unsolicited work are constantly on the look-out for fresh, new talent. When judging for the Bridport Prize, Ali Smith wrote, “The short story is a powerful form, a tough and generous one. It will hugely reward a writer’s courage in the handling of its structural potential and versatility, and a writer’s discipline in its fundamental demand for tightness of edit and focus." The short form poses a great challenge to the writer but the benefits are numerous, one of which could see you launching a successful writing career.

Acknowledgments:

Rosalind Porter quote taken from an article written by Mark Medley for the National Post. All other quotes are taken from telephone interviews arranged for the purposes of this article.