Short stories are a splendid way, for those who love to write, to share with the world some of their talents. It can be an alternative for writers who are not ready to give the audience their first novel, or ones that simply have a passion for sharing shorter stories that everyone loves to read about, either an enchanted fairy tale or outrageous adventures once lived.
There are plenty of channels to publish a short story and, fortunately, more and more new and more accessible ways are appearing, everyday. It’s an excellent way to launch your name into the literary world and create your path as a writer, and even though it might sound hard and long, like everything, the path to success has no shortcuts.
Now, if you want to pick up your short story and delight every writer, then these are some of the essential steps to take during this process.
Publish Online Vs Traditional
There are many industries dedicated to publishing poetry, short stories, articles, and so on… So, this is the time to choose which path to take.
First things first, you need to get your story prepared! Consider your work and shape it to be your best project ever, before showing it to the world – this step may not sound that important here, but it’s what is going to be the main source of judgment to increase your chances of being published.
On one hand, online publishing is a pretty good way to attract more people to read your work and there’s a sea of opportunities for new authors to expose their pieces. This way, some of the best resources are through online magazines, like The New York or The Paris Review, that often publish pieces written by upcoming authors. Blogs, to some, might sound like an idea from the past, but there are a few popular ones that look for fresh faces in literature, and they might just be the boost you need. Something that has also grown in the past few years it’s contests! Usually made by recognized authors or publishers to give beginners an opportunity to show their work, and make it possible to bring their story to life, they are definitely a great way to discover new talents.
On the other hand, going for the traditional path, these days, can be more difficult, however, it’s still a valid option to take. Like I’ve mentioned before, magazines are a great opportunity to publish your story, and there’s nothing better than literary magazines. Some are printed and others are exclusively online, but they are still a distinguished way to get some exposure for your work. A more atypical way are anthologies – books that bring together a number of poems or short stories from numerous writers. Very often, publishers challenge their authors to participate, and each time a book like this is released it usually contains a different theme, however, there are a few publishers that invite new authors to send their work to be evaluated. There’s nothing to lose.
Which Path?
Here, the only one able to decide is you! Your chosen path must always reflect your main goal. Every author has a different objective, either it is to reach as many people as possible, share a passion with the readers, earn some money, or even offer people an important message. A complicated field, but when there’s passion involved, there’s nothing that can stop you. Nonetheless, a tip I can give is that, if you are pursuing this art for the money, it’s not the most rentable industry, nor the easiest one to profit from. Think about what made you follow this path and choose the method that suits your goals the best, and remember, not everyone follows the same ideologies that you do, so prepare to bump into some obstacles on the way up.
Last But Not Least
Don’t lose yourself in this world! If you’ve got talent, passion, and motivation, there’s nothing that can stop you from giving the world the best stories you can create. It’s a competitive field, sure, and the reality is that few make it, however, that doesn’t mean you are not one of those, but always think about your choices in the editorial process, first.
Fortunately, there are a lot of people out there that can aid you in taking the leap, you just have to find the one that fits your style the best. Use this article as a guide to understand some of the options available out there, and after your story is completed, just choose which one is better for you, and you can even take the risk of going for more than one. Good luck with your writing, and I will read your work soon!