This interview covered so much material that I feel I need to go back and take notes. Maybe I should ask for college credit as well.
I would like to comment about the silos. This is so true. Throughout the years, I have been a member of various writing clubs and workshops. In them you see the romance, science fiction, fantasy writers. The authors they read are completely different from one genre to the other. Even how they critique, how they approach plot, narrative, character development is night and day. This division is even more pervasive when you go to a conference and meet with agents. While they may claim to represent a whole range of genres, in reality they are one or two of them. When I mentioned some of the Lit Mags that I had been published they had no idea who they were. When I mention that I was working in a short story collection, they looked at me as if I were talking about the Black Plague. They indicated that they knew someone in their agency that handled short story collections, then moved away. Perhaps it was just me. So I am curious what other writer's experience is.
As a person who held jobs at major publishing houses, I will be honest with you: a short story collection by an unknown author is as welcome as a major coffee spill on an edited manuscript.
But there are solutions.
* * ONE: pick your best story and expand it into a novella.
* * TWO: make friends with a filmmaker and get "a short" made of your most visually engaging story.
Good luck to you in your writing journey from all of us hopefuls at Becky Tuch's Guesthouse!
A rhetorical question then. Why are we then writing short stories? Are we lost in an illusion that the major houses are interested? I write short stories because I simply love it. It's not the money, it's that instant gratification. And I mean instant to contrast the 7 years the beginner writer spends on that novels only to have an agent give him a card and the name of someone that will clean it up for a fee.
* * * AM Ink is a Western Massachusetts based press that publishes . . . . novels, and short story collections. They have sold television rights, and had movies made from their books. They consider short story collections only in JUNE and are also open to a wide range of other titles also, till August.
My dear friend, why does one write anything then . . . a poem, a play, a Twitter post, an Op-Ed?
Only you can answer the question: "Why do I write stories?" - - - and you answered "because I simply love it." Perfectly valid reply.
A short story collection has shortcomings in the marketplace . . . so say the publishing poobahs. But a short story in The New Yorker or Paris Review might get you a contract. If this is your dream, may it come true! :-)
FYI: D.A. Nicholls - - - I just noticed an imprint called AM Ink.
* * * AM Ink is a Western Massachusetts based press that publishes . . . . novels, and short story collections. They have sold television rights, and had movies made from their books.
Yes, it's wise to realize there are different publishing haystacks before you jump into one.
Fortunately, I grew up poor. My parents contributed not one nickel to my education and I refused to go beg the gov't for a "student loan" - - so I slowly crawled my way through college and all my graduate degrees by holding down a full-time job in publishing and freelancing part-time as a magazine writer, all during my years as "an evening student."
One of my day jobs was at a top-tier book publishing house, where I learned a lot about the business - - and even about the "boxes." In those days, literary agents had couriers deliver a book ms to a publisher's Reception Desk in a colored box. Depending on the level of esteem held by the acquisition editors for so-and-so literary agent, the box was treated with utter respect or disdain.
Learning about publishing by working at a major publishing house + on a magazine staff = a great education in the business of being a writer.
I think too much emphasis is on publishing, how bout focusing on writing first. I think the way to get published is by writing something too good not to be published
This interview covered so much material that I feel I need to go back and take notes. Maybe I should ask for college credit as well.
I would like to comment about the silos. This is so true. Throughout the years, I have been a member of various writing clubs and workshops. In them you see the romance, science fiction, fantasy writers. The authors they read are completely different from one genre to the other. Even how they critique, how they approach plot, narrative, character development is night and day. This division is even more pervasive when you go to a conference and meet with agents. While they may claim to represent a whole range of genres, in reality they are one or two of them. When I mentioned some of the Lit Mags that I had been published they had no idea who they were. When I mention that I was working in a short story collection, they looked at me as if I were talking about the Black Plague. They indicated that they knew someone in their agency that handled short story collections, then moved away. Perhaps it was just me. So I am curious what other writer's experience is.
As a person who held jobs at major publishing houses, I will be honest with you: a short story collection by an unknown author is as welcome as a major coffee spill on an edited manuscript.
But there are solutions.
* * ONE: pick your best story and expand it into a novella.
* * TWO: make friends with a filmmaker and get "a short" made of your most visually engaging story.
Good luck to you in your writing journey from all of us hopefuls at Becky Tuch's Guesthouse!
A rhetorical question then. Why are we then writing short stories? Are we lost in an illusion that the major houses are interested? I write short stories because I simply love it. It's not the money, it's that instant gratification. And I mean instant to contrast the 7 years the beginner writer spends on that novels only to have an agent give him a card and the name of someone that will clean it up for a fee.
For L. Vocem: check out AM Ink.
* * * AM Ink is a Western Massachusetts based press that publishes . . . . novels, and short story collections. They have sold television rights, and had movies made from their books. They consider short story collections only in JUNE and are also open to a wide range of other titles also, till August.
My dear friend, why does one write anything then . . . a poem, a play, a Twitter post, an Op-Ed?
Only you can answer the question: "Why do I write stories?" - - - and you answered "because I simply love it." Perfectly valid reply.
A short story collection has shortcomings in the marketplace . . . so say the publishing poobahs. But a short story in The New Yorker or Paris Review might get you a contract. If this is your dream, may it come true! :-)
I think short story collections are known as hard to sell. (Happy to be corrected.) That may explain the last bit.
FYI: D.A. Nicholls - - - I just noticed an imprint called AM Ink.
* * * AM Ink is a Western Massachusetts based press that publishes . . . . novels, and short story collections. They have sold television rights, and had movies made from their books.
That was usually their response.
An hour well-spent. Thank you Aiden and Becky. Dennis
Thanks! There's a lot we don't know in the publishing industry. Stakeholders are the least forthcoming. Makes you a little suspicious : )
“Go to readings. Say yes to things.” ❤️
What a great talk! I am so happy to have attended. Great job, Becky and Aiden
Yes, it's wise to realize there are different publishing haystacks before you jump into one.
Fortunately, I grew up poor. My parents contributed not one nickel to my education and I refused to go beg the gov't for a "student loan" - - so I slowly crawled my way through college and all my graduate degrees by holding down a full-time job in publishing and freelancing part-time as a magazine writer, all during my years as "an evening student."
One of my day jobs was at a top-tier book publishing house, where I learned a lot about the business - - and even about the "boxes." In those days, literary agents had couriers deliver a book ms to a publisher's Reception Desk in a colored box. Depending on the level of esteem held by the acquisition editors for so-and-so literary agent, the box was treated with utter respect or disdain.
Learning about publishing by working at a major publishing house + on a magazine staff = a great education in the business of being a writer.
I think too much emphasis is on publishing, how bout focusing on writing first. I think the way to get published is by writing something too good not to be published
Wish I heard this when I was in college. Better late than never. So informative! Thanks Aiden and Becky!
It's encouraging to hear passion for student writing. Almost makes me want to go back