Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > General Discussions

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 01-01-2011, 12:09 PM   #1
bhartman36
Wizard
bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
bhartman36's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,316
Karma: 1515835
Join Date: Mar 2009
Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet
Question about Smashwords and short stories

Hi, Everyone.

I'm starting to write more, and interested in getting my short stories published. I've got one published in an online lit magazine, one that I self-published on Amazon, and one that I sort of dashed off on Wikinut (that I've since been editing to clean it up). I've also got a bunch of unpublished material and I will probably be putting the whole thing together into a compilation soon. Is it worth it to wait around for the submission process to take its course w/ various magazines, or should I try to publish the stories to Amazon/Smashwords? And what do you think the effect of doing that would be, if I was to do a compilation and seek either to put that out electronically myself or seek a publisher?

Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!
bhartman36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2011, 12:59 PM   #2
mr ploppy
Feral Underclass
mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
mr ploppy's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,622
Karma: 26821535
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Yorkshire, tha noz
Device: 2nd hand paperback
Depends on what you think you need a publisher for. I don't think magazine editors will turn a story down just because it has been self published on Smashwords, though they will most likely insist that it be removed while they hold the rights to it.
mr ploppy is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 01-01-2011, 01:05 PM   #3
jasonkchapman
Guru
jasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it is
 
jasonkchapman's Avatar
 
Posts: 767
Karma: 2347
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Device: Sony Reader, nook, Droid, nookColor, nookTablet
Quote:
Originally Posted by bhartman36 View Post
Hi, Everyone.

I'm starting to write more, and interested in getting my short stories published. I've got one published in an online lit magazine, one that I self-published on Amazon, and one that I sort of dashed off on Wikinut (that I've since been editing to clean it up). I've also got a bunch of unpublished material and I will probably be putting the whole thing together into a compilation soon. Is it worth it to wait around for the submission process to take its course w/ various magazines, or should I try to publish the stories to Amazon/Smashwords? And what do you think the effect of doing that would be, if I was to do a compilation and seek either to put that out electronically myself or seek a publisher?

Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!
It depends a lot on the path you want to follow. What you'll need is readership and, unless you already have a built-in market, it's difficult to gain a readership in the self-publishing arena--especially for short stories. Getting published in known publications with existing readerships allows you to build a following which you then might be able to transition out of the traditional publishing arena.

As to collections, almost no publisher is going to consider a collection from a new writer without a really good reason. Winning a major prize like a Pushcart or a Stoker or a Hugo (just to spread it around the genres) might get a publisher's attention. Sometimes a publisher will publish a collection from someone they just bought a novel from, especially if the author has a following in the short story market.

That's not to say it's impossible to succeed by going the independent route. It's just really difficult and requires a lot of time dedicated to promotion.
jasonkchapman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2011, 01:05 PM   #4
bhartman36
Wizard
bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
bhartman36's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,316
Karma: 1515835
Join Date: Mar 2009
Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet
Quote:
Originally Posted by mr ploppy View Post
Depends on what you think you need a publisher for. I don't think magazine editors will turn a story down just because it has been self published on Smashwords, though they will most likely insist that it be removed while they hold the rights to it.
Okay, well that makes sense. I guess I could always unpublish from Smashwords and/or Amazon.

If I was going to publish a compilation, I would think I'd need a publisher for exposure/promotion purposes. I'm new at promotion, and the one thing I have on Amazon doesn't see a lot of movement (which may be because it sucks, but I'm hoping not ).
bhartman36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2011, 01:15 PM   #5
bhartman36
Wizard
bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
bhartman36's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,316
Karma: 1515835
Join Date: Mar 2009
Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonkchapman View Post
It depends a lot on the path you want to follow. What you'll need is readership and, unless you already have a built-in market, it's difficult to gain a readership in the self-publishing arena--especially for short stories. Getting published in known publications with existing readerships allows you to build a following which you then might be able to transition out of the traditional publishing arena.

As to collections, almost no publisher is going to consider a collection from a new writer without a really good reason. Winning a major prize like a Pushcart or a Stoker or a Hugo (just to spread it around the genres) might get a publisher's attention. Sometimes a publisher will publish a collection from someone they just bought a novel from, especially if the author has a following in the short story market.

That's not to say it's impossible to succeed by going the independent route. It's just really difficult and requires a lot of time dedicated to promotion.
Okay, so from what I understand you saying, the path of least resistance is the literary magazine route, if I want to build a readership and get some credibility for a publisher. (Hope I got that right! )

Thanks for your advice.
bhartman36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 01-01-2011, 01:37 PM   #6
jasonkchapman
Guru
jasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it isjasonkchapman knows what time it is
 
jasonkchapman's Avatar
 
Posts: 767
Karma: 2347
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Device: Sony Reader, nook, Droid, nookColor, nookTablet
Quote:
Originally Posted by bhartman36 View Post
Okay, so from what I understand you saying, the path of least resistance is the literary magazine route, if I want to build a readership and get some credibility for a publisher. (Hope I got that right! )

Thanks for your advice.
No problem. Additionally, here's a list of literary journals and writing contests you might find useful.
jasonkchapman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2011, 02:30 PM   #7
bhartman36
Wizard
bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
bhartman36's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,316
Karma: 1515835
Join Date: Mar 2009
Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonkchapman View Post
No problem. Additionally, here's a list of literary journals and writing contests you might find useful.
Thanks! I appreciate your guidance.
bhartman36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2011, 03:01 PM   #8
screwballl
NewKindler
screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.screwballl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
screwballl's Avatar
 
Posts: 504
Karma: 1865773
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: NWFL
Device: Kindle3 Wifi
One thing to keep an eye on and research is copyright laws. Make sure you have legal copyright to all your published items so they cannot be used without your permission. This also means that if a publisher comes along, you can have more power over their usual "we will give you 10% of profits" or "we retain copyright for 50 years" crap that many of them try to pull.
screwballl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2011, 03:12 PM   #9
mr ploppy
Feral Underclass
mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mr ploppy ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
mr ploppy's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,622
Karma: 26821535
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Yorkshire, tha noz
Device: 2nd hand paperback
Quote:
Originally Posted by screwballl View Post
One thing to keep an eye on and research is copyright laws. Make sure you have legal copyright to all your published items so they cannot be used without your permission. This also means that if a publisher comes along, you can have more power over their usual "we will give you 10% of profits" or "we retain copyright for 50 years" crap that many of them try to pull.
The only way he would lose copyright to something he wrote would be if he signed it away to someone else (publisher/agent).
mr ploppy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-01-2011, 03:23 PM   #10
bhartman36
Wizard
bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.bhartman36 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
bhartman36's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,316
Karma: 1515835
Join Date: Mar 2009
Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet
One of the things Smashwords requires is that you have a copyright page, so there are no worries there. But I think you achieve copyright by the very act of producing a work, don't you (as long as you can prove when you produced it)? As far as signing my rights away, they're going to have to pay me big bucks for that.
bhartman36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Christian SF Short Stories on Amazon & Smashwords SciFiGal777 Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers 0 12-14-2010 08:19 PM
Free (Kindle) Various short stories/ bonus stories arcadata Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) 1 12-10-2010 06:31 PM
Question on short stories LoveReading Writers' Corner 31 10-22-2010 04:33 PM
Free short story on Smashwords joycedb Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers 2 08-30-2010 02:57 PM
New Short Story Release: "4 Stories Down, 4 Stories Up" by Sara Elizabeth UntreedReads Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers 0 07-07-2010 11:47 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:58 PM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.