Is There a market for Short Stories and Flash Fiction Compilations?

[moondog]

What with the receding attention spans and longer commute times does it make sense to offer a compilation of short stories to readers? Are people interested in short stories? I ask because I have been compiling a few and want to know whether it's a style of book people enjoy. There are multiple genres but a common theme (I think). Your comments are most welcome! Thank you.

[HarryT]

You've been a member more than long enough to know what the correct forum to post in is. Moved to the "Writers' Corner" forum.

[cromag]

There is a market, since I've bought a few. I've found them useful while I'm sitting in waiting rooms and I don't know in advance how long I'll be there. I've also seen some authors pitching them as stories short enough to be read on a coffee break or lunch hour.

As to how big a market? That I can't tell you.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by moondog

What with the receding attention spans and longer commute times does it make sense to offer a compilation of short stories to readers? Are people interested in short stories? I ask because I have been compiling a few and want to know whether it's a style of book people enjoy. There are multiple genres but a common theme (I think). Your comments are most welcome! Thank you.

Of course it makes sense! Of course people are interested in short stories!

One of the current Nobel Prize winners writes primarily in the short story form.

The short story form has a rich and varied history.

Whether anyone is interested in YOUR stories is something only you can assess.


Aside: You've been a member for 5 years, and you still have no ebook device? I think you need to assess your market and find out who is downloading what and to what device.

[HarryT]

Short stories don't particularly appeal to me personally, but there's certainly a market for them.

[crich70]

I think so. Sometimes a person doesn't have a lot of free time but wants something to read. Short fiction is ideal.

[kennyc]

Yes, but....it's apparently a limited market similar to but not quite as small as poetry.

The good thing is that with web magazines/publications there are many more small markets for such work if you are willing to do the footwork to find and submit to them.

If you are interested in self-publishing collections then it's a matter of marketing to the appropriate (again small) groups.

I've learned during my time as a writer that my place/interest is in short fiction, poetry and non-fiction (essays, articles, creative non-fiction) and that is where I've been focusing my efforts in writing, marketing and publishing the last three years since my 'retirement.' I've not put completely away the idea of writing a novel and have a few ideas floating around that I keep working on intermittently, but of late I'm focused on Flash Fiction, Poetry, Prose Poetry and Short Stories. I will continue to put one foot in front of the other along that path.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by kennyc

[...]I've learned during my time as a writer that my place/interest is [...]

This sentence (or part thereof) caught my eye, Kenny. I had to expend quite a lot of effort before I discovered what it was I could write. I started out trying to write science fiction, I thought that's what would suit me best, but I just couldn't make it work. It turned out not to be me at all - and it took a long time for me to realise that. Yes, there are touches of science fiction in what I do now, and a few things that I will (if I publish them) probably have to categorise as science fiction because they don't fit anywhere else, but that's definitely no longer the emphasis, and it's not the science fiction I once dreamed of creating.