Short Fiction Living Post Coming

I Have Promised…

Since I’ve been working on some short stories for Smith’s Monthly, I was reminded about my old making-a-living posts. Over the years I have done periodic posts about how it is possible in this new world to make a living at writing short fiction only. That belief hasn’t changed.

Math hasn’t changed much either.

So I’ll update that next week for 2017. Stay tuned. It seems to always be a popular post in different ways. (grin)

Challenges

This summer I did some challenges with writers to write either 30 short stories in 30 or 60 days and/or also three novels in three months. If they did they got two online workshops.

I am just now finishing up the reading and I must say I have had a blast reading the stories. I even found three or four short stories I would buy for Pulphouse if the authors send them back to me at some point. That surprised me.

Some writers wrote right through the Time of Great Forgetting. Super fun for me. Now just need to finish reading the last few novels and about twenty or so short stories.

Not sure what I will read after that. (grin)

Patreon Supporters and Smith’s Monthly subscribers.

Three more issues will be headed out over the next week or so. I will shout here when that happens.

October Online Workshops

Information at

www.wmgpublishingworkshops.com

October Workshops Available

Class #37… Oct 3rd … Writing into the Dark
Class #38… Oct 3rd … Endings
Class #39… Oct 3rd … Point of View
Class #40… Oct 3rd … Writing Mysteries
Class #41… Oct 3rd … Speed
Class #42… Oct 3rd … Teams in Fiction
Class #43… Oct 4th … Depth in Writing
Class #44… Oct 4th … How to Edit Your Own Work
Class #45… Oct 4th … Character Development
Class #46… Oct 4th … Writing Secondary Plot Lines
Class #47… Oct 4th … Advanced Depth
Class #48… Oct 4th … (TBA)

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5 Comments

Vera Soroka

September 8, 2017 at 5:21 am

Congratulations to all those that did the challenge! Well done! I look forward to the short story post since I just finished not long ago Douglas Smith’s book on the subject. Also You said you were going to do a post on pricing? I would like to see that one too.

Chong Go

September 8, 2017 at 6:51 am

Hey Dean, I hope the smoke isn’t too bad there.
You’d mentioned Kobo doing audiobooks, and it looks like that’s official now, with a model similar to Audible.
Has WMG worked with Author’s Republic for audiobook distribution? Any thoughts on them if you have? They look like they include a lot of smaller as well as European platforms, along with iTunes, Audible, and B&N. The only thing that’s given me pause is that any audiobook being distributed across those last three is locked in there for a period of 7 years. For the rest you can withdraw with a written request.

dwsmith

September 8, 2017 at 2:30 pm

We got a lot of people in the network giving them a try and a few who were in the beta tests. So far everything I have heard has been wonderful. And, of course, it’s Kobo, so they are pushing the edges around the world on all this. When I first heard about the chance it might happen a year or so ago I was sort of in disbelief that they could pull it off. But wow, they did and so far I am 100% behind it.

K. Vale Nagle

September 9, 2017 at 10:29 am

Hey Dean, I’m looking forward to your article on making a living with short stories. Someone just linked me this article from Cat Rambo with the quote:

“I’m going to say this with some authority, is that no one is going to make a living off short fiction writing unless you are willing to bring your standard of living down fairly low,” Rambo said. “You could live in a hut on lentils on the proceeds of short story writing. This is conceivable. But if you like a cell phone and cable television and — I don’t know — like supporting your family, it may not be the best career choice.” (Cat Rambo, president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, https://www.geekwire.com/2017/want-write-science-fiction-tips-president-science-fiction-fantasy-writers-america/amp/ )

I can’t wait to read your point of view.

Sheila

September 9, 2017 at 10:47 pm

Feel free to drop hints about submitting to Pulphouse when that is a thing. And which stories. Grin.

Vera Soroka

September 8, 2017 at 5:21 am

Congratulations to all those that did the challenge! Well done! I look forward to the short story post since I just finished not long ago Douglas Smith’s book on the subject. Also You said you were going to do a post on pricing? I would like to see that one too.
Chong Go

September 8, 2017 at 6:51 am

Hey Dean, I hope the smoke isn’t too bad there.
You’d mentioned Kobo doing audiobooks, and it looks like that’s official now, with a model similar to Audible.
Has WMG worked with Author’s Republic for audiobook distribution? Any thoughts on them if you have? They look like they include a lot of smaller as well as European platforms, along with iTunes, Audible, and B&N. The only thing that’s given me pause is that any audiobook being distributed across those last three is locked in there for a period of 7 years. For the rest you can withdraw with a written request.
- dwsmith
  
  September 8, 2017 at 2:30 pm
  
  We got a lot of people in the network giving them a try and a few who were in the beta tests. So far everything I have heard has been wonderful. And, of course, it’s Kobo, so they are pushing the edges around the world on all this. When I first heard about the chance it might happen a year or so ago I was sort of in disbelief that they could pull it off. But wow, they did and so far I am 100% behind it.
K. Vale Nagle

September 9, 2017 at 10:29 am

Hey Dean, I’m looking forward to your article on making a living with short stories. Someone just linked me this article from Cat Rambo with the quote:

“I’m going to say this with some authority, is that no one is going to make a living off short fiction writing unless you are willing to bring your standard of living down fairly low,” Rambo said. “You could live in a hut on lentils on the proceeds of short story writing. This is conceivable. But if you like a cell phone and cable television and — I don’t know — like supporting your family, it may not be the best career choice.” (Cat Rambo, president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, https://www.geekwire.com/2017/want-write-science-fiction-tips-president-science-fiction-fantasy-writers-america/amp/ )

I can’t wait to read your point of view.
Sheila

September 9, 2017 at 10:47 pm

Feel free to drop hints about submitting to Pulphouse when that is a thing. And which stories. Grin.