A recent writer blog noted that some or many bloggers do put their own fiction on their blog site and do not have the fees and costs of a website. Therefore, they are getting their short stories or poems out there for others to read. He suggested instead, we should offer our short fiction on an e-book format venue like Amazon’s Kindle version. The rational twofold: One, to get paid for the work instead of giving it away on a blog. And, two, that newe, younger, e-readers who are on the go with their smart phones, Macbooks, notebooks, and ipads will rather read “shorter” works. Perhaps many of you are already doing this. See Amazon’s publishing site:
In previous decades, back to the 50s and 60s, there were a large number of print outlets for short stories. They were paying magazines. Those markets have diminished as the print industry magazines have folded The ones I am referring to were the largest of their day like Colliers, Look, and Saturday Evening Post. The others were niche markets like Argosy and men’s magazines. . And even for some magazines that are still going, that once published fiction, no longer do. One example is the men’s sporting or hunting magazines. Their stories are all non-fiction. Womens’ magazines like Redbook and Cosmopolitan may still publish short stories as well as Playboy and the New Yorker. A huge one is the Atlantic Monthly.
Regional journals are still out there. Some have ceased to exist. Glimmer Train in Portland Oregon is still with us. I think Amelia in Bakersfield is gone. The point is that the numbers of these markets has declined.
My observation is that most young readers and the general public do not read short stories. So, maybe, short fiction can revive on the e-markets. On believing this premise I have jumped in with a short story on Kindle. SWIM THE RED RIVER is there now. Kindle will still call it a book. http://www.amazon.com/Swim-River-Short-Fiction-ebook/dp/B008BHPCNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339948726&sr=1-1&keywords=swim+the+red+river
Some of you may reject the notion that short fiction is “not” being read.
But if one believes otherwise, do you believe that e-markets can revive short fiction?.
Timothy J. Desmond
THE DOC, ebook conspiracy thriller novel at
http://amazon.com
SWIM THE RED RIVER short story at
http://www.amazon.com/Swim-River-Short-Fiction-ebook/dp/B008BHPCNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339948726&sr=1-1&keywords=swim+the+red+river
http://timsfiction-art.com
http://xoxopublishing.com
Tim’s Amazon author page at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00694KQQO
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