The very first issue.
There’s a particular short story magazine that chugs along like a little engine that could. In spite of financial challenges and some less-than-stellar sales figures, it keeps on keeping on through periodic crowdfunds and targeted marketing.
I’m talking about Cirsova, the Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense, founded in 2016 by P. Alexander, a Twitter buddy of mine who did the interior formatting for both of my novels Sword & Flower and Shining Tomorrow.
I find this magazine so notable because P. Alexander is going on with it in an era where the short story is not economically viable. Though fiction writing in general is a tricky business, one stands to make more through a series of novels than through any number of short stories. I often wonder if he is wasting his time due to the poor economics of the enterprise, and yet, he continues to publish. The short story used to be the beating heart of SF/F, but now, it is little more than an appendix; through continual publication of short stories, P. Alexander may be able to revive the form.
One big concern I have about magazines of this nature, however, is that I believe it is read only by other authors, not by people who just want to kick back with a good story. By contrast, the novel market is far more viable because because many readers aren’t writers. Because short stories are often sold as a way to prove oneself or warm up for novel writing, I strongly suspect that writers end up only writing for each other, leading to a situation where the writers focus more on proving how clever they are rather than entertaining non-writer readers.
However, all of that is conjecture. I’ll leave off with this lengthy comment from another friend of the blog, Misha Burnett:
I believe that short fiction is coming back, and coming back very strong. There is still some public perception that the short story is practice–something that writers do when they start out and give up once they get good enough to write “real books”.
But I think a lot of that is a hangover from the days when traditional publishers had a monopoly. The idea that genre fiction must consist entirely of massive novels in series that span dozens of books has led to a market that is oversaturated with the kind of stuff that you can read a hundred thousand words into without ever being quite sure if you’ve read this one before or not.
Which is also, in my opinion, one reason why so many readers deserted genre fiction–and sometimes reading entirely. There is a market for Volume XII of The Chronicles Of Throbbingham or The Googly-eyed Monster War, but when that’s all that is available you limit your audience to readers who want multi-volume epics.
Furthermore, when you’re targeting an audience who wants The Same Old Thing Part 23, you kill innovation in the field. Publishers stick to what they think will sell, and that means just like what sold last year.
But there is a market for innovation, and I am seeing small indie presses going into the short story market in a big way. Publishers like Cirsova, Storyhack, Broadswords & Blasters, Switchblade, and Pulp Modern are specializing in short fiction magazines and anthologies (a distinction that is becoming increasingly hard to define under the influence of ebooks and POD). Other publishers routinely publish story collections in addition to novels.
For authors it is true that indie short fiction markets don’t pay well, if you are comparing rates against the advance of a trad published novel. However, when you sell a short story you are selling First Publication Rights (sometimes with an exclusivity period in addition). This means that the story is still yours to publish again.
I have just published a collection of short stories with another author (each of us have five stories in the book) and three of my five stories were previously published. Right now I am sitting on about a dozen previously published stories for which the rights have reverted to me and I am considering my next collection.
I’ve set myself a goal of writing a short story a week in 2019, and at the moment I am ahead of my goal. Granted, it is still early in the year, but I think it’s doable. I have nine stories out on submissions right now, and another half-dozen that are ready to go once I find the right market.
I did publish four novels in a series, and I’m very happy with them. But if I am honest, it was writing those books that gave me the skill to write good short fiction, not the other way around.
Now what are you waiting for? Get yourself a copy of the latest issue of Cirsova.
JD Cowan shares similar concerns with mine. I believe that the consumers who would most appreciate short stories have deserted recreational reading because of high school English, where we were forced to read moralistic fiction like “The Lottery” and “Once Upon a Time.” Meanwhile, before high school, I had a blast with the short story collections of David Lubar–but Heaven forbid us from asking children to read stories that weren’t written by moral busybodies.
Larry Correia had a similar theory, and I’m inclined to believe him. Most short stories I read in school were quite boring; I had to borrow novels from the library to find some interesting reading.
I’ve been a supporter of Cirsova since the beginning, and not just because I buy ad space there. If we want more quality SF & Fantasy, then there has to be a market for short stories if only to provide a way of giving customers a taste of what is out there. That way they can buy the stuff they like from authors who don’t despise them.
I’ll continue to support Cirsova as long as Mr. Alexander refuses to give up and an article like this one provides support that is greatly appreciated. Thanks, RN.
PS: I have anecdotal support for that theory proposed by JD Cowan and Larry Correia from younger members of my family. That’s insane; you shouldn’t punish teenagers with boredom if you’re trying to get them to read more.
JEB
Building the market is the way. I myself purchased an e-book of the latest issue on Saturday.
As for the theory on why young folks don’t read, I think you’re on to something. Keep in mind that both Fanfiction.net and Wattpad aren’t short on young readers.
Rawle
I completely agree with the observation by JD and Larry.
I had to read some of the most awful, boring , what was the point novels/stories in my school too.
I also had to read in French. Luckily the teacher had us read a graded version of the Chien jaune of the Inspector Maigret series. At that time French lit wasn’t contaminated by this crap.
However I also had good teachers who assigned The once and future king, Watership down and other enjoyable books but man.
It wasn’t until university that I took a course on the social and political though in literature with some good books.
Totally changed my outlook on how to approach reading. Something I carry to this day.
In summary high school English teachers are the worst arbiters to choose good books. They effectively hate books and reading
xavier
Excellent insight. If film, television, and video games were introduced to children the same way reading is today, children wouldn’t do those either.
Rawle
I affirm the education faculties are responsible for the demonic hatred of literature.
How else to explain the phenomenal response to Vox’s 1918 teprint of the Collier junior encyclopedia?
Joseph Moore doesn’t directly broach it but you can infer it (his blog yardsaleofthemind.wordpress.com )
xavier
People want good children’s literature, apparently, and modern authors aren’t up to the task.
Rawle
It’s much more insidious. They’re up to the task. They chose not to.
I see.
“It’s much more insidious. They’re up to the task. They chose not to.”
So it isn’t insanity or neglect, it’s enemy action.
I think they’re just no good at it.
Rawle,
Perhaps it’s a factor with some. But given the persistence for many years, it’s clear they choose not to. I don’t accept incompetence lasting over 50 years it simply defies reality to be so idiotic. Nature abhors flagrant inefficiency.
No it’s a deliberate choice
xavier
I can see why you’d say that. I think that it comes from an over-obsession with safety, the same impulse that leads to zero-tolerance rules and the decline of recess.
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“I believe it is read only by other authors, not by people who just want to kick back with a good story”.
Not true! I am not an author (even though I’ve tried to be) and I happen to have been bored with lengthy “epic fantasy” snorefest and neverending space opera series. Not that short stories are my favourite format, as I prefer novels as long as they used to be in times of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Still, I do enjoy reading both Cirsova and Storyhack.
A great data point. I think we should hear more from anthology readers who aren’t writers.