We all know (we short story authors and publishers) that no one is going to get rich writing short stories. Probably most people can't even make a living at it. But short stories have value in that they introduce your work to new readers, helping you (the author) to create a fan base, also called a platform.
Having clips of published short stories can be of assistance in getting your longer work (novel, for instance) published because of that aforementioned platform.
Having your short story published in an anthology is also a great way to get exposure for your work, especially since anthologies by their very nature may be picked up and read by someone who doesn't know YOU from Adam, but who knows another author in the book. I'm a great believer in anthologies.
But short story markets seem to be dwindling. Why?
After a recent struggle (both internal and external) about keeping my ezine up and running, I've decided to keep it going for at least a few more months. But I have to say I'm puzzled.
I constantly hear authors decrying the loss of short story markets (read that as "PAYING short story markets," even though it's usually unsaid). A quick perusal of listings of paying short story markets showed me the following markets which, in the last year, have either shut down entirely, gone on indefinite hiatus or cut back on their operations (i.e., abandoning a print version for online only.) There may be more.
Now, given that the money to both run the ezine AND to pay the contributing authors has to come from somewhere, here's the next point:If you are a short story writer, are you also a subscriber to the market which you expect to accept your work? If not, and if you don't support that market in some other financial manner (contribution, buying a lot of stuff through their affiliate ads, etc.), then how do you expect them to have the money to (a) survive and/or (b) pay you?
Seriously, folks. When I changed my ezine from a free-to-the-public to a paying subscription business model, it wasn't because I am greedy. It was simply a matter of economics. Authors wanted to be paid at least a token amount, the website and domain registration cost money and it was taking a lot of time away from my own writing and publishing (which are my job) just to run the thing. And, I was tired of taking flak for not being a paying market.
Recently, the first anniversary of that change came and went, and I lost a substantial number of subscribers simply because they did not renew. I'm not whining, but I really wonder how this fits in with the idea of authors wanting to be paid for their work. However, I'm going to step away from my own ezine and address the problem generally.
IF you want to have your work published by a market, be gracious enough to support that market financially.
Doesn't it make sense? If it's a print 'zine, buy it on the newsstand or subscribe to it. (Usually it's cheaper to subscribe, actually.) If it's a paid-subscription ezine, buy a year's subscription. If it's a free ezine, then donate to it if they accept contributions or make use of the affiliate ads they may carry to order stuff you need or want. And in any case, TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
And, if you want publishers of anthologies to continue publishing them, buy the anthologies. Your story may not be in a particular anthology, but you know, if the publisher can't sell enough of Anthology X to make it a viable proposition, there is very little incentive for the publisher to put out Anthology Y or Anthology Z, which may very well have your story in one of them.
It's not possible to expect any paying market to continue, to expand or to increase their payment rates, if they don't have enough income from some source. Affiliate ads may be touted as the be-all and end-all of making money on the Internet, but unless you are willing to carry an ungodly number of ads for a lot of stuff that may or may not relate directly to your site, don't bet on making any money that way. And too many advertisements of that nature will push readers away.
Someone is going to get on my case about this post, probably, or perhaps sneer that I'm begging for people to support me. That's not the case. It's no more or less than basic economics: if you want a Business to continue because it may be a benefit to you, then you support that Business. Consumers are constantly asked to support main street stores to revitalize downtown areas. Readers are asked to support independent bookstores to avoid having the big-box stores take over the book sales arena. How different is this?
The only really viable ways for paying-market fiction ezines to stay afloat are (1) subscription fees and (2) paid ads. (Not affiliate ads, but ads for which the advertiser pays a set amount whether or not the ad gets any clicks.) It's sort of like an equation: If you have enough in subscription fees, you can decrease the number of paid ads and still pay authors. If the ads pay well, then you could get away with free or almost-free subscriptions and still pay authors. With substantial amounts of money coming in from either or both, you can actually pay MORE to the authors and make them happier!
This last situation is good for everybody, because it makes the 'zine more competitive in the market for good stories, so better stuff is carried by the 'zine and the readers get to read it! And if anthologies are purchased in enough numbers, then the publisher is encouraged to publish the next one, which may carry your story, too! Everybody's happy, then.
Well, except for perhaps the people who get rejection notices.
