Nathan Bransford - The Forums

The New York Times recently reported that the Atlantic Monthly, which stopped printing short stories in 2005, will now publish selected ones on Amazon for $3.99. The first one they are starting with is about 15k words long... so it's a LONG short story or micro-novella.

Nathan: One of the things I have been thinking extensively about was that short stories and novellas would experience a second coming with the advent of digital publication... it was a real hope of mine actually. Personally, not everything I read needs to be 100k words long. Sometimes I like to start and finish in the same afternoon, but with most books now that is really impossible.

Do you think that publishers would be willing to back a short, well-written novella that is let's say 30k words long as eBook only and sign the author to write the full length novel in the future? Do you think they would be willing to put their name on short stories that are available as eBooks only and then list them separately for 99cents instead of as a collection?

I think there is potential especially in the short story arena b/c authors like writing them, but don't seem to generate revenue from them... this could be a way to change it.

This is really interesting - thanks. It makes sense that e-books would be more accessible for short stories.

I think you make some really interesting points here.

I think you are right, Casnov

While out scarfing up material for my reader, I found the ScribD site, which is populated by user contributions. I saw a few author-offered short stories and short story collections in their free sections. I could totally see why an aspiring new author might put a story or two out there, as an enticement to buy the entire collection over in the pay per download side of the house. I also saw collections of poetry, which made me think that the e-medium is going to give an overdue boost to literary magazines and chapbook publishers.

I think short stories are the future.

Ebook publishers often talk about how their readers might download a book while they are waiting at the doctor's office of on a subway. I would think short stories would be the bread and butter of the trade.

Fingers crossed XXXXXX

Small eBook publishers have been doing this for a while. In addition to having short stories published in anthologies, I feel very lucky to have two short stories published with their own book covers in eBook format: COYOTE CROSSING and CANNON FODDER: OPERATION HORSE WHISPERER http://www.marilynpeake.com/shortstories.html. My publisher used a photograph I had taken of the main pyramid at Chichen-Itza, Mexico to create the cover for COYOTE CROSSING.