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Thanks for the hope, Internet!

February 16, 2013 by Dave Knadler

My money machine.

My money machine.

This is interesting: The Internet, which has killed so many old things, may actually be reviving the long-dead market for short stories.

That’s good news for me, since short stories are about the only thing I’ve been able to sell in my spotty career as a fiction writer. Last week I got a letter from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, saying they’ve decided to buy another one. “Lost Horse Road” will be my seventh published story in about 10 years. That’s out of 10 submissions. At this rate, I should have enough for a collection by, say, 2023. You smell that? That’s the sweet aroma of instant success, baby!

I joke about it, but I’m not complaining. It’s always better to sell your stuff than not sell it. Yes, the pay is bad and the readership miniscule — kind of like blogging — but somewhere deep in the bowels of the Library of Congress, there are some moldering magazines with my name in them. And soon to be another. As I’m fond of saying: It could be worse.

Right now I’m poring through my old contracts with EQMM, trying to determine whether I foolishly surrendered all rights to republish the stories on the Internet. I hope not. If I can market them at 99 cents a pop, I might earn enough for a dinner out. We’re talking seven bucks at least — assuming Mom buys all of them.

More along these lines:

  • Mike’s verdict: Rankin has done betterMike’s verdict: Rankin has done better
  • A dark and stormy night in England
  • the last stand by Nathaniel PhilbrickHistory that’s better than the legend
  • The dog days, and "August Heat"The dog days, and "August Heat"
  • Wall Street and Willa CatherWall Street and Willa Cather

Filed Under: Books, Writing

Comments

  1. Joan says

    February 16, 2013 at 7:31 pm

    That’s good news about the resurrected market for short fiction, both for readers and writers. I miss having decent short stories to read. Congratulations on selling your story. Let us know when it will appear and we’ll all flock to EQMM to read it!

  2. John H. says

    February 17, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    That’s great, Dave! Is it a new Ennis story? In any case, I’m looking forward to reading it.

    • Dave Knadler says

      February 17, 2013 at 8:33 pm

      Yes, Ennis returns for one last case. Not a great character, but he sure has been good to me.

  3. Dirk Krinkle says

    February 18, 2013 at 2:07 pm

    Yeah! Good news indeed! Just need a Ennis novel now, right?

    • John H. says

      February 19, 2013 at 2:04 pm

      I’m with Dirk. I would buy an Ennis novel, in e-book form or “old-school” paper.

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