Short Story Question - Writers Forum

ziggyzagga · 07-12-2007, 11:09 PM

Whats the length of an average Short Story that gets published in a top literary magazine? What are the minimum lengths that get published? I have a story at 1000 words...too little?

Zig

Truth-Teller · 07-12-2007, 11:17 PM

Too little.

It's usually 3,000 - 5,000 words. But it's good you're working small before you get bigger.

Mike C · 07-13-2007, 01:41 AM

D'oh! Truth-Teller, please stop talking shit, post after post. It seems the less you know about a subject, the louder you bleat your misguided opinion.

There are a lot of magazines that will publish short fiction of 1000 words or less - it's called flash fiction, and plenty of magazines suck it up because it fills space. Average and most publishable length (and this is a generalisation because all mags have their own preferences) is the 2.5-3.5k word range, although there are many magazines that will take work up to 10k, and a few up to 15k words.

Truth-Teller · 07-13-2007, 03:03 AM

Now, here is what I call a poofy ass berk.

You want top literary magazine--then you go for 2000 - 5000 words minimum.

1,000 words or less is called flash fiction or short-short, not short story.

Drabble (100)

Flash Fiction (Less than 500 words)

Short-Short (500-1000 words)

Short Story (1500-5000 words)
Novelette (7500-15,000 words)
Novella (15,000-40,000 words)

Now the Very Short Story is less than 60 words. So if you want shitty Cosmopolitian or those Home Managment Gardening magazines continue to write at 1000 words.

Truth-Teller · 07-13-2007, 03:05 AM

Are you going to listen to a UK man? or an American man? Where do you live?

Truth-Teller · 07-13-2007, 03:41 AM

Also it's not really about the word count of the story, but rather the content...

If the content is good, you can sell anything.

Mike C · 07-13-2007, 04:19 AM

Nice, TT, but still largely inaccurate. Flash, for a start, is defined by what the magazines waant, not by your niche. Some count that at 500 or less. Some at 1500, others somewhere in between.

If you're going to offer advice, do it from knowledge, not from cutting and pasting something you saw on Duotrope. Duotrope's numbers are for guidance. You have to check each mags sub guidelines to find out what they actually want.

And nationality means nothing. Most of my stuff has been published in the US, with only a smaall proportion in the UK and mainland Europe. I've been senior fiction editor on two lit mags, one in Canada and another in the US. So my advice is don't listen to an American, or an Englishman, but to someone who knows what they're talking about.

And that's not you. Again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truth-Teller

If the content is good, you can sell anything.

Nice theory. But send a 15k word story to one looking for 10k or less, or flash to a mag looking for novella length, or SF to romance mags, see how far it gets you. You research your market, see which mags take your genre, at your chosen length, and target them.

mammamaia · 07-13-2007, 08:07 PM

sorry, tt, but mike really knows his stuff and you don't seem to...

zz... listen to mike on all things to do with publishing, especially... take any of what tt says with a box of morton's... and if you want any help with your writing, check in with me...

love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com

kaolin · 07-13-2007, 08:20 PM

Wow, no wonder beginning writers can be so confused as to the reality of the world. Go, Mike, go! :heh:

Truth-Teller · 07-13-2007, 08:22 PM

Yes, Mike may know his stuff, but does he know how to write? I just took the time to peruse his short stories--and my God!--that's an F. A solid red F. His writing is atrocious--writes worse than Akzebar. No wonder he's an editor.

imrhati · 07-13-2007, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truth-Teller

Yes, Mike may know his stuff, but does he know how to write? I just took the time to peruse his short stories--and my God!--that's an F. A solid red F. His writing is atrocious--writes worse than Akzebar. No wonder he's an editor.

Shame on you. Mike is one of the best writers on thsi site. You just made yourself look like a complete fool. If you are smart, you would leave this thread with your head bowed and PM Mike with an apology.

Truth-Teller · 07-13-2007, 09:16 PM

I am entitled to my own opinion, just as you are.

And to me, he's bad. Very bad.

Agree to disagree.

wmd · 07-13-2007, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truth-Teller

Agree to disagree.

Whenever someone says this... they are trying to dismiss the fact that they are wrong.

Truth-Teller · 07-13-2007, 09:26 PM

I wrote that so the moderators won't jump me like a pack of hungry wolves.

imrhati · 07-13-2007, 09:38 PM

Trust me, a pack of angry wolves will look nice in comparison.