Marketing/marketability of awkward-length works

[Phyrebrat]

Hello,


Publishing has been far back in my mind, and I have been focusing on getting a body of work together so that, if need be, and luck smiles, I have a funnel.

I've only been in this corner of Chrons perhaps three times, and that was this week. But now I am getting nearer to the time where I may have to start looking at trying to get published (it sounds ridiculous to my ears even typing that, but...) and investigate the technique behind bios, queries, synopses and so on.

The one issue that bugs me is that my stories are an awkward length; too long for for short stories and too short for full length works. Following the wikipedia definition of word counts, they fall in the categories of novelettes and novellas. I do have a full length WIP and three others with the beats planned out, but in the meantime I am not sure what to do with the stories I have ready.

I'm not planning on ploughing time into peddling them yet, and I'm happy to have them as a sort of 'back catalogue', but I am loath to go into SP

so... bin, or marinate?

pH

 

[lauren$77]

Out of interest how long are your novellas? I guess you just need to check out publisher submission guidelines. Being a total freak I made a table in word with all the criteria for those publishers accepting unsolicited submissions, but just looking at the minimum is 60k.

Maybe you would be better to self-publish! Although I'm pretty sure others here will have a better answer for you

 

[Phyrebrat]

Out of interest how long are your novellas? I guess you just need to check out publisher submission guidelines. Being a total freak I made a table in word with all the criteria for those publishers accepting unsolicited submissions, but just looking at the minimum is 60k.

Maybe you would be better to self-publish! Although I'm pretty sure others here will have a better answer for you

Hi Lauren, thanks for your reply.

They vary between 16 - 40k. I tried increasing two and even cutting down three but the stories became either bloated or insubstantial. In all four cases they needed to be the length they were. Characterisation and description were fine and I got excellent feedback from betas so I'm a bit stuck.

As for SP, yeah, I am really not looking to do that - not just yet anyway.

pH

 

[The Judge]

Leave them for the moment and concentrate on the more marketable length stories. As and when you attract someone's interest and he says "What else have you got?" you've a few things ready and waiting, and they can be rushed out as mini-bites in between the bigger fare to keep readers happy.

 

[Mouse]

Try small presses.

Is it horror? May December have an 'e-lit' thing which is your word count range. Submissions - May December Publications

I have a novella/novelette (I dunno which is which!) published with Wicked East. https://sites.google.com/a/wickedeastpress.com/wicked-east-press/home

These guys sound like they might be up your street: Dagan Books Novellas

 

[Phyrebrat]

Thank you for your replies and sage Judgerly advice. Mouse... Thank you so much for those sites; I really appreciate your help.

pH

Edit: yes of course it's horror - I'm a one trick pony remember (altho I wish there was another word for horror... There is rarely blood in my tales.)

 

[Mouse]

This is why I thought Dagan might be good as they seem more like your kind of horror rather that the slasher stuff.

 

[Brian G Turner]

If two of the novellas follow each other, you could consider merging them into a novel-length format.

 

[DaCosta]

I just wanted to chip in and wish you luck. I'm starting out too and a few months ago the thought of publishing seemed ludicrous. I'm up to the eyeballs in researching the industry and it no longer feels like an impossible dream (although it probably still is - but you don't know if you don't try).

So, good luck.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

It's not an impossible dream, just an almost impossible one.

 

[DaCosta]

It's not an impossible dream, just an almost impossible one.

Is almost impossible an oxymoron? But then, if we're talking about dreams, nothing is in impossible, right?

 

[Phyrebrat]

This is why I thought Dagan might be good as they seem more like your kind of horror rather that the slasher stuff.

You're right Mouse, I loved reading their website - you know when something makes you feel positive! They're closed for Subs until 2014 but this is definitely now logged in my new Fisher Price iPhone calendar. Thanks. I love that you know my style already

If two of the novellas follow each other, you could consider merging them into a novel-length format.

You know, I did think about this. None of my stories are, but there is definitely a way to do this with one of my concepts, I'd just never thought of it. Smart idea, thanks.

It's not an impossible dream, just an almost impossible one.

I don't mind really, I just like them and would like other to see them one day. The thing is, one of my characters - Tall Man - could be quite successful when the Slender Man movie hits next year, and I am ashamed to say that is what got me thinking about publishing in the first place

pH

 

[sinister42]

Out of interest how long are your novellas? I guess you just need to check out publisher submission guidelines. Being a total freak I made a table in word with all the criteria for those publishers accepting unsolicited submissions, but just looking at the minimum is 60k.

Maybe you would be better to self-publish! Although I'm pretty sure others here will have a better answer for you

Any chance I could get a look at that table? Sounds handy.

 

[lauren$77]

Any chance I could get a look at that table? Sounds handy.

Sure, here it is! Its not that great, and I'm sure there are many, many more publishers to add to the list, but these are the ones I found that accept unsolicited manuscripts

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Is almost impossible an oxymoron? But then, if we're talking about dreams, nothing is in impossible, right?

Howabout "cat in hell's chance" then?

 

[Anne Lyle]

...it no longer feels like an impossible dream (although it probably still is - but you don't know if you don't try).

Not at all impossible, provided you have a saleable manuscript. The "saleable" is where a lot of people fall down (or turn to self-pub, if their work is good but too niche to sell).

 

[Kissmequick]

It all depends on what you want

There are markets out there for horror novellas (A friend's just came out from Dark Fuse, for instance) but they aren't huge. If you just want it out there, and want pro input on editing/cover etc, for a credit or because you haven;t the time/inlcination to self pub, then go for it. Some of the smaller presses are pretty respectable. Shorter stories might be worth putting forwards for anthos too (Newcon perhaps? Do they do horror? Or is yours fantasy/horror for instance? Or certain magazines might take them, Fantasy And Science Fiction took horror last I looked. There are others when they are open to subs. Places like that are worth having on your bio!). The only thing I'd say is research the press first!

If you want to dip your toe into self-pubbing they might also be ideal to give it a try.

But it's unlikely you'll get an agent/big house deal with anything that short so if that's what you're really after, then perhaps concentrate on longer works, though you could still sub/self pub them in the meantime

It's all down to what your end goal is.

 

[DaCosta]

Howabout "cat in hell's chance" then?

I've always wondered about that phrase;If anything can survive the fiery pits of hell, it's a cat

 

[Brian G Turner]

You know, I did think about this. None of my stories are, but there is definitely a way to do this with one of my concepts, I'd just never thought of it. Smart idea, thanks.

Michael J Sullivan self-published a series of 6 fantasy novellas (more of less following on from each other), and did well enough with them to get signed up by one of the Big 5 publishers, to be republished as 3 novels.