Always worth giving it a try - glad that you're inspired to jump in! 🙂

Thanks, Laura! Glad you found it useful. 🙂

Perfect! Sounds like you have it dialed in. 🙂

Fabulous! You never know if the short form will end up working for you until you try it. 🙂

A prequel is a perfect way to explore short fiction! Have fun with it. 🙂

I wrote a long novel and I shared it with a friend for a peer critique, and she said the most horrible things. So, I quit writing for a while. Let her words break my dream. Then two writer friends told me similar things: I had two choices, write or not write. Make a decision.

I saw a contest for a Christmas short story, I wrote and submitted it, and I was a runner-up. But, being a runner-up was a good thing. I received a token payment, but more importantly, I was published in an anthology. Internationally published in ebook and print. And, it won some blog-based "Best of" awards. It was published on my birthday!

An author friend saw another small publisher was looking for short stories for a Valentine's anthology, and I wrote and submitted, and it was published. Then, I wrote a summer beach story for them, and it was published in another anthology; the Valentine's story was released as a single.

I was working on my fourth short story, but there were things going on in my life which didn't mesh with their schedule, so I put it on the back burner. I also had some strange vibes about the publisher which turned out to be true--it folded, but I have my rights to those two stories.

The rights the Christmas story are tied up as long as it's in print. That publisher put it in KU, so I guess I won't have my rights back for a long time, if ever. Because of the way the contest was set up, I only had a lump sum royalty, so I don't even get paid on the KU, but it's in print and I'm still out there.

The Christmas story I started as the fourth short story has morphed into a full novel, and I'll be ready to pitch it soon. And, I'm willing to self-pub if no one is interested. I feel it has substance.

I also pitched a different story (novel) to a publisher. Said no, but if I write it, to resubmit for consideration and the publisher noted a few things to address. I have a few chapters started there.

I have another novel on the back burner, too.

I have a friend willing to help me self-pub the two short stories as ebooks when I'm ready.

I just need to get all my ducks in a row.

Thanks, Christine. I hope those short stories do great things for you. 🙂

I love how Anthea laid this all out so well. She did this as a workshop at Cal Dreamin' and it was one of my favorites.