I’ll Keep Penning Short Reads

For years I’ve wondered how I’ll ever be considered a serious author if I can only complete short stories. I belong to several writing groups where most members proudly mention how many books they’ve published, or how close they are to finishing their second book, or their third, or their ninth.  Wisely I don’t join the conversation. I dare not mention my half-completed novel that’s been in the same folder for ten years.

I’ve enjoyed reading books since I was old enough to hold them, yet despite a lifetime of reading, teaching English, and writing tech manuals, I can’t participate in these conversations because I’ve never completed a novel. I’ve started a couple, but have no completion decade in sight for either of them. I’ve tried, I really have, but I just can’t stay with a trio of characters and one story long enough to finish 75,000+ words. I marvel at the writers who can.

When it comes to writing fiction, all I can do is finish short stories between 1,000 and 12,000 words in length. I can whip up an exciting short story outline in a day or two, while plotting a chapter to one of my long-suffering novels can take months. When other writers compare how many novels they’ve written, I shrink in my seat. Sure, I’ve published short stories and I’ve won prizes with some of them, but I steer clear of conversations with those who can write whole novels!  

Now, at long last, I’ve found someone who speaks to my problem: He’s the author and teacher of an online course about ‘Succeeding with Short Reads.’ According to this instructor, “More People have made More Money more easily from short reads than any other type of books…” to which my reaction was, Really?!  

The teacher points out that Some People have made sensational incomes from novels and novellas. I immediately pictured authors I enjoy like David Baldacci, John Sandford, Robert B Parker, Lee Child, CJ Box, etc. But, the teacher continues, that’s just Some People. He concedes that writing books has brought sensational income to some authors, but immensely successful novelists comprise a very short section of a mighty long list. I’m aware of this statistic, but the instructor follows it with a bright ray of hope for story writers like me.

This is when he introduces the CBR audience, where CBR equals Coffee Break Readers, those who have limited time – 30, 45 or 60 minutes – to read fiction. For many CBRs, this short amount of time excludes novels because many of them don’t want to read a chapter at a time – they want a whole story.

Granted, a short story doesn’t provide the author much income at $.99 to $1.99 apiece.  That’s why the astute story writer will pen enough stories of similar genre and setting to lump into a box set. This provides readers the option of reading one story at a time or several similar stories in an evening or during a long commute. And with a box set, readers can download a bunch of short reads with one transaction and read them as they find the time.

Regarding income, if it takes me up to ten years to complete a novel of 80,000 words (counting all the plotting, edits, and hair pulling) but less than a year to complete and publish eight short reads of 10,000 words, I’ll certainly be ahead if I stay with my short stories. I’d be writing and publishing the same number of words in much less time.

This course made perfect sense to me—giving me a goal I can both appreciate and achieve. I may never get to compare how many novels I’ve completed, but I can be proud of a few volumes of short stories. And for now, that’s enough.