A Major Part of American Literature

The short story has long been a major part of American literature. Many famous authors started out writing short stories. Louis L'Amour wrote short stories for years for magazines and papers in order to get his stories in the public eye. He knew if he could get his work read he would develop a following. And he did just that. He remains one of the most widely read authors in history. Writing short stories is a great way for an aspiring author to develop his craft. In a full-length novel the author can let the plot unfold as each character is developed.

But don't get the wrong idea, writing a novel is no easy chore. You have to hold the attention of the reader for 150 pages and more. That is not an easy task. Likewise, writing a short story is not easy. The author has to have a well written story with well defined characters and a plot that comes alive from the first sentence and holds the reader captive until the last word. For the author who can do that, writing short stories can be rewarding. There is a huge market for short stories. Magazines such as Writer's Digest, Ruthless People's Magazine, Inkwater Press, Glimmer Train and many more are always calling for submission of short stories. And most of those magazines will accept stories from unknown or unpublished writers. And many of those magazines are willing to pay for good stories. A good writer can supplement their income by writing for several magazines at a time. Once you have submitted a short story that an editor likes, it isn't unusual for that editor to ask for more of your stories for future editions. The trick to making better money by writing short stories for magazines is to become well written in more than one genre. Romance is well received by many magazines. Science fiction, fantasy and horror are becoming more popular, also. If a writer can write in two or three genres they can make a fair living writing. Magazines are not the only way to make money.

The writer who wants to make money also enters his stories in writing contests. Some contests pay as much as $10,000 to the winner. The greatest number of contests pays from $100 to $1000. Some even offer writing contracts for the author who shows promise. And the writer who pens a good poem can earn even more money. There are literally hundreds of poem writing contests. There are also greeting card companies that offer contests that pay from $25 to $300 for the winner. Some just call for submissions and pay as much as $1000 for the right to print the poem on their greeting cards. A good writer can earn money by freelancing. A freelancer writes anything from how-to articles to copy for internet websites. He can also offer his talents for proofreading and editing. And there is a large market for ghost writers. With the proliferation of ebooks offering how-to advice on almost every subject imaginable, the opportunities for ghost writing is unlimited because those offering the advice either can't write or don't have the time. So you see, the short story writer has many opportunities to extend his craft and make a decent living.

Happy writing.