I Will Write No More Stories

No, I'm not quitting.

Sorry.

But I'm not sure how to approach short stories anymore. Not the writing of them, but the sharing of them with readers.

I took a good, long look over my records the other day. I've had seven stories published, as per contract, for which I was never paid. Granted, the total lost pay lands just over $100...

But I signed contracts, right?

Seven stories (an unlucky number?) under contract were never published. Combined, these "stolen" stories and orphans represent about 10% of my published/accepted work. Wait--10% is a pretty big chunk, right?

Right.

Several markets have closed in the past six months to a year. I know short stories are not profitable for publishers. Are they profitable for authors? Not really--not in terms of dollars and cents. Even my biggest paydays, two "professional" sales, averaged only a few dollars per hour spent honing those tales. I can schelp lumber for customers at the local Home Depot for much more and get a workout to boot. Money isn't why I write, of course.*

It sours me on shorts a little. 10%. 10%

I'm in "novel" mode now, and that's okay. Thanks to a long weekend away from home and a Phillip K. Dick novel, I now have another novel idea and I'm itching to write.

But I cut my teeth on short stories. I love them, so I won't be saying goodbye.

At least I don't think so...

What the h#ll does "cutting one's teeth" mean, anyway?

*I do it for the free pizza.