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How To Write and Sell Short Stories
This is a must-have book for any new writer and a welcome addition to the library of established writers who are hoping to 'up their game'. Have you ever wondered why your short stories are rejected? What is the secret of selling your work? How do you make sure your characters are memorable, your plots realistic and your twists both satisfying and unpredictable? Della Galton answers these and many more questions using a format that will already be familiar to What? Why? When? How? Where? and, Who?
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
7 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Della Galton
55 books83 followersDella Galton (aka Della Parker) writes novels set in Dorset, featuring quirky characters and very often a dog or two. She's had more than 2000 short stories published and she's run out of fingers to count her books on.
She is a popular speaker at writing conventions and the agony aunt for Writers' Forum Magazine.
When she is not writing she enjoys walking her dogs around the beautiful Dorset countryside and beaches.
She is a popular speaker at writing conventions and the agony aunt for Writers' Forum Magazine.
When she is not writing she enjoys walking her dogs around the beautiful Dorset countryside and beaches.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 18, 2024
Great tips on writing short stories and selling them.
August 23, 2012
Guidance & Go:
How To Write and Sell Short Stories by Della Galton
Ironically, one of the obstacles that can hold back aspiring writers is the plethora of ‘how to write’ books available; precious time that could and should be spent creating original work is all too often frittered away by poring over all the ‘do’ and ‘don’t’ tips that others have compiled. Very often the information contained is common sense that would be learned by working on the original material that reading the book is holding you back from working on!
Della Galton’s How To Write and Sell Short Stories, however, is one that truly deserves a place on the fiction writer’s bookshelf. Although relatively short at 216 pages, it is an extremely comprehensive and in-depth guide to crafting compelling short stories.
Just some of the topics covered are: Inspiration, Characters, Settings, Marketing, Ideas, Dialogue, Flashbacks, Structure, Editing, Titles, Writing from life, Humour, Twists, Emotion, Literary v Commercial fiction, Competitions, Men writing for women’s magazines, Editors, Record keeping, Tax and Accounting information, Dealing with rejections and Overcoming procrastination.
Galton provides numerous examples from her own work and that of her contemporaries, highlighting effective and not-so-effective methods and styles. Each chapter concludes with tips and hints from published writers who, on a daily basis, put into practice what they advise.
Overall, Della Galton’s How To Write and Sell Short Stories provides advice and encouragement in a lively and conversational manner, whilst answering most of the questions that both experienced and novice short story writers may have.
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Review published in: What The Dickens? magazine, Issue 5, August 2012; Page 89
http://www.wtd-magazine.com
How To Write and Sell Short Stories by Della Galton
Ironically, one of the obstacles that can hold back aspiring writers is the plethora of ‘how to write’ books available; precious time that could and should be spent creating original work is all too often frittered away by poring over all the ‘do’ and ‘don’t’ tips that others have compiled. Very often the information contained is common sense that would be learned by working on the original material that reading the book is holding you back from working on!
Della Galton’s How To Write and Sell Short Stories, however, is one that truly deserves a place on the fiction writer’s bookshelf. Although relatively short at 216 pages, it is an extremely comprehensive and in-depth guide to crafting compelling short stories.
Just some of the topics covered are: Inspiration, Characters, Settings, Marketing, Ideas, Dialogue, Flashbacks, Structure, Editing, Titles, Writing from life, Humour, Twists, Emotion, Literary v Commercial fiction, Competitions, Men writing for women’s magazines, Editors, Record keeping, Tax and Accounting information, Dealing with rejections and Overcoming procrastination.
Galton provides numerous examples from her own work and that of her contemporaries, highlighting effective and not-so-effective methods and styles. Each chapter concludes with tips and hints from published writers who, on a daily basis, put into practice what they advise.
Overall, Della Galton’s How To Write and Sell Short Stories provides advice and encouragement in a lively and conversational manner, whilst answering most of the questions that both experienced and novice short story writers may have.
----
Review published in: What The Dickens? magazine, Issue 5, August 2012; Page 89
http://www.wtd-magazine.com
November 26, 2013
There’s nothing earth-shattering in How to Write and Sell Short Stories, but it’s nonetheless a likeable book that clearly sets out the parameters of (commercial) short story writing. Upbeat and unpretentious, with just a few pearls of real wisdom. I couldn’t really ask for more in a book that basically does exactly what it says on the tin.
A couple of caveats:
Although this book does mention other genres, it’s overwhelmingly concerned with writing stories for older women’s magazines like Woman’s Weekly (which, fair dues, seem to be basically the only magazines that pay for short stories these days).
Not a lot of space is devoted to the mechanics of fiction, such as characterization and plotting. This was fine for me – I was looking for tips on short stories in particular, not on writing in general – but for really, really new writers, I’d recommend a more comprehensive guide to writing fiction, like Dwight V. Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer.
A couple of caveats:
Although this book does mention other genres, it’s overwhelmingly concerned with writing stories for older women’s magazines like Woman’s Weekly (which, fair dues, seem to be basically the only magazines that pay for short stories these days).
Not a lot of space is devoted to the mechanics of fiction, such as characterization and plotting. This was fine for me – I was looking for tips on short stories in particular, not on writing in general – but for really, really new writers, I’d recommend a more comprehensive guide to writing fiction, like Dwight V. Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer.
October 6, 2009
Some excellent suggestions available here. My only criticism would be that the focus of the book is very much on "women's magazine" stories - not that this is a problem if that's what you're aiming to write, and it certainly opened my eyes to the possibility. However, if you're looking to write a short story for a competition - particularly if its of the more literary bent - quite a lot of the information here will not be relevant. I also agree with another reviewer that the book's layout and formatting is pretty bad. There was even a Microsoft Word "Error! Missing Bookmark" printed on one of the pages, which is a shame because the contents of the book itself deserve a much better presentation.
That said, I would still recommend this book for writers who have not had much luck (like me) in writing short stories. The section on "where to get inspiration" is reason enough to get hold of a copy of this book. Della also offers plenty of useful information on how to tackle the publishing side - which magazines to target, getting your audience right and so on.
That said, I would still recommend this book for writers who have not had much luck (like me) in writing short stories. The section on "where to get inspiration" is reason enough to get hold of a copy of this book. Della also offers plenty of useful information on how to tackle the publishing side - which magazines to target, getting your audience right and so on.
January 30, 2009
A very helpful - if lightweight - book about writing short stories, with advice on characterisation, plot, ideas and a great deal more. No exercises, but some suggestions for getting started, and some useful chapters on finding a market, submitting, and keeping records.
Della Galton has a breezy, friendly style which makes the book very readable, with plenty to inspire and encourage. There are tips from other writers at the end of most chapters.
My only minor problem with this book was that the pages weren't laid out very well - there were fairly frequent places where a heading of a new section within a chapter was at the bottom of the previous page. But even that didn't distract from the excellence of the writing and advice.
Della Galton has a breezy, friendly style which makes the book very readable, with plenty to inspire and encourage. There are tips from other writers at the end of most chapters.
My only minor problem with this book was that the pages weren't laid out very well - there were fairly frequent places where a heading of a new section within a chapter was at the bottom of the previous page. But even that didn't distract from the excellence of the writing and advice.
September 20, 2012
another primer for my forthcoming workshop
..yes, pretty good - straightforward, practical. On all aspects - character, plot, setting etc. And advises to write from the heart. Write honestly, hold nothing back, and keep it simple. Can't argue with that.
..yes, pretty good - straightforward, practical. On all aspects - character, plot, setting etc. And advises to write from the heart. Write honestly, hold nothing back, and keep it simple. Can't argue with that.
August 9, 2016
A solid guide to writing and selling short stories. The emphasis is on writing for mainstream as opposed to literary magazines. The book will be of particular interest to UK authors, as the authors quoted and fiction examples cited are UK-based.
September 2, 2011
A very useful read for any short story writer.
May 29, 2013
An excellent how-to book full of useful tips.
Aimed more at the women's markets, but still plenty to discover if you write other genres.
Aimed more at the women's markets, but still plenty to discover if you write other genres.
August 9, 2015
This book is for newbies. It is very basic and she uses a lot of her own bits and pieces of her short stories.
October 4, 2013
A must-have read for anyone who wants to write stories for the woman's magazine market.
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August 10, 2009Bought and read this year
June 6, 2016
Pretty helpful and excellent resource for someone starting up a career in writing stories.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews