Why does the short story get the cold shoulder and the novel get the red carpet treatment?

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

All you good readers out there, I have always wondered why the short story genre is not as popular as the novel genre. A well written quick fix can be as fulfilling as a long winded novel. I would love your input. Having written and read both genres, I find no difference in the satisfaction level. Pray do tell. Thank you and look forward to some interesting perspectives.

[Margaret]

I've written many short stories, too, and I am watching this post with interest. One reviewer of a collection of my Australian stories commented that their very brevity - the factor that made them short stories - was hard for her to get used to, as a reader of novels. I guess that, with novels, one gets the chance to know the characters in greater depth, which probably tends to make them more engaging. Yet I can well remember reading short stories by great writers, and these have stuck in my mind even more than some novels.

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

I agree Margaret. Every novel starts with a seed. There is a beauty to a bud as much as there is to a flower in full bloom. One just has to want to view it in its changing glory and realise that each stage has its completion and beauty, be it a plant, a butterfly or a piece of writing. I have just launched my ebook of short stories because and I quote most publishers " There is no market for short stories or poetry."
So here we are, encouraging each other and I love reading short stories and always will. Do share your link :)

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

I'm certainly no expert, but I think a lot of it stems from the fact that reading and then how to appreciate short stories is not really taught to many of us as we begin our reading careers. Just as it takes a lot of work in endeavoring to write a good short story, it takes a like amount of work for a reader to enjoy and appreciate a good short story.

I find that if you read a short story, you need to commit to it fully from the get-go, and stay with it to its end. For example, I rarely stop in the middle of one. You have to be able to keep salient details in your mind as every word can be important, plot points can turn on a nuance.

With a good short story, the author needs to hook the reader quickly, keep them engaged and then finish with a flourish. As we all know, even with the best of novels there can be some down-time, so to speak, and then it picks up again. With a short story the author and the reader don't have that luxury.

I make it a point to read numerous short story collections each year, and I subscribe to The New Yorker magazine. Over the years I have truly come to enjoy and appreciate short story fiction. But it was a learned habit, and not something I started out with.

Interesting topic!

[Angel]

I've written both short stories and novels. I've heard from other authors, its the "Year of the Novel." I guess it's what's popular in the market. I learned to appreciate short stories as well as novels in school. We were taught to do critical analysis on both types. The first time I discovered I had a talent for writing was when I wrote my first short story when I was 13 for an English assignment and got an A+. Novels have been a learning experience over several years, I've finally learned to master. But, short story writing is what made me want to be a/an writer/author.

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

Same here. I think most of us started out with a short story or a poem. Somehow I still marvel at the mastery of expression in that relatively small piece of writing.

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

Well put, Christopher! I think those of us who write short stories understand the beauty and expertise of writing one. It boils down to exposure like you have rightfully suggested. It is the reason why I have self published by short stories as an ebook but for my novel, it is print and traditional publishing and that is such a long journey. Both being my babies equally but I have had to play stepmother by the dictates of popularity.
There is a brilliant short story called "The Japanese Wife" which was made into a film. It has stayed with me till today like many a novel I have read.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

I have made it a point, over the years, to carefully study the various forms of short stories that I read. I like to figure out why I like them, or not. For example, Henry James, a prolific short story author, is an author I classify as "quiet," somewhat introspective, and cerebral; and sometimes the reader has to work hard to get where he is going with his short stories. I have to be in the mood for James, but when I am he is terrific.

In contrast, Edith Wharton, is an unqualified master. She is a realist and who is all about feelings and responses, and she can punch you in the gut with the best of them. I re-read her short story collections almost every year!

John O'Hara, another of my American favorites, is dialog-driven. Dialog-driven plots and stories can be hard for some people to read as it demands every jot of attention you can muster. But there is such beauty, and reward, in getting in the rhythm of the dialog and following along as though one is sitting right there and sharing in the conversation with the plot's protagonists. As I recall, O'Hara holds the record for the most short stories published by The New Yorker magazine of any author.

Another American short story author I love is Ron Rash. He writes about the people and natural landscapes of Appalachia, both historical and modern. Man, it is some good stuff, gut-wrenching, painful, funny, loving, but mostly damn lyrical.

One of my favorite British Victorian short story authors is Thomas Hardy. He can turn a tale too. He tends to incorporate local folklore, and landscapes of southwestern Britain; and generally involves the relationships between men and women that go awry.

I could go on and on...

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

Incredible knowledge, Christopher! May I suggest trying Satyajit Ray and Rabindranath Tagore? An Indian flavour to your wide knowledge of the short story. Please let me know if you are open to reading my short story collection. I would love for you to give me feedback. Edith Wharton, totally agree! I like O Henry stories too. Jeffrey Archer and Roald Dahl are great for twist in the tale endings. I like that "aha" moment :) There is a British show called "Black Mirror" and the stories are outstanding.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.)]

Alisha wrote: "Incredible knowledge, Christopher! May I suggest trying Satyajit Ray and Rabindranath Tagore? An Indian flavour to your wide knowledge of the short story. Please let me know if you are open to read..."

Thanks, ever so much, Alisha, for the recommendations. I can remember years, and years ago, my mother reading Tagore. I shall look up his work. I am always looking to expand my horizons beyond the tried and true in the English language. Have a wonderful New Year, Alisha!

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

It was truly a pleasure. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones too. Keep in touch :)

[Alex]

Hi Alisha,

In response to your initial post - is it because the traditional publishing industry finds it difficult to make money out of short stories compared to novels and so typically more hype and buzz surrounds the launch of novels ?

Earlier this year I attended the annual San Francisco Writers Conference, having just released my debut short story collection as a Kindle edition.

Just one out of fourteen literary agents present at the conference that I spoke to claimed to be interested in the short story format but yet all agreed that was no reason not to launch them via the self-publishing route.

So, as with so much else in this world, money, not readers often dictates what is published.

Long live the short story format !

[K.P.]

I enjoy short stories. I have a lot of collections (year's best etc). my short stories tend to do better than my novels (I guess between a rock and a giant doorstooper folks like a bag of rocks lolz)

[S.]

Things are changing with the arrival of e-books. I think my short stories do quite well.

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

That is very heartening to hear. @Alex, I hear you. My novel has had some interest shown because of the marketability of the format.
@KP and S... More power to all of us. Let's keep writing and reading.

[Mariyam]

I love writing short stories. I have recently penned down a collection of 12 romantic love shorts and self published it. Traditional publishers prefer novels and lengthy reads as these books could create more buzz and could catch the attention of media and movie makers.

[Purvi]

I personally now prefer reading shorts, gives me the space and time I need with my busy schedule. A full length novel requires a dedication which i find very hard to give unless the book is just too good. Also, shorts give a feeling of accomplishment, of having finished a story and savouring it, mulling over the flavor and ingredients in the head, knowing you are done with eating the dish. Several spreadout snacks are far more relishworthy for me than a full course meal. :P

[Morissa]

Purvi wrote: "I personally now prefer reading shorts, gives me the space and time I need with my busy schedule. A full length novel reqires a dedication which i find very hard to give unless the book is just too..."

Wow, that's a really poetic way to put it.

[Purvi]

Morissa wrote: "Purvi wrote: "I personally now prefer reading shorts, gives me the space and time I need with my busy schedule. A full length novel reqires a dedication which i find very hard to give unless the bo..."

Haha, thankyou, its good to know the poet in me is still alive to leave traces of her here and there!

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

Exactly how I feel Purvi. Life keeps interrupting so the short story is my favourite genre to read and write :)

[Purvi]

Alisha wrote: "Exactly how I feel Purvi. Life keeps interrupting so the short story is my favourite genre to read and write :)"

Haha, yes :)

[Marc]

It's quite simple I think, traditional publishing has declared that the novel is the alpha and thus it has come to be so. How many literary prizes are there for short story collections and anthologies compared to those for novels?

The thing is they are rather different art forms. I write both and they take very different disciplines and I get different things from writing each. I write the shortest form of short story, that of flash fiction, 1000 words or less. Having now published 5 collections of Flash, I find it utterly liberating because you simply don't have time to establish the scene and the character(s), so have to find a different way of presenting your work. I've done stories consisting of names, bingo call rhymes, endings only, stories with words that mutate and change throughout its length etc. There are no limits. What I don't find so interesting are short stories that are basically novels lite; the same approach as a novel, only with lots of stuff left out in the assumption that this creates ambiguity. It doesn't. Celebrate the form by using it in different, interesting ways from the novel.

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

Pretty interesting Mark. I like playing with the word length and style. What is the name of your book? In my book, I have experimented with two line to ten page stories. I think it refines the thought process.

[Marc]

My latest one is this

Extra-Curricular

I have a story in my first collection made up of 100 single word sentences, each beginning with the letter C!

I agree with you, it definitely makes you think differently as a writer.

[Birgitta]

I think the reason why short stories get the cold shoulder is because since they are short, people want them to be twice as attention grabbing as novels. You can have some patience with novels to wait for that surprise or twist at the end; but with short stories, guess it has to be immediate.

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

Marc wrote: "My latest one is this

Extra-Curricular

I have a story in my first collection made up of 100 single word sentences, each beginning with the l..."

Marc wrote: "My latest one is this

Extra-Curricular

I have a story in my first collection made up of 100 single word sentences, each beginning with the l..."

That would have been quite challenging. I will take a look at it soon :)

[Alisha ‘Priti’]

Birgitta wrote: "I think the reason why short stories get the cold shoulder is because since they are short, people want them to be twice as attention grabbing as novels. You can have some patience with novels to w..."

My book has twists in each story and I know I have to grab the reader's attention because I do not have room for details. Either genre throws its own challenge. My novel is coming out in paperback this year. As a writer of both genres, I connect with my characters differently but equally intensely. So should the reader hopefully :)