Playing the Short Game

How to Market & Sell Short Fiction

Take your first step to becoming a professional short fiction writer—Buy this book!

In an engaging and conversational style, award-winning author Douglas Smith teaches you how to market and sell short stories—and much, much more.

Even experienced writers will find value here as Smith takes you from your first sale to using your stories to build a writing career.

"We short story writers have needed a book like this for decades. I’m glad Doug decided to write it. Read and reread this volume. Because you’ll learn something each time you do. And take Doug’s advice. It’s spectacular. Don’t take my word for it. Turn the page and dive in. By the time you’re done, I’ll wager you’ll be recommending this book to your writer friends—just like I have." —Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Award-winning Author and Editor

Topics covered include:

The Fundamentals: The different types of writers. The benefits of short fiction. Rights and licensing.

Selling Your Stories: Knowing when it's ready. Choosing markets. Submitting stories. Avoiding mistakes. How editors select stories. Dealing with rejections. When to give up on a story.

After a Sale: Contracts. Working with editors. What your first sale means. Dealing with reviews.

A Writer's Magic Bakery: Selling reprints. Foreign markets. Audio markets. Selling a collection. The indie option.

Becoming Established: Leveraging your stories. Discoverability and promotion. Career progression in short fiction.

With an introduction by multi-award winning writer and editor, Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

REVIEWS

"Douglas Smith is, quite simply, the finest short-story writer Canada has ever produced in the science fiction and fantasy genres." —Robert J. Sawyer, Multi-award-winning author

"Doug wrote an indispensible book for those of us who love to write short fiction. He includes indie publishing, and a lot of traditional publishing tips. ... [Doug is] one of the best short story writers in the business, and one of the best at the business of short story writing. I learned a few things from this book, and sometimes I think I’ve seen it all. So, if you have any interest in writing short fiction, or you’re already making a living a short fiction, take a peek at this book. It’s wonderful." —Kristine Kathryn Rusch, award-winning author and editor

"I can’t tell you what you should write. That’s entirely up to you. But if you are the least bit interested in having a career as a fiction writer then I can tell you what to read: Douglas Smith’s Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction. From now on this is my go-to book for all things related to starting and maintaining my fiction writing career." —Filip Wiltgren, writer and game designer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"One of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction" -- Library Journal

"An extraordinary author whom every lover of quality speculative fiction should read." -- Fantasy Book Critic

Douglas Smith is the ideal person to write this book. Doug is a multi-award-winning Canadian author of speculative fiction, with over a hundred and fifty short story publications in thirty-two countries and twenty-six languages. He has won Canada's Aurora Award three times for his short fiction and has three acclaimed collections. He has been a finalist for the international John W. Campbell Award, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Bookies Award, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane. For years, his Foreign Market List has helped writers sell their own stories all over the world.

His books include the novel, THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE WORLD, and the collections, CHIMERASCOPE and IMPOSSIBILIA.

Doug's website is smithwriter.com and he tweets at twitter.com/smithwritr.