Published Authors

[StolenTurtle]

I just wanted to find out how many of you on this site are published authors and how did you get started.

I'm starting to take my writing more seriously and eventually want to get paid for my work. I write mostly drama/thriller/suspense/horror stories and I want to compile a book of my short stories for publication. (I'm a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King.) Anyone know where I should start to go about this?

I've written one story for literotica:

http://english.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=228528

That is my first "erotic" story and it has been well received so far, but I'm wondering where I can find other sites that have a higher viewership of "non-erotic" works to be published.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Alessia Brio]

.....

 

[dr_mabeuse]

The way you get started is: submit, submit, submit. Find some publishers and start sending them stuff. That's really all there is to it. They really will read your stuff and get back to you, even though it seems like it takes forever.

You're probably going to have a hard time getting a publisher to accept a book of short stories by an unknown. The book buying public is more likely to purchase a novel with a theme they like rather than buy a collection of stories whose theme and style they don't know. That's especially true these days, when there's so many free stories available online.

Aside from self-publishing or going with POD ("print-on-demand") outfit, the usual way to get a book of short stories out is to (a) develop a fan base by publishing novels, or (b) win some awards with your stories or get some good, strong recommendations the publisher can slap all over the cover.

There are a lot of markets for horror stuff, mostly online but some in print. I'd suggest you just google on "horror stories online" or "free horror stories online" or "horror stories publishers" etc. You get the idea. Then read their submission guidelines and follow them to the letter and start submitting.

Good luck with it.

--Zoot

 

[Alessia Brio]

You're probably going to have a hard time getting a publisher to accept a book of short stories by an unknown. The book buying public is more likely to purchase a novel with a theme they like rather than buy a collection of stories whose theme and style they don't know. That's especially true these days, when there's so many free stories available online.

Aside from self-publishing or going with POD ("print-on-demand") outfit, the usual way to get a book of short stories out is to (a) develop a fan base by publishing novels, or (b) win some awards with your stories or get some good, strong recommendations the publisher can slap all over the cover.

Yours truly being the exception to all that.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the damned thing will sell.

 

[Carmenica Diaz]

My first publication was actually my thesis and so, naturally, I moved onto erotic stories.

My novels seem to sell well to a specific audience so I'm not really interested in mainstream publication.

I rather enjoy the puzzle that is writing and write for relaxation.