The Business of Short Stories

~ Annalisa Crawford

Short stories are my first love – reading them, writing them, they contain so much in such a small space – they are the TARDIS of fiction.

So when Shannon Lawrence asked for people to share her new release, The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing, I couldn’t refuse.

And then she asked me what my favourite short story is.

I struggle to name my favourite song, film, novel item of clothing, bar of chocolate, meal, vegetable… you get the picture.

I mean, there’s so much choice. How do you decide?

Well, there is one story which I automatically thought of – ‘No Motive’ by Daphne du Maurier (The Rendezvous and other stories). I’m not a fan of du Maurier’s novels – I can’t get into them no matter how hard I try, but her short stories are works of beauty.

In ‘No Motive’, a woman wakes up one morning, takes her husband’s gun, and kills herself. With apparently no motive for this, her husband hires a private investigator. The investigation is long and detailed and, ultimately, although he discovers the reason, he decides not to tell her husband.

The writing is sublime, the mystery is tense and rewarding, the reveal is heartbreaking. What more could you ask from a short story?

The Business of Short Stories is due out tomorrow, but you can pre-order today on Kindle and in print from Amazon, or search for it on your favourite book retailer’s website from tomorrow onwards.

Blurb: Whether you’re looking to add short stories to your repertoire as a solo pursuit or in addition to novel writing, The Business of Short Stories covers every aspect from writing to marketing. Learn the dynamics of short story writing, where to focus your editing efforts, how and where to submit, how to handle acceptances and rejections, what to do with reprints, and how to market yourself and your stories online and in person. The information in The Business of Short Stories has been distilled from over a decade of short story publishing experience so you don’t have to learn the hard way. You’ll find information on submission formatting, cover letters, querying a collection, sending proposals to writing events, how to create a website, SEO, social media, and so much more. This is an invaluable resource for short story writers. There’s never been a better time to get into short stories!

Author Bio: Shannon Lawrence has made a career of short stories, with over a decade of experience and more than fifty short stories published in magazines and anthologies. In addition, she’s released three horror short story collections with a mix of new and previously published stories. Her true crime podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem is going into its third season. 

You can find Shannon in all the usual places:
Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, BookBub, Goodreads, Amazon, Podcast Website 

Your turn: What’s your favourite short story?

16 thoughts on “The Business of Short Stories”

  1. That Du Maurier story sounds fun – I will look for it! I’ve never been good at “short” but I’d like to be. This book sounds like it would be useful not just for short stories, but for being concise in any written form. I’m going to get it!

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    1. Hi Alex, it’s quite a sad story but a masterclass in giving the reader just enough information at precisely the right time. The resolution is so fitting and heartbreaking.

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    1. You’re welcome Shannon. Let me know what you think of the collection – it’s one of her lesser-known ones, I believe. There’s no mention of it on Bookbub despite most of her other books being on there.

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  4. Hi Annalisa – thanks for highlighting Shannon and her new book- with the emphasis on short stories – I must read more of them, while great you’ve made us aware of du Maurier’s stories. Cheers Hilary

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