Author Interview: Shannon Alexander

Have you experienced the thrill of creating a short story?

This month’s Author Interview brings a special delight: Shannon Alexander talks about her love of short story writing – and what led her to write her new book, The Business of Writing Short Stories, a step-by-step guide that takes us through the entire process of writing, submitting, publishing, and marketing.

My own writing career began with a short story, so Shannon’s comments resonate with me – and I think they will inspire you!

Shannon, what led you to write The Business of Short Stories?

I've spent years watching writers think they have one path to success. A single journey: novels. That's simply not true. Yet I see a lot of curiosity about short stories. When I do a workshop, there's always a good showing. That means people want to try it out, to dabble, to learn. And I love talking about short stories and encouraging others to write them and to experiment with something different. A lot of people equate something like a chapter of a novel to being a short story, which also isn't true. In fact, I've seen that repeatedly when judging the short story category of writing contests. People send in a chapter of their novel and think they've submitted a short story. Those are two completely different things, and no one is fooling a judge with a chapter.

I want people to play in the sandbox with me. I want them to learn and see how wonderful the short story world can be. It's addictive in a way, the ups and downs. It moves significantly faster than the novel world, so there are more disappointments, but also more triumphs. Each publication is a world all its own, with a new experience for each story. It's fascinating, it's fast paced (comparatively), and it's worth trying out.

But I also wanted to write my book so people could get to the meatier parts a little earlier without having to learn everything on their own. Maybe others can have a quicker path than I did. Maybe others can make fewer mistakes. That, right there, is worth it. It can be hard to find short story resources, especially when compared to the sheer volume of aids for novel writers. I wanted to remedy that.

Most writers I know struggle to find a balance between writing and those three key areas your book covers -- submitting, publishing, and marketing. It's pretty easy for writers (especially beginning writers) to be intimidated and/or overwhelmed by identifying and choosing the next best step in any of these categories. What do you recommend writers should start with -- and why?

The writing is always going to be the most important part. If someone isn't writing, there's nothing to submit, nothing to publish, and nothing to market. We're creatives. We're meant to create, and that's where we soar. But in many ways, that's the part that comes easiest to us. Which is why my focus in the book is less on writing the story and more on everything that follows. My hope is that this allows writers to do their own thing with their writing and to then have a guide for how to submit, what matters about publishing, and how to market – as a bit of a shortcut. After all, the writing is the truly individual part, what each writer has to be true to. 

If you write when you're inspired (or when you're able), you're going to get words on paper. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are. You go at your own pace. You should never compare that to someone else. As you're getting those words down and finishing those stories, you can set aside a block of time, preferably when you're not feeling the pull to write, to do all the other things. I can be doing other things when I'm submitting and marketing, but not so much while I'm writing. So I save my submitting and marketing efforts for when I'm relaxing in front of the TV. Others set aside a specific day of the week or a particular portion of the month. Each person has to figure out what breakdown works best for them, but for me, if I'm not writing when I have the urge to do it, it's going to stymie anything else I try to do instead, because I won't be invested in it, and my mind will be drifting back to what I want to write.

Short version: writers write. And then we muddle through the rest of it when we're able. Just like an artist putting paint on a canvas, there's more to do when the paint dries. We're not happy about having to do it, but as long as we fit it in around the edges, we can make a go of it. Whether that means playing it by ear and doing the other things when a chance presents itself or scheduling blocks of time, it does need to be done, but it can't take the focus away from the writing.

Thank you, Shannon, for talking with us today. Your comments make me want to start short story writing – as soon as I finish revisions on my latest novel, Scattered Stones, scheduled to be completed later this spring!

If you found Shannon’s discussion inspirational, you can preorder her e-book now.  Here are the details:

The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing by Shannon Lawrence.

ISBN: 978-1-7320314-5-6  Release Date: February 1, 2022

Book Description: 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!

About the Author: 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.

Website: www.thewarriormuse.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewarriormuse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarriormuse/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/shannon-lawrence
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/shannondkl
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Lawrence/e/B00TDKPOAO
Podcast Website: www.mysteriesmonstersmayhem.com

Please stop back by on Shannon’s launch date, February 1, for part 2 of her author interview, a more personal look at how she came to write short stories!

And thank you for reading Shannon’s interview. Have you written short stories. How was that experience for you?