I write long so I usually don't pay much attention to short fiction markets but could anyone give me some advice as to if and where one could publish a very short piece of prose, say half a page in 12pt Garamond single spaced. I think its somewhere around 500-700 words, but my Japanese computer won't tell be how to get an exact count.
Also any readers?
Posted by Merlion-Emrys (Member # 7912) on :
Go to Duotrope and do a search with Length set to Flash Fiction.
Posted by WouldBe (Member # 5682) on :
FlashFictionOnline.com is a good venue. They're an SFWA-qualified publication. They publish stories from 500-1000 words. There are several FFOers on this forum.
There is also FlashMe, Smokelong, Vestal Review, Flashquake and Everyday Fiction.
Lots of magazines that you think of as short story venues also publish flash fiction. I pub'd one in Abyss & Apex, although they reckon FF to be up to 1500 words. The previous poster's suggestion is excellent for finding them, although you may be overwhelmed with the number found.
Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :
Although Abyss and Apex's guidelines indicate they consider flash to be up to 1500 words, every time I've subbed stories close to that length they've been rejected as being too long/not tight enough. So by no means discount them.
IGMS also hae a slot for shorter stories, I believe.
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
quote:say half a page in 12pt Garamond single spaced. I think its somewhere around 500-700 words,
I have heard that editors generally consider one page double-spaced courier 12 pt font with one inch margins all around to be equivalent to 250 words. So if you have a single-spaced 1/2 page document (different font and who knows what the margins are) you might guesstimate it's around 250 words. It's pretty short for most flash venues.
Isn't this what "drabble" fiction is called? The uber-short? I don't know, but good luck finding a home for this piece!
Posted by Lyrajean (Member # 7664) on :
I checked on my computer. And it's only 159 words. Most fo the flash fic venues I've checked, most are ezines, seem to be publishing longer works in the order of 2 pages.
I hesitate to make it longer as it feels real good the length it is. My reader agrees.
Anybody know an uber-short market?
Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :
Re. KayTi - A drabble is very strictly 100 words. I actually got my highest per-word rate for selling one to Necrotic Tissue. Some venues specifically want drabbles but not many.
Re. LyraJean - Most of the venues already mentioned don't specify a lower word limit. If your story is right at the length it is, if it does what it's supposed to do, then stop worrying about it and start sending it out to the markets mentioned above (one at a time, unless they explicitly take simsubs). Seriously, you look as if you are trying to find an excuse NOT to send it.