About short story collections, nonfiction books, speculative fiction, and editor’s ink
By Bobbie Christmas
Q: Do collections of short stories sell these days? During my academic work I've collected enough material to put together a set of strong emotional stories about men facing hard situations. I'm going to write the book anyway, but if publishers aren't really interested in this kind of thing at the moment, then obviously I can't justify investing too much time and energy just for fun.
A: While collections of short stories may not be the hottest seller today, they are selling moderately, as I understand it, and you have the best chance of selling yours if your collection includes stories that have been previously published in prestigious periodicals and literary magazines. With that information in mind, while you’re pulling together your collection, also be submitting individual stories to competitions and periodicals that publish short stories. The more credits you add to your publishing credentials, the more likely a publisher will be interested in the collection.
Q: I have a nonfiction book idea, but do I have to be an expert in the subject to sell the book? Can I just do the research on the Internet and the library?
A: Although it helps if you're an expert on the subject, you don't have to be the expert if you interview experts. I'm not a publishing house, though, so I can't say what a publisher would buy or not. I can only give suggestions as to how to go about a project. It's extremely hard to sell a book to a publisher, but at least nonfiction books have a higher rate of acceptance than fiction.
I hope you understand that you don't have to write the whole book before you sell it. You can sell it based on a book proposal, a couple of sample chapters, and an outline.
As you suspect, you can't do all the research on the Internet and through the library. You will have to find experts and interview them, as well, but you should not have to travel, if that's your real question.
Q: What is speculative fiction?
A: Speculative fiction includes the genres of fiction that speculate about settings or worlds that are not like the real world in important ways. Speculative fiction generally includes science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, alternate history, and magic realism. The Harry Potter series, for example, is speculative fiction, because it speculates what life would be like if wizards had to attend school to learn their skills and where many plants, animals, and people have powers that do not exist in reality as we know it.
Q: What color pens do editors use these days for professional editing? I'm taking a test and don't want to be disqualified for using the wrong color.
A: I can’t answer for all editors; I can only say what I use, which is a red pen, because red stands out and is easy to see against black printing. I began editing back in the early 1970s and have always used red. If anything has changed, I’m not aware of it.
Bobbie Christmas, book doctor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
