Hi guys! Along with being enthusiasts for all things retro, we have some really great writers on this website. I know a few of you already have work published. 

I'm working on a short story called Hollywood Vampire which combines my interest in movies with the vampire genre.  I could see it becoming a film or tv series and was wondering what would be the best route to get it out there into the world?

What are your thoughts on getting published? Did you self-publish or connect with an agent? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sure Anthony (Candy Corn Apocalypse) can help with this one.

As for myself, I've only ever had work published once... in the pages of the MV Creations Masters of the Universe comic series.

But, having researched this a ton lately to prepare for launching the novel, I can say that I think you actually have a handful of options depending on your goals.

There are the two most common routes... self-publishing or traditional publishing, but there is a third: hybrid publishing. I had actually considered using a hybrid publisher to get the novel on the market quicker, while still retaining the rights so that if an agent/traditional publisher is interested, it can easily be moved to them.

If you're goal is a film or TV series, you might consider having the story adapted into a screenplay. I think it is much more difficult to get a screenplay seen by the right people, but if your short story garnered interest, at least you would have something to show a producer or studio.

I'm no expert, so please don't take this advice as gospel. I'm merely going on what I have read in researching these things.

With something like a short story, I'd say your only real option is to submit it to magazines for publication. Generally speaking you won't be able to query agents or book publishers without a completed novella to novel length submission.



If you're just starting out, I'd also suggest you temper your expectations a little, because the publishing world is hard, and even seasoned writers can expect to receive numerous rejections throughout any submission process. In that vein, I'd recommend joining a critique group online as well. Someplace you can share your work and get advice as you navigate the crazy world of publishing. 



The options Vaporman outlined are also available to you, but probably not until you have a screenplay, novel, novella, or something of substantial length. Technically of course, you can self-publish a short story if you so choose. 



Another option too is to approach indie filmmakers with your story and see if they have any interest. I almost had one of my short stories made into a short indie film (it was all but completed) before hitting a roadblock and scrapping the whole thing.

Thank you guys for the input! I'm wondering if Amazon would be a good choice or if there are better publishing options out there.

Likewise, if I can help in anyway with your novel please let know. I'm an English teacher by day lol

Oh nice, I also teach English. 



Amazon is a good choice for self-publishing, but really, when self-publishing, you don't have to limit yourself to *only* Amazon. 



I dabbled with self publishing briefly many years ago, and I don't remember the specifics, but if you go that route there are plenty of resources online. I always recommend people invest in an editor and cover artist, maybe even someone who does interior design professionally as well. Though, with a short story, you can probably do it all yourself first to get a feel for it. 

Thanks for the offer of assistance, echidna. Could always use several sets of eyes on the thing before moving ahead to catch any mistakes or inconsistencies.

Like Anthony said, I wouldn't want to really on Amazon exclusively when there are several avenues out there. I think Barnes & Noble have their own platform for example.

echidna64 wrote :

Thank you guys for the input! I'm wondering if Amazon would be a good choice or if there are better publishing options out there.

Likewise, if I can help in anyway with your novel please let know. I'm an English teacher by day lol

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Yeah, B&N for sure. There used to be other sites too, but I can't quite remember the names. 

Nice to see you doing this echidna! I am in a similar boat to you so I have some advice on my experiences in publishing. You do have a lot of different self-publishing services out there. Vap and onipar brought up B&N. I know a little bit about them. 

They actually are pretty generous with their royalties so you can make a decent buck. I don't know how much of a market they have anymore though. Back in 2011 and 2012 I remember them having a pretty big reader base. Now and days however I don't know if they still do. Another big self-publishing service is Lulu. A lot of people use them.

Outside of self-publishing you can find a lot of small, independent publishers. Just see what publishers are in your state. Or find people who specifically publish your genre. I've thought about writing religious themed stories, so I've looked into Christian fiction publishers.

If you really want to get into the bigger publishers you might need an agent. Or some kind of connection that gets you inside contact. A lot of them don't have open submissions so you need some kind of middle man to help get you through the front door to those places.

Yeah, Rick is spot on about the publishers. Once you have a novel/novella you can pretty easily submit directly to the indie publishers, but anything bigger you'll need an agent. Some places with have very short unagented open windows, but it's rare. Like I recently sent my novel to NightFire (Tor), but they usually don't accept submissions without an agent, so its HIGHLY competitive. 

Ah, Lulu! That's the place I was thinking of.