Three Brick Walls for Short Stories
When we think about the process of getting a manuscript in the hands of an editor at a major publishing house, it is beyond clear that literary agents have become the first read for publishers. In essence, they are now the managers of the slush pile.
Within this system, nonfiction has the easiest (not easy, though) pathway. You don’t have to write the manuscript before approaching agents. You do have to write a very compelling book proposal and sample chapter and have your ducks in a row for your marketing plan (also known as your platform).
One quick aside: As the New York Times has noted, just because someone has a large to huge social media presence does not mean they will sell books. There have been notable failures. This means that a good marketing plan (should) weigh more than a large social media presence. The point: Don’t be discouraged.
The next most challenging pathway is the novel. The word novel means a lot of things to a lot of people because there are so many types of novels, but the point is, you have to write the manuscript and ensure it is thoroughly edited and revised before thinking of submitting to an agent. And you have to have a brilliant marketing plan.
A second brief aside: From my own work looking at many, many, many agency websites, there seems to be a mild consensus that the majority (or perhaps a plurality) of agents are looking for the next Outsider (Diana Gabaldon’s intensely popular series of romance novels) written by an author that ticks some particular boxes for the agent.
The most difficult pathway is for short story collections. They have the same challenges as novels plus for many if not most agents, they want to see that the author and their stories have been published by at least a handful of prominent literary journals. As any writer of short stories knows, getting in the elite grouping of literary journals is a huge challenge that seems (based on looking at the author bios included in the back of each) an MFA. This means, there is a third layer that short story writers must pass through.
The most unfortunate piece of this is that I believe a lot of very good authors and stories get overlooked because they can’t make it through the slush pile readers (interns?) that find their way into the employ of the journals. It means that a specific type of writer has a bit of an advantage while everyone else is flailing against the wind. Hardly seems fair, but it is as it is.
So, it is up to us as writers to understand this landscape and be honest with ourselves that the odds are against us. This does not mean quit. Hardly. It means that if the traditional route of literary journals (note the plural) to agent to publisher is the front door, we should start looking for the side and back doors to gain entry.
They exist. I feel like I’m beginning to learn where a handful of them might be found, but maybe not. Anyone who speaks with certainty is probably not being honest with themselves or you.