When we are beginning or new writers, we nearly all want to write a book. The Great American Novel! It's a wonderful goal to set but not everyone reaches it. Many don't even come close. It's perfectly alright.
Why? Because there are many other forms of publication for writers who write shorter pieces. I've shown a couple above next to the book. Newspapers buy from freelancers. Magazine editors are always looking for good articles and essays.
Ezines online need content. There are many kinds of internet sites that are looking for fiction, poetry, personal essays as well as nonfiction articles. Some bloggers pay for posts written by others. Some online publications pay, but many do not. It's up to the writer to make the decision as to which they will submit to. Then, it's time to sift and sort.
Technical articles are used in trade magazines. Small presses look for material for anthologies or a short story collection.
What kind of writing should you pursue for your shorter works? Here's a partial list.
1. short fiction for adults
2. fiction and nonfiction for kids
3. creative nonfiction
4. memoir
5. essays of all kinds--personal, technical, opinion, and more
6. nonfiction articles
7. How-To guides
8, crafts and recipes
I believe in starting out with short pieces and working your way up to the full book. Your odds of being published with this type of writing are much better than in selling your novel. I don't mean to put down the novelists at all. I truly admire anyone who can write a complete book. But I do want to emphasize that writing shorter things is just fine, too. Besides that, it's very good pracatice for the bigger projects.
A man I know asks me on a regular basis if I've published a novel yet. To him, that is the ultimate goal. And no, he is not a writer himself. Maybe someday, I can answer yes to his question but in the meantime, I'm very satisfied to have shorter pieces published now and then. We who are not novelists shouldn't ever feel like a second fiddle.
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