The Surprising Motives Behind Publishing Short Story Collections That No One Talks About
Ever notice how your prized short stories, once gleaming trophies posted all over social media, quietly vanish like socks in a dryer after a few years? It’s a strange, almost ghostly phenomenon—those literary gems you poured your heart into become as fleeting as the paper they were printed on or the broken links that litter the digital landscape. You’d think publishing short stories would leave a lasting footprint, but often it’s more like writing in sand at the beach—washed away by time and obscurity. So, if short stories no longer hold the shiny allure of fame or fortune, why bother compiling a collection at all? Let’s dive into the unheralded, perhaps unambitious, yet deeply personal reasons for preserving these tiny worlds in print or pixels—because sometimes, it ain’t about the money. LEARN MORE
The Short Of It
Sometimes it ain’t about the money
I’ve written quite a bit about my process of publishing my first short story collection, Object Impermanence, and writing short stories in general (link). And I’m about to release my second collection.
I’ve also admitted that short stories don’t hold the clout they used to in the literary world in terms of mass appeal, potential profits, and the like. However, they may still be worth doing.
So, if it’s not a cash grab or a way to launch your indie author career, what are the unambitious reasons to publish a short story collection?
The problem
Perhaps you’ve published short stories in literary magazines and journals, like I’ have. Hurray for the accomplishment! I’m sure you posted it on your social media, relished it among your loved ones, and maybe even cataloged it somewhere — like I have a running list of all my short fiction publications on my website with links (when available).
But if you check a few years later… You might realize those stories you once proudly published are nowhere to be found.
The reason could depend on the format. If it were a literary magazine still published in print, once the limited print run of that issue had been purchased, sent to subscribers, or given away… that’s it. There is no second print run, and if it were not one of the better-known literary journals, it would probably not be preserved in a shareable library anywhere.
Your story ended up being as ephemeral as the paper it was printed on.
Another reason could happen in both print and online publications, but I think is really noticeable in the online atmosphere.
Remember when I said I had links to all my stories on my website? Every so often, I have to go through them to remove all the dead links. You just click on it and it goes… nowhere…
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