In the Publishing industry there’s often lots of talk about how collections of short stories don’t sell and it this reason alone why many larger publishers, editors and agents avoid such fiction. On the business side of things for the big houses, their financial requirements are not flexible at all. And Agents obviously make money of the sale of a book to the publisher and short stories are harder to sell, to big houses. This makes it more difficult to get published widely.

And yet, this is how many contemporary writers get there names known, through several short stories in the various literary magazines and then a collection to seal the deal. But there are certainly smaller houses; Independent publishers willing to take a chance on new voices and publish great new art.

And yet others argue that now is a perfect time for the short story to seek a resurgence. With handheld technologies providing decent venues for short fiction pieces, could the short story become more popular than it is right now?

Do you read short stories? I’m always on the lookout for short story collections and find that the power of the short story is greater than a novel, while the novel is more immersive.

Discussion is happening at The Rumpus

We’ve got a few collections featured at this years festival.

Mr. Sherman Alexie’s new book: War Dances is a highly anticipated collection of stories.

Brian Christopher, who recently read at Powell’s, will be joining us at the Festival to speak again about his book of stories titled So Many Things That Want to Burn alongside Suzanne Burns, whose book Misfits and Other Heroes, has been getting solid reviews and I believe also recently spent a little time at Powell’s. –By the way, keep your eye on DZANC books, the publisher of Suzanne’s book. Their an independent publisher out of Michigan that has been publishing some truly solid books and don’t shy away from Short Stories.

Come celebrate the Short Story with us at Wordstock!