Yeah, I second BayView's advice. In order to get better at something, you need to practice that particular thing - i.e. practice novels to get better at writing novels, practice better to get at short stories etc. However, short stories can help you with your writing style as such, in terms of learning descriptive writing etc. In terms of publishing, yes, go for literary journals rather than self-publishing when it comes to short stories, just to get your name out there.
I would think so - well, wait... maybe not... it might kind of depend on how the published work sold. I think a debut author is easier to sell than one who has already published work that hasn't sold well. That's my impression, at least.
I've seen more knowledgeable people than me advising new authors to shelve their first/second/third/whatever novels until they get an agent (if that's their goal) and THEN try to sell them to publishers rather than self-publish them. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but the implication was that having a self-published book may make you less attractive to agents. Probably for the reasons Bay and Chicken gave - few of them sell well, so all you're doing is telling the agent your books aren't good sellers.
For me, I would absolutely rather have my work never see the light of day than self publish it. I'm open to the idea that my work will never get published, that's something I'm ok with. But self-publishing is less than a half measure. For the vast majority of self-published authors all that self-publishing does is shut down any possibility of ever seeing that project in print. It doesn't provide an income, it doesn't provide any legitimacy and it doesn't say anything about the caliber of my writing; so why would I do it? What am I gaining? I can understand why some people do self-publish. Whether it's because they have an existing following from other media or because they are just hobbyists who aren't too bothered if anyone ever sees their work. That's totally fine if that's who you are; not doing that down at all. But for me, as someone who really wants to make writing my job, I would far prefer to remain as an amateur and keep looking for the right niche than give up on those books for good. If I can't get anyone who knows about books to believe in my books they don't deserve to be published. I think there is certainly something broken about today's industry that self-publishing, or even just publicly posting a project, disqualifies you from ever seeing it in print. That's some hardcore bullshit. But while that is the case I'm not ever going to go that route.
I agree with the sentiment of your post (I originally had in the back of my mind that I would self-publish if I failed at trad, but now I'm pretty sure I'll just keep writing until one succeeds) but I don't agree with this bit. I'm certain that the whole querying/submissions process does not ensure that every sellable novel that's put out there is published. Luck, and submitting to the right place at the right time, is even more important than having a fantastic novel written. I'm not just telling myself that - at the moment, my chances of being published are better than average and I'm optimistic - I truly believe it. It may seem irrelevant when it doesn't mean your novel will get published, but I think it's important to remember that "failing" to be published doesn't mean your novel isn't publishable.
Yeah - ask anyone who wrote a kick-ass YA dystopic novel right after the Hunger Games craze crested. There's definitely an element of luck/timing to it all. But I don't know that it's more important than the writing...
Well if your novel is trash then no amount of luck will help you. But if it's passable (see Twilight etc) and lands at the right place at the right time, it has a MUCH better chance of publication than an amazingly-written novel that doesn't strike it lucky. So once you reach a certain standard of writing, I do think the luck side is more important.
There is some truth to that, but publishing is a business. Perhaps deserve isn't the right word but the tenor remains the same. If I can't convince someone who knows the book market that there is a market for my work then it probably isn't something that is going to succeed anyway. It might feed my ego to push it out there nevertheless but that's not really achieving anything.
You also have to realize that being an explosive "best seller" doesn't equate to quality writing. I'd say you write what you want, perfect it, advocate it, and try again and again, rather than pandering. Not to mention that authors like Cassandra Claire spend most of their time marketing, rather than writing. And she does make oodles of money doing so. A hundred years from now people study 20th and 21st century young adult/kids literature, they will probably be talking about JK Rowling and not Stephanie Meyer. There is entertainment, and then there is art. One can be capable of doing both, but it takes determination, ignoring those who emphasize marketing over writing, and a dash of sheer luck. Why do you think you "should be" anywhere at 25 anyway, with anything in life? People defy social expectations like this throughout time. I'm 25 as well and it took a bunch of older adults screaming the latter sentiment at me to finally figure it out.
You can find paying markets at either Poets&Writers (free) or Duotrope ($50 a year but has more features).
Thanks for the ralan.com. Found this site ages ago and then my computer [and bookmark] went kaput, so I forgot about it.
After examining the replies, I got to tell you, stay focused on that WIP novel. Now, if needed, get the creative juices flowing. I'd write/type a little story here or there to getting it going. But, if it's what you desire, finish that novel. I cannot, and will not, stress this enough. Good luck to you.
