Make money writing short stories for magazines and competitions

Studying Time: 9 minutes

Up to date eighth June 2024

Many individuals dream of with the ability to give up the day job, open a laptop computer (or typewriter, for those who’re old-school), and write a best-selling novel. However, to be trustworthy, that’s a extremely robust ask. So, as a substitute many aspiring novelists begin writing brief tales.

A current 2023 survey revealed the common wage of a fiction creator within the UK is simply £7,000. Most people who find themselves authors – even names you may recognise on the bookshelf – could have one other job to complement their revenue, or have a associate who can cowl their bills. Nonetheless, with the rise of BookTok, Bookfluencers, and Bookstagram (sure, these are precise on-line issues), and the large success of giant books just like the Fourth Wing sequence, being a reader is well-liked once more. In reality, the printed e-book market grew in 2023 regardless of the identical variety of books being revealed!

Nonetheless, writing a novel is a MASSIVE endeavor, and many people don’t have the time to do it. It takes years of labor earlier than you’ll be able to even take into consideration discovering a writer or self-publishing it, and which means the return in your time funding is low. Quick tales, however, can reap large rewards for much less work.

In reality, there are competitions that pay out hundreds of kilos to the very best story!

To offer you some assist, right here is our information to making a living writing brief tales.

The place Do I Start with Writing Quick Tales?

Your first cease is to search out out what alternatives can be found.

Magazines are by far your finest probability of discovering a prepared writer in your brief story. Locations like Writers On-line, the web site for the most important UK writing publication, Writing Journal, checklist competitions usually.

Frankly, getting a e-book revealed has all the time been aggressive, however submitting a brief story to a print or on-line journal continues to be top-of-the-line entry factors. You can also make a profession out of being a brief story author, or use your wins and accolades to construct a writing CV and entice a literary agent in your novel.

Should you’re hoping to make cash in any respect out of your tales, then combating towards the percentages is one thing you’ll need to get used to – it’s one of the vital aggressive industries on the market.

It’s for that reason that we should always level out that you simply in all probability shouldn’t be writing brief tales for the money. Actually, there are a lot simpler methods to make cash (simply try our make cash part!) and in case your coronary heart isn’t in it, then it’s going to point out in your writing.

It’s good to be passionate sufficient about writing that cost can be a pleasant bonus (somewhat than a necessity) to face an opportunity of getting anyplace.

Locations to Promote Your Tales…

Fortunately for many who do love writing, there are quite a few magazines that settle for submissions and run competitions.

Take a look at the Booktrust’s breakdown of magazines and this web site for normal brief story competitions.

Ladies’s magazines have numerous brief story alternatives. Magazines similar to My Weekly, The Folks’s Pal, Lady’s Weekly, Prima, and Mslexia all settle for submissions. Should you’re a daily reader, then you definitely’ll in all probability have a good suggestion of what they anticipate. The Moth journal runs one of many largest brief story prizes annually, with a prime prize of £3,000. Writing Journal runs small contests every concern – some are open to anybody whereas others are for subscribers solely, and the common prize is £200 with a Grand Prize contest yearly for £1,000.

Don’t fear for those who don’t assume the viewers of girls’s magazines will recognize your fiction, as there are many different magazines that cater for loads of genres.

Many on the checklist cater for a variety of tales and others additionally specialise:

• Crimewave focuses on crime (you might have guessed!)
• and Albedo One focuses on sci-fi and horror.

It’s not {a magazine}, however the Bridport Prize is among the most famous and revered fiction competitions and runs annually with a prime prize of £5,000!

You possibly can additionally take into account PenPee. Penpee.com is a platform like Netflix/Airbnb for readers and storytellers to learn, write, and receives a commission for brief tales.

Writers receives a commission for each certified web page of their tales learn. With Penpee’s current introduction of “Learn and Fee”, storytellers need readers’ opinions and readers receives a commission after they write a evaluate and price tales they learn at Penpee.com

How Do I Write a Good Quick Story?

If you wish to earn cash in your tales, then you definitely’re going to should be a reliable author with a very good understanding of narrative construction and characterisation.

• It may be arduous getting an trustworthy opinion, for those who’re undecided how good you’re at writing. Household and mates will virtually definitely inform you you’re the following JK Rowling, so attempt to get neutral recommendation. Signal as much as a writers’ discussion board and get suggestions in your work.
• There are various good writers’ boards on the market, however begin by trying out writingforums.org or The Author’s Digest discussion board.
• Should you’re not ok but there’s numerous data on-line that may present a very good basis for enhancing your writing similar to writersdigest.com and Inventive Writing Now. You may additionally have some luck on boards like Reddit however it may be hit and miss.

There are additionally a number of helpful movies on YouTube that may train you the way to write. When you’ve got a little bit of spare money, the BBC Maestro and the Masterclass programs are led by household-name authors and writers with actually fascinating insights. Wait till they run presents, normally just a few instances a yr – their January gross sales are normally the very best time of yr to nab a discount. Or, for those who’re a type of individuals who can by no means consider what to ask for as a birthday current, ask for a subscription!

Should you’re actually critical then you can take a writing course

…though you’ll in all probability need to pay for a very good one. Nonetheless, if it’s a pastime and you’ll afford it, then why not?

Earlier than you take a look at paid programs, be taught the inspiration expertise with free programs. Udemy has some nice fundamental courses, whereas the Open College has a helpful course that’s free for anybody.

• There are various writing programs round and discovering the correct one for you’ll merely be a matter of looking for one which takes your fancy.
• Keep in mind to analysis completely earlier than handing any cash over. The Writers’ Academy is an effective place to start out as a result of you are able to do on-line programs with prime editors, bestselling authors and established tutors – though you’ll be paying just a few hundred kilos.
• For one thing a bit particular, you can try the Arvon residential artistic writing programs. You get to encompass your self with stunning countryside and get misplaced in your writing for just a few days. It’s open to individuals of all ages and of all means, no matter expertise. As that is residential, there’s a value. Nonetheless, the programs are supported by the Arts Council of England, and different donors,  so you’ll be able to apply for a grant for those who can’t afford the course. In some instances, all of the course prices are coated and 9 out of ten individuals get some grant help.

Discover Friends to Assist You

One factor any skilled author will inform you is to encompass your self with different writers. You in all probability have a neighborhood writing group close to you – apps like NextDoor and Eventbrite are helpful for locating occasions in your space.

Should you favor working on-line as a substitute, Writers HQ and Jericho Writers are examples of on-line boards that construct a help community of fellow writers. Should you subscribe to writing magazines like MsLexia and Writing Journal, they normally have an internet discussion board to entry, too. If you’re working in teams like this, bear in mind it’s as a lot about what you can provide as what you will get. You’ll profit essentially the most from teams for those who have interaction with them, voice your opinions, and attempt to assist others as they fight that can assist you.

Ideas From Professionals

Should you’re pretty assured that you would be able to write, then there are issues you are able to do to extend your probabilities of getting revealed and earn some money.

• Write in a style you’re comfy with. Should you normally write fantasy then it’s possible you’ll battle to put in writing a romance story. Select magazines to undergo that play to your strengths.
• However do compromise. When you ought to write for acquainted genres, if you wish to make cash then you definitely’re going to should be versatile to enchantment to a selected readership. Then, you’ll be able to apply for a couple of actually area of interest journal. Plus, there’ll be numerous tips it’s worthwhile to comply with, talking of which…
• Persist with the rules. Ensure you comply with the directions supplied by the positioning to the letter. Nothing will blow your probabilities of getting revealed sooner than submitting a 4,000 phrase story for a contest that enables a most of two,000 phrases. Some tips will specify what shouldn’t be within the story (e.g. specific intercourse scenes), whereas others will go as far as to specify who the principle character needs to be (for instance, a girls’s journal might desire a feminine character who their readers can relate to). Ensure you format appropriately too. It’s normally 12 level font with double-spacing on the traces, however test the entry phrases for particulars.
• Do your analysis. Resolve which journal you’re going to undergo and browse it usually. See what kind of tales they normally publish and if there’s one thing comparable between them, whether or not or not it’s style, tone or model, then you definitely’d be smart to do the identical (I do know this may sound crushing to your artistic and authentic thoughts however, as stated above, you’ll have to compromise to make cash. Save your style defying masterpiece for once you’re a bit extra established!). Ensure you have a very good sense of the readership from the articles and adverts within the journal, as they’re the individuals it’s worthwhile to be writing for!
• Don’t concurrently submit. Your writing muscle mass are going to remain versatile with this: most competitions received’t allow you to submit a narrative for those who’ve already submitted it elsewhere. Verify the phrases of entry to see if they permit ‘simultaneous submissions’ which implies they are going to allow you to undergo different contests. Nonetheless, for those who place in a single with that story, it’s worthwhile to withdraw from any contests you’ve entered it into except they particularly enable beforehand revealed tales to be entered. This implies it’s higher to submit single tales as a substitute of 1 story to a number of contests. Nonetheless, there may be nothing stopping you from coming into final yr’s tales into totally different contests this yr in the event that they didn’t place! So after a yr you can begin biking by the tales in your information to submit.

Should you comply with these steps then you definitely’re rising your probabilities of getting revealed.

How A lot Cash Can I Make Writing Quick Tales?

Every journal presents totally different charges for contests.

• Normally £500 or so for a brief story can be the highest finish, whereas just a few will go into the hundreds. The larger the prize, the extra competitors you’ll face.

In terms of cost for brief tales in magazines that aren’t contest based mostly, the charge can fluctuate wildly. A 2000-word story may web you £500 or extra, whereas different magazines don’t pay in any respect.

Some magazines pay per phrase

• For instance, Fiction Desk Journal pays £25 per 1,000 phrases (in addition to a £100 bonus for the very best story in every journal). Whereas this may not sound like an enormous quantity, for those who’re getting paid something to put in writing fiction, then you definitely’re doing one thing proper. You additionally obtain two copies of the paperback anthology. Many prizes and magazines providing anthologies will provide copies as a part of your charge.

The Writers and Artists Yearbook is any author’s go-to e-book for details about which magazines take brief tales (and, for those who’re feeling non-fiction inclined, different articles) and can checklist how a lot the charge is. The web site additionally lists common writing contests alongside tons of writing recommendation, so it’s an important one-stop store.

Competitions have a tendency to supply higher quantities

We’ve talked about the opposite large contests, just like the Bridport Prize, on this article too. Writing contests change on a regular basis, so be sure to Google ‘writing contest [YEAR]’ to be sure to’re not lacking out.

A notice on charges

There are some free entry writing contests and they’re ALWAYS price coming into. Nonetheless, most contests will want an entry charge which might be something from a few quid to round £20. It’s good to weigh up your probabilities of successful, the boldness you have got in your work, and whether or not you’ll be able to write off that money for those who don’t place within the contest, earlier than paying. Make certain the competitors has a longtime observe file, too: anybody can arrange a writing competitors, so make certain the judges are prime quality, the prizes are respectable (or if low that they’ve a low entry charge), and there are testimonials from earlier years if it has run earlier than.

One of many good issues about submitting to magazines is you very not often have to surrender the copyright, so that you’re normally free to resell any revealed tales to magazines in different nations. Think about how good it might really feel making a living from the identical story a number of instances!

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