This episode was originally created for the Stark Reflections podcast and hosted by Mark Leslie. I’m rebroadcasting it here on Substack for my short fiction writing friends.
If you're a short story writer, or would like to be, you can’t miss this episode!
Mark and Matty wrote an absolutely wonderful guide called Taking the Short Tack: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction, and this conversation is based on advice from that book.
I consider Mark one of my mentors, and I learned so much from a consulting session with him (you can book your own HERE). It was on his advice that I reused my shorts in collections and braved a Kickstarter.
Matty is a new find for me, and not only have I fallen in love with her, but I’m also obsessed with her character, Ann Kinnear. (This protagonist solves mysteries AND talks to dead people.)
Here is a bit of what you’ll hear…
Mark’s Take: Short Fiction Builds Careers Over Time
Mark started writing in the 1980s, when selling short stories to magazines was the way to break in. Editors looked for proof you could deliver clean, compelling writing in a tight format.
But decades later, Mark still finds short fiction valuable because:
You can sell it multiple times (first rights, reprints, anthologies)
You can collect stories into themed mini-books
You can serialize audio versions on YouTube or podcasts
You can use them in Kickstarters or special editions
You can pair them with long fiction for reader magnets or bundles
In Mark’s world, a single story has many lives.
Matty’s Take: Short Fiction Serves Your Existing Readers
Matty didn’t start in short fiction—she added it after she had two suspense novels out. But she realized:
Readers wanted more stories in the same world
Short fiction let her keep fans engaged between novels
Standalone shorts sell surprisingly well as ebooks
Holidays & seasons create perfect mini-launch moments
Her readers binge a full series… and then can keep getting a fix with the shorts.
Short fiction becomes continuity glue.
But Angelique, I’m not ready to do a full novel series? (Yup, I’m not quite there yet either.)
This is my method and how Mark grew his career:
Write a story
Start with the highest-paying markets
Work your way down
Track your submissions
Push for pro rates when possible
Sell reprints after first publication
Later, collect the stories into minis or anthologies
Why this works:
You build credentials quickly
You build relationships with editors
You grow an audience organically
You can resell the same story multiple times
You keep building a library of IP
A 3,000-word story at pro rate (8 cents/word) earns $240—as much or more than many books earn in a full year.
Short fiction can pay.
Matty uses short fiction a little differently:
Standalone stories for $1.99
Available on Amazon, her website, and especially Curios
Seasonal releases (Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.)
Shorts tied directly to her existing series
Audio editions added for bonus value
Why this works:
Readers already love her worlds
They will pay small amounts for more content
Direct platforms give better revenue splits
Audio + ebook bundles add high perceived value
No waiting months for rejections
No rights tangles, no contracts to decode
Tools, Platforms, and Services
Here are the most useful tools that came up in our conversation.
So, I’d never heard of Curios before, but it’s Matty’s fav tool. (Here is her store) https://www.curios.com/creators/mattydalrymple-X449BR
CURIOS
Perfect for direct sales.
Writers keep 100% of the list price
Readers pay the fees
Has its own e-reader and audio app
Allows ebook + audio bundles without price-parity issues
Costs around $20/year
I personally use Gumroad, but in two years, I’ve earned a total of $3.74, so I’m not sure it’s working for me.
BOOKFUNNEL
Matty, Mark, and I use BookFunnel to:
Deliver reader magnets
Deliver short story collections
Send ebooks securely
Reduce tech headaches for new subscribers
Host downloads for Kickstarter backers
Track who actually downloads the book
DRAFT2DIGITAL
For print copies of short stories:
D2D Print auto-builds your wraparound cover
As long as you reach ~24–30 pages, it works
Great for in-person events, swag, bundles
Extremely low print cost
These are powerful as:
giveaways
Kickstarter add-ons
“buy-two-books-get-a-short-free” convention deals
Rights, Risks, and Pitfalls
Watch out for:
Markets that count public drafts as “published”
Anthologies grabbing all rights forever
Ambiguous language around audio or film rights
Submission platforms that default to “public”
If you want to learn more about short fiction contracts, Michael La Ronn has a great video HERE
Using Short Fiction to Build Novels
Matty writes short pieces inside her Ann Kinnear world.
Mark has reused stories across platforms for 20+ years.
And I’m now writing my stories inside the universe of my novel-in-progress.
(You can join the adventure! I’m posting my Roxie stories on Substack as a serial fiction experiment.)
The benefits:
You find your world’s voice faster
You test ideas in real time
Readers become invested before the novel even launches
Editors help you refine aspects of the world
You get paid while you’re still writing the book
Your future novel launches to a warm audience—not a cold one
Takeaways from this chat
1. Never pay to be rejected.
Submission fees? Skip them.
2. Decide on your path: submissions or direct-to-consumer.
Both work. The trick is consistency.
3. Track your submissions religiously.
Create your own spreadsheet, Duotrope, Submission Grinder. Whatever works for you!
4. Be patient with markets; be fast with your writing.
Editors may take months.
You don’t have to.
5. Resell everything you can
Reprints
Podcasts
Mini collections
Kickstarters
YouTube audios
Anthologies
Direct sales
Print chapbooks
6. Use short fiction to feed your series.
Your novels will thank you.
7. Short fiction isn’t a side hustle. It’s a toolkit for:
improving your craft
expanding your universe
growing your readership
testing ideas
earning real money in small bursts
building your author identity one story at a time
I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did! So much GOOOOOD stuff here.
And wait… There’s more!
I’m hoping to have Matty Dalrymple on as a guest in the very near future, and feature some of her short story writing!!
Those collections/anthologies I created on Mark’s advice?
Right here:
And if you want to dive deeper into “Taking the Short Tack”- look HERE
