How to Write and Sell Short Stories - Della Galton

...I was struck by how she always managed to get the tone of her stories right for each magazine, how she was so prolific and how she had figured out exactly what the fiction editors were looking for. When I heard she had a book coming out about how to write for this market I pre-ordered it before it was even published! I just had to discover the secrets of this writer's success.

'''How To Write and Sell Short Stories'''
Della ...
...my own. Just seeing how people talk, what their body language is like and what funny little habits they might have all helps me to add detail to what I write. Della gives several writing exercises which can help to get your creative imagination working.

_Writing Effective Dialogue_ - A helpful chapter on how to use dialogue to move your story forwards, rather than wasting your precious words on polite chit-chat between your characters ... more

Me and my writing...
One of the things I've been cramming into my life recently is a creative writing class. Though my main interest is in historical fiction, I'll have a go at most things - short stories, articles, poetry (seriously dreadful, but sometimes therapeutic!) and an odd review or twenty here on Ciao. In the class we have been set quite a few short story tasks. I've had a couple of successes in short story competitions, and I like the fact that a short story is a manageable length to write. Whereas the historical novel I have ambitions for would have to be 100,000+ words, the requirement for short stories are normally only between 1,000 to 4,000 words maximum.

Getting into print...
Naturally it is a wonderful feeling when someone thinks what you have written is worth putting into print, but that alone doesn't pay the bills. One market where you may be able to get your stories published is in the womens' magazines. I know that some people have a pretty low opinion of the type of stories printed in womens' magazines, thinking they must all be bland romances or cosy stories about the best granny in the world. In fact, there is a much wider range of stories published in the womens' magazines nowadays and if you are prepared to put in the work this market can pay well. Think in terms of £75 to as much as £250 in the best paying magazines, and it definitely becomes an attractive proposition.

Della who...?
As part of my course I had to have a really thorough look at the stories published in womens' magazines to assess the subjects covered, the styles of writing, the popular themes and the types of characters featured. One writer whose name kept cropping up in every magazine I looked at (and sometimes more than once in an issue) was Della Galton. She has had numerous stories published in magazines such as Take a Break, Woman's Weekly, Yours, My Weekly and many others. I was struck by how she always managed to get the tone of her stories right for each magazine, how she was so prolific and how she had figured out exactly what the fiction editors were looking for. When I heard she had a book coming out about how to write for this market I pre-ordered it before it was even published! I just had to discover the secrets of this writer's success.

How To Write and Sell Short Stories
Della Galton's book is just over 200 pages long, split into 26 shortish chapters. I will not list all of the chapters here, but to give you a brief impression of the subjects covered they include:-

Marketing Short Stories - This is where the all important research comes in. If you are serious in your aim of selling your work, it is vital that you understand the requirements of a particular magazine. Every magazine has its own target readership and all of them produce guidelines to help potential contributors get it right. Having done my own bit of research I can vouch for the fact that it is time well spent. In this book Della Galton explains the steps you can take to identify what fiction editors want.

Finding Ideas and Inspiration - If you tend to be a bit of an eavesdropper or if you like to people-watch then you need never lack ideas for short stories. Personally I always find train journeys are a fruitful source of ideas and I also love sitting in cafes on my own. Just seeing how people talk, what their body language is like and what funny little habits they might have all helps me to add detail to what I write. Della gives several writing exercises which can help to get your creative imagination working.

Writing Effective Dialogue - A helpful chapter on how to use dialogue to move your story forwards, rather than wasting your precious words on polite chit-chat between your characters which doesn't really add anything to your story.

Creating Believable and Sympathetic Characters - Personally I feel that the characters are the biggest element in anything I write. If I can manage to come up with strong characters then I don't have to work so hard on the plot, as the strengths and weaknesses of the characters will suggest the story to me. Della gives plenty of tips on how to make your characters well-rounded and interesting.

Writing Twist Endings - Stories with 'twist in the tail' endings are something I find almost impossible to write. However they are currently very popular with certain magazines and if this is a type of story that suits you then you won't struggle to find potential markets. This chapter covers how you can make the twist ending work and some common mistakes writers make when attempting this kind of story.

Working With Editors - This includes valuable tips on how to submit your manuscript and present it in a professional manner.

Tax and Record Keeping - If you reach the stage where you are making a little income from your writing then you will have to think about the complex world of income tax. Della Galton gives a straightforward summary of what records you will need to keep and what expenses you may claim.

How to Deal With Rejection - Well, you can't be any kind of writer without experiencing rejection at some stage. Rejection is disappointing, but it's also something that can help us learn. How well I know that sinking feeling as I recognise the thick brown envelope which has dropped through my letterbox. Sometimes it's tempting to give up and take up a hobby which produces a more tangible result - dry stone walling, maybe? But I think if you really love to write and it's become part of your life then you will always come back to it again, even if you take a little break to stomp around cursing the entire world while the sting of rejection wears off.

Other chapters briefly cover the genres of crime writing, erotica (!) and ghost stories. There is also a chapter about men writing for the womens' magazine market. It's surprising to find how many men do write for this market, although sometimes they use pseudonyms or just their initial so you would not immediately know whether the writer is male or female. I really enjoyed the chapter on the excuses we find not to write. So it's not just me who would rather rearrange the pantry than sit down to a blank sheet of paper! Every chapter contains a wealth of advice and Della Galton illustrates the points she is making by giving examples from her own stories. There are also plenty of quotations from other writers in her field, as well as those hard-to-please magazine editors.

The tone of Della Galton's book is light and friendly, and it is clearly written from her own extensive experience. I have already picked up a lot of useful ideas and tips and I know I will continue to re-read it as necessary whenever my own writing hits a bad patch (so that's every week then!).

A couple of minor criticisms
The cover is very attractive, blue with twinkling white pound signs floating up from the pages of an open book. However the paper quality inside looks slightly on the cheap side, which lets down the excellent content. Another thing I have noticed is that the publishers could have given a bit more attention to the layout. Throughout the book Della Galton uses plenty of headings and sub-headings but unfortunately in places the sub-heading has ended up at the bottom of the page and then the text continues overleaf. I know it's only a minor point but I do find this irritating, especially when would-be writers are constantly told about the importance of perfect presentation. Also on p.148 is a sudden announcement in bold type - 'Error! Bookmark not defined'. This does not relate to anything at all on the page and I assume it is a little computer message which should have been edited out. I do hope that if there is a later edition of this book then these small glitches will be corrected.

Summary
This is a great book for anyone interested in writing for the womens' magazine market. Though I have been feeling a bit downhearted about my own writing recently this book has really boosted my motivation, making me feel that I can improve my stories with the use of some of the techniques Della Galton suggests.

The cover price of 'How to Write and Sell Short Stories' is £9.99 and it can be bought directly from the publishers, Accent Press whose website is www.accentpress.co.uk

Alternatively it is currently on Amazon priced at £6.99 

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