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books now (self and trad pub) build authority, not sell copies
This is a good observation. It crystalizes things for me in a way that they weren't previously.
but the money you earn is usually less than minimum wage.
I suspect that this is true for the vast majority of fiction writers -- no matter the genre or format.
I haven't relinquished the idea that fiction can somehow be more than a "I did it for me" kind of project for the less than mega popular. But of course I don't have any evidence. How to make it so is something I often think about.
You should hold onto that idea.
As long as the driving force is the work itself, it's natural to want to share it.
I know authors who pubkish in a myriad of ways. Some are more successful than others, but no one has it all fogured out.
Different approaches suit different writers.
I can't help but think that fiction needs a multimedia app which solves discoverabiliy and creates community. With Lightning tips and zap to unlock, of course.
Good question.
I'm not sure I would do anything differently.
All the stories were published in zines and litmags previously. That gave me the boost that editors considered them worthy (and hopefully readers too).
It's important as a writer to have a product you can point to and wave around as your proof of work. Most books now (self and trad pub) build authority, not sell copies. With that said, I'd love to sell more copies, haha.
The traditional route is virtually impossible for short story collections, and I'm not sire the results would be any better.
And as for a Substack to publish stories, I'm not really a fan for a few reasons:
3.Finally, I think it is very very hard to build an audience of people who want to spend time reading diverse stories. The only successful Substack fiction I'm aware of is big names like Salman Rushdie or Chuck Palahnuik serializing new novels to earn more money than they could with trad pub contracts.
Maybe 6 months or 1 year after publishing the book, it can be good to post the individual stories accross many platforms. Give it a try. I've even posted a couple here to earn a few sats. As we move forward with Nostr, Lightning, and better incentives for community-driven fiction, I think this method of publishing will develop. We will think small, not try to crack the algo.
Really, community, networking and trust sells 'less commercial' creative work (like short stories, poetry, crafts, etc.) I could have done more festivals, fairs, events, readings, online forums etc., but I was focussing on my business. If you are retired, it's no biggie spending an entire weekend at an event to sell 30 copies, but the money you earn is usually less than minimum wage.
Overall, having a book you are proud of is worth it, no matter the sales.
Ironically, the easies way to monetize it is to write about your failures!