Answering a Prompt

Submitting A Story to the Storyletter

Photo by Nong V on Unsplash

If you aren’t aware of The Storyletter and you write speculative fiction, you should be. It’s a subscriber supported newsletter that focuses on writing fiction, indie publishing, and helping authors get their work out. There are interviews with authors, how-to’s for paid subscribers featuring everything from creating a website, to finding the why behind your writing.

And from now through February they are running a contest for short fiction (1,000 - 6,000 words). The goal? To Flip a common trope. The prize? For paid subscribers, the story can be submitted for a paid prize of .01 cents/word, and a feature section in their annual anthology. If you’re not a paying subscriber, you can publish it on your own Substack, then link to it in the comments of the post featured below.

Storyletter Prompt: Flip a Common Trope

So Why Am I Participating?

Firstly, it’s a fun prompt, and harder than I initially thought it would be.

Secondly, it gives me a chance to expand my readership.

If I do well, which I plan to, I might win a few readers over. The last time I saw stats on The Storyletter’s subscriber base, they were over 300. At the rate it’s taking me to find people who want to read my writing, I won’t reach that for another fifteen months. Plus, the people who subscribe to The Storyletter like speculative fiction. That includes horror and supernatural thrillers. So I already have a chance with them.

Taking on opportunities is important when you’re starting out. It doesn’t matter if the publication is big or small. Having your story published somewhere is a huge deal. It means that your writing was worth buying. That says something.

I’ll track my subscribers before and after the contest and let you know how it works out. If you participate, please do the same and let me know how it turns out in the comments!