Flinging Droplets
October 31, 2019

Two weeks back, I received an email from an editor saying that he wanted to
publish a short piece I'd sent him just the day before. I'm proud of the
publication, but the point of me mentioning it is to show that it's worth
writing short pieces, sending them out, and continuing to send them out until
they get published.

Pieces of, say, 750 words or less are often a writer's more experimental work:
the attempt at a new style or way of dealing with a character; a foray into a
new genre or format. Often short pieces are written just for practice, like a
singer running through her scales. It's still worth submitting them, though.
They may be less polished, but they often also display a raw, exuberant energy
and a quirkiness that is enough to catch an editor's eye.

In addition, the chances of a short piece getting published aren't really any
less than for a long work. Short pieces make good filler, both for magazines and
websites. Print publications sometimes have an empty half- (or even whole) page
appear due to the length of the other stories/articles in that proposed issue,
and so the editor looks for bite-sized works to fill the space. A lot of
magazines now have blogs, too, and blogs are voraciously hungry for new content.

Short pieces are more than just filler. There are established markets devoted
just to flash fiction and micro-essays, which you can find with a bit of online
searching. But don't rule out other venues. Many writers worry about the maximum
length accepted at a magazine or website, but you should also check the minimum.
As long as your piece is one word longer, go ahead and send it off.

Fling your droplets into the void--you never know where they may land.

(c) 2019 by Andrew Gudgel 
email: contact [at] andrewgudgel.com