Write, publish and market short stories.
Find story seeds, finish stories, reach new readers and earn from the same story more than once. Written and narrated by Joanna Penn.
Do you have an unfinished story tucked away, an idea you’ve never dared to explore, or a collection you’re ready to publish?
Do you want to write more stories, strengthen your craft, and grow your author career?
Short stories give you the freedom to experiment with new ideas, characters and genres without committing months or years to a novel. They can build your creative confidence, grow your audience, and create additional streams of income.
I share practical guidance from my own experience of writing, publishing, licensing, narrating, crowdfunding and marketing short fiction as J.F. Penn, along with the complete short story The Black Church and its author’s note as an example.
Who this book is for
This book is for fiction writers at any stage: new writers who want to finish something complete, novelists who want to experiment between books, and authors who want to use short fiction to reach new readers and earn from the same story more than once.
It’s also for writers who want to understand the business side: professional markets, competitions, anthologies, audio, collections, and the rights and contracts that come with each. Every chapter ends with questions to apply the ideas to your own stories.
What you’ll learn
The book has four parts: writing short stories, publishing them, marketing with them, and using AI tools in your creative and business process. Here are the questions it answers.
- Why do readers and writers love short stories?
- What is a short story, and how long should it be?
- How do I find story seeds and grow them into complete stories?
- How do I write a short story, land the ending, and leave a trace behind?
- What goes in an author’s note?
- What are my publishing options: self-publishing, magazines, competitions, anthologies, audio and collections?
- How do rights and contracts work for short fiction?
- How do I publish audio short stories and use podcasting?
- How do short stories fit into my author marketing ecosystem?
- How do I use a short story as a reader magnet to grow my email list?
- How do I turn a collection into a marketing event or special edition?
- How can AI tools help with the creative and business side?
Read sample chapters
The whole book is published chapter by chapter on my store, so you can read before you buy. These three are a good place to start.
See the full chapter list on my store, or the compact list further down this page.
Listen to a sample of the audiobook, narrated by me.
Listen to the full audiobook on YouTube
The whole audiobook is on my YouTube channel, with chapter markers, so you can try it before you buy. If it helps, you can support my work by buying a copy in whichever format suits you.
Where to buy
Available in ebook, paperback, large print and audiobook (narrated by me), plus bundles with The Buried and the Drowned and with How to Write a Novel. Buying direct from my store gives you the best price on bundles and supports me directly. Thank you.
What readers say
★★★★★
Joanna offers an excellent overview of the elements of short stories and ways writers can get them out into the world.
Julie Snider
★★★★★
Love it, a very helpful book.
Lana Watkins
About Joanna Penn
I’m an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write non-fiction for authors as Joanna Penn, and thrillers, dark fantasy, horror and travel memoir as J.F. Penn.
I’ve hosted The Creative Penn Podcast since 2009, with interviews on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing.
I have a Master’s degree in Death, Religion and Culture from the University of Winchester (2026) and a Master’s in Theology from the University of Oxford. I live in Bath, England.
Articles on writing short stories and fiction
These articles cover the craft side and the genres I write in.
- What are you writing? Word count, stand-alone, series or serial
- How to write compelling characters
- How to write the first draft
- How to write horror
- How to write thrillers, horror, mystery and crime fiction
- 7 tips for writing action adventure thrillers
- How to sell ebooks and audiobooks direct
- How to record and publish your own audiobook
Podcast episodes about short stories
I talk about short fiction on The Creative Penn Podcast, and these episodes go deeper into topics from the book.
- From story seeds to stories, and writing an author’s note (Joanna Penn)
- Writing and publishing short stories and poetry with J.F. Penn and Orna Ross
- Writing and selling short stories with Douglas Smith
- Writing short stories, publishing collaboration, and podcasting with Clay Vermulm
- Bundles, box sets and anthologies with Jamie Ferguson
- Building a long-term author business, dictation, Kickstarter, and short story collections with Kevin J. Anderson
- How to make money writing short fiction with Douglas Smith
- Kickstarter tips for authors: rewards, shipping, marketing, and lessons learned
More sample chapters from How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories
Every chapter is on my store as an excerpt. Browse the full list, or start with these.
- Why readers love short stories
- Why writers love short stories
- What is a short story?
- From story seeds to stories
- Tips for writing a short story
- The author's note
- Your publishing options
- Self-publishing short stories
- Audio short stories and podcasting
- Traditional markets
- Rights and contracts
- Anthologies
- Collections
- Short stories as part of your author marketing ecosystem
- Reader magnets and your email list
- Ideas for marketing short stories
- How to use AI tools to help with your creative and business processes
- Introduction
- Conclusion
- Appendix 1 – Bibliography
- Appendix 2 – Questions
Questions about writing short stories
How long is a short story?
Flash fiction is under 1,000 words, short stories usually run 2,000 to 5,000 words, and novellas 20,000 to 40,000. If you submit to a magazine, anthology or competition, they will set the word count. A short story is not a small novel: it follows one arc, one character or group, one primary crisis.
Where do short story ideas come from?
From story seeds: a line in a book, a headline, a museum display, a place that made you feel something, or a question that won't let you go. Notice what grabs your curiosity and write it down straight away. I keep a Fiction Ideas file.
Do I need to outline a short story?
No. It doesn't matter whether you plan or discovery write, because at this length you can draft the whole thing in the time others spend debating the method. I'm a discovery writer and usually start with one or two elements. Start as late as possible, skip the backstory, and let the ending land.
Where can I publish a short story?
Decide what you want the story to achieve first. You can self-publish it as an ebook or audiobook, submit to magazines and professional markets, enter competitions, place it in an anthology, use it as a reader magnet, or gather it into a collection. One story can do several of these over its life.
What rights do I license when I sell a short story?
Usually first rights for a limited period, often around six months, then the rights revert and you can license reprint rights or self-publish. Rights are also split by language, territory and format, so an ebook licence leaves audio with you. Never sign away all rights for the term of copyright.
Can you make money from short stories?
Yes, over time and in several ways. My story The Dark Queen was commissioned for an anthology, then self-published, licensed again, and collected. At 2,500 words it has earned well over a thousand pounds and brought in new readers. Collections are more for super fans than for income.
Can a short story grow my email list?
Yes. A short story you give away makes a better reader magnet than sample chapters: it is a complete experience. Match the genre and voice to your longer books so the readers you attract go on to buy them, and link it from your website and the back of your books.
Next steps
Get the free Author Blueprint
Join my email list and I will send you my Author Blueprint, with the steps on the author journey from idea to published book and beyond, plus my newsletter with tips on writing, publishing and marketing.
Listen to The Creative Penn Podcast
New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts: interviews and solo shows on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. Browse the podcast.
Watch on YouTube
Tutorials, interviews and full audiobooks of my non-fiction on The Creative Penn channel.
