Flash In The Pan?

[Paul Brazill]

Are flash fiction sites and crime ezines hurting the writers markets? Are people buying less books because there's so much free stuff out there on the net? Is this a threat to working writers making a living?

[J. F. Juzwik]

For me, I just see them as a way of getting a writer's short pieces out there for people to sample. I love to write them and to read them, but I still buy novels. Even though ebooks are the latest thing and I would be happy to have a novel published that way, I still prefer to sit down with a book in my hands. All my friends and family are readers and all belong to book clubs and purchase quite a few. But now and again, they also enjoy reading a short work off the web.

That's just my personal take on it. Since I don't make my living writing, I can't really address that. I'd love to see what those who do have to say about this.

[Gerald So]

Flash fiction is even more of a niche market than short fiction, with even less money. to be made, so I don't think the existence of flash markets threatens longer fiction. Ezines would only threaten traditional zines and books if writers chose to write for ezines instead of print zines and book publishers. I don't know anyone published online who doesn't want to be published in print.

[Bob]

These are good tools, just like short stories in pulp magazines to gain recognition. I would hope they may even bring non-readers into the fold. As for readers, we still love our 200+ page novel. These are just snacks.

[John McFetridge]

Wait, are there places that pay for flash fiction? And short stories with dialogue that real people might use?

I've been back and forth over this issue with other writers for a while now and I think short, online fiction should be looked at like those free samples they give away in the supermarket. Once in a while I like to write a flash fiction, I like the challenges put together by Patti Abbott, Gerald So and The Mystery Dawg because I get to feel like I'm part of a community and I like to do what I can to support the community.

[John Desjarlais]

Like others, I see the short pieces as samples or ads. I've posted some short pieces online (at the risk of them being copied/pasted or changed). The book business is changing fast, with eBooks and POD technology being used even by bigger players, but books - in some form - will be with us for a long time. What will really hurt the sales of physical in-your-lap books will be the increasing cost (about $30 for a hardcover these days?) and the 'green' movement that frowns on so much paper being used for a product that will (usually) be used once.

[Matt Hilton]

Hi Paul, I started a short story and flash fiction site for the purposes of helping out other writers who'd never had their work viewed or commented on before. I also post some of my own (non-publishable) flash fiction, just to keep myself active in the process. As a result, at least one of the writers (Col Bury) has received a little attention and feedback from readers that he might not otherwise have had for some time. I know it's defeating the question you posed, but Col has now had a story featured at another site and his own blog is getting hits having been featured at The Rap Sheet. On the sites we get to read some good stuff by some great writers (read some of your stuff) who we wouldn't get the opportunity to enjoy otherwise. I love going through these sites, but they'd never stop me buying 'real' books. You can't beat the printed page or the feel of a good book in your hands.

[Matt Hilton]

Hi - just to put something right- what I meant to say was un-published not non-publishable as I said. Serves me right for not editing before submitting.