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Writing Short Stories to Promote Your Novels (Writer's Craft) Kindle Edition

by Rayne Hall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 50 ratings
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A short story is the perfect tool for promoting your novel. Readers who love your story will look for more fiction by the same author.

Here are some ideas: post a story on your website as a free read or give it to another writer of the same genre to display it on their website. Publish it as a short free ebook, bolstering your list of published books. Offer it as a giveaway on blog tours. Submit it to a magazine, ezine or anthology where it will get read by lovers of your genre.

This book is structured like a workshop, based on an online class I taught. As you progress through the chapters, you’ll build your story step by step, from the spark of an idea to the polished version that will wow your readers and make them eager to buy your novel.

For powerful promotion, writing a great story is not enough. It needs to be a particular kind of story to target your audience, win fans and sell books.

To get the most from this book, you should have at least one novel to promote, whether traditionally or indie-published. You need to have mastered the basics of the fiction writer’s craft, though not necessarily of the short story form.

If you’re a fiction-writing novice or are still working on your first novel, it’s too soon to follow this programme, although you may find useful inspiration.

If you enjoy writing, and if you have a novel you want to promote, you’ve come to the right place.
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  1. Part of series
    Writer's Craft
  2. Print length
    101 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    February 20, 2014
  5. File size
    924 KB
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Writer's Craft
Writer's Craft
Bundle price: Kindle price
$14.97
Bundle price: Kindle price
$22.95
Bundle price: Kindle price
$47.90
Bundle price: Kindle price
$175.62
By placing your order, you're purchasing a license to the content and you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00IKM65CC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rayne Hall (February 20, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 20, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 924 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 101 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

About the author

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Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall

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Rayne Hall MA is the author of over 100 books, mostly Dark Fantasy and Gothic Horror, e.g. The Bride’s Curse: Bulgarian Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories. She is also the acclaimed editor of Gothic, Fantasy and Horror anthologies (e.g. Among the Headstones: Creepy Tales from the Graveyard) and author of the bestselling Writer’s Craft series for advanced-level writers, including and the bestselling Writer’s Craft series e.g. Writing Gothic Fiction Writing Scary Scenes, Writing Vivid Settings, Writing Vivid Dialogue, Writing Vivid Characters, Writing Deep Point of View.

Born and raised in Germany, Rayne Hall has lived in China, Mongolia, Nepal and Britain. Now she resides in a village in Bulgaria, where men perform the annual demon dance, ghosts and sirens beckon, and abandoned decaying houses hold memories of a glorious past.

Her lucky black rescue cat Sulu often accompanies her when she explores spooky derelict buildings. He delights in walking across shattered roof tiles, scratching charred timbers and sniffing at long-abandoned hearths. He even senses the presence of ghosts… but that’s another story.

Rayne has worked as an investigative journalist, development aid worker, museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, belly dancer, magazine editor, publishing manager and more, and now writes full time.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
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Customers say

Customers find the book provides useful advice and tips for writing short stories. They find it easy to read and enjoyable, with a step-by-step plan that makes the process simple and enjoyable. The writing style is described as effective and helpful for writers, providing good ideas and techniques to generate short fiction.

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AdviceReadabilityWriting style
13 customers mention "Advice"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful with useful advice and tips. They appreciate the author's teaching style and good ideas. The book makes the process easy and enjoyable for them.

"...So ... short book ... took a couple of hours to read. Lots of brainstorm ideas which are kind of fun." Read more

"...self-publishing and promotion are obvious because she does a great job of teaching, not just telling...." Read more

"...Simple. I found it an exceptional aid in a market that is fraught with fluff and wanted to add my accolades...." Read more

"...to start, but the step-by-step process she took us through made the process easy and very enjoyable...." Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the step-by-step plan that makes the process easy. The book is short, taking a couple of hours to read.

"...So ... short book ... took a couple of hours to read. Lots of brainstorm ideas which are kind of fun." Read more

"The other reviews already say why and how this book is so good, so why add another review? Simple...." Read more

"...step-by-step process she took us through made the process easy and very enjoyable...." Read more

"It was very good and I liked that he gave a step by step plan on how to actually write the short story. Well worth the read." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing style"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing style effective. They say it provides great ideas to generate short fiction and is a good guide for writers.

"...So ... short book ... took a couple of hours to read. Lots of brainstorm ideas which are kind of fun." Read more

"...If you want to learn from several chapters of very effective writing techniques, again, highly recommended." Read more

"...over again, but then I discover this e-book, "Writing Short Stories to Promote Your Novels." This book follows what we did in class, with a..." Read more

"She gives great advice, this is a must read if you want to create a great story." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Anna Erishkigal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great brainstorm ideas to generate lots of short fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I'm an epic fantasy doorstopper writer, so when several different people I respect all came to me and said 'you should submit a story to this or that anthology' and I read the submission guidelines, it was like...

    erm...

    5,000 - 10,000 words?

    [*I don't think I ever wrote anything under 250,000 words, and that was the 'book' I published in the fourth grade...*]

    I found this short 'how to' book to be really helpful. It suggested ways to come up with story ideas and characters that would focus on whatever target audience you are writing for. In most instances this will be my existing awesome readers who'd enjoy little fun vignettes of some of my characters from my series. In other instances, though (like those aforementioned anthologies) it will help me target a short story to those readers they will enjoy.

    So ... short book ... took a couple of hours to read. Lots of brainstorm ideas which are kind of fun.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Andra Marquardt
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth your time and money.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2018
    Part of the introduction states: “To get the most from this book, you should have at least one novel to promote, whether traditionally or indie-published. You need to have mastered the basics of the fiction writer’s craft, though not necessarily of the short story form.
    If you’re a fiction writing novice or are still working on your first novel, it’s too soon to follow this programme, although you may find useful inspiration.”

    After going through the book, and following all the advice, I agree with the above statement. Although not for the novice, even a beginning writer will find it more than inspirational, even one who desires to write short stories instead of novels. Although I’m not yet published either traditional or indie, I do have a good start on a short story based on one of my competed novels that I can use to help promote my novel once it is published.

    And since I can’t help myself, the writing of this book is outstanding, easy to follow, and I even “heard” the words in a British accent, which I loved. I know I will purchase more of Ms Halls books in the future, and I encourage others to do the same.

    Full disclosure: Ms. Hall kindly gave me a copy of this book for an honest review; I was under no obligation to give only positive feedback.
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  • JTCamlyn
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Tool For Writers
    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book does what the title implies and more. ^^

    The first chapter helps the writer think critically about what type of story they'll write and what it's purpose is.

    The chapters that follow focus on writing techniques.
    They seemed quite applicable for effective writing and conceptualizing of more than just a short story.
    It was a delightful surprise to find in a book that I'd thought would be entirely focused on short story promotion.

    The rest of the book does indeed outline and describe various methods to get the short story(ies) out there.
    Rayne weighs these methods and what they can accomplish.
    She presents advantages and drawbacks so that you, as the writer, can decide for yourself which approach will work for you.
    Her experience at self-publishing and promotion are obvious because she does a great job of teaching, not just telling.

    If you're a writer interested in doing just what the title describes, I highly recommend it.
    If you want to learn from several chapters of very effective writing techniques, again, highly recommended.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Sandy
    5.0 out of 5 stars For every professional author's arsenal of tools.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The other reviews already say why and how this book is so good, so why add another review? Simple. I found it an exceptional aid in a market that is fraught with fluff and wanted to add my accolades.

    On a personal level, I've always considered writing short stories a bit difficult because it seems a shame to "waste" a plot idea on five or ten thousand words. As I found out, I was wrong. Ms. Hall suggests how to find many loose plots that are just lying around waiting to be discovered. Equally valuable, those plots are supportive while not in the least competitive of my books. For example: A short plot involving a secondary interesting character whose back story would never come to light in the main series.

    Bottom line, if you consider yourself a professional author this book should be in your arsenal of tools.
    Helpful
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  • Brian Josephson
    5.0 out of 5 stars and wrote the best short story I've ever written
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I took Rayne Hall's online short story class, and wrote the best short story I've ever written. Before that class, I had a problem with knowing where and how to start, but the step-by-step process she took us through made the process easy and very enjoyable. When I was finished with the online class, I wanted to take it all over again, but then I discover this e-book, "Writing Short Stories to Promote Your Novels." This book follows what we did in class, with a bit more detail. I actually feel like Rayne is holding my hand.
    I highly recommend this book for writing short stories!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Cupcake Wizard
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for writers!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    As a writing of short stories working on a novel, I found this book superbly useful. It's filled with advice on building a solid brand, which is something I haven't been doing and will improve upon after reading this guide. The example short story at the end is dark, but serves to show how a writer can exhibit their world without delving into a full novel.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Berin Kinsman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Get the most value from your novel
    Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    While Rayne Hall advises having an existing novel to promote prior to reading this book, I did so while I was outlining. It got me thinking about things to incorporate while writing that I could pull out and spin off afterward to help market the book. As with all of her books, this volume is packed with useful advice and helpful tips.
    Helpful
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  • Christina Paquin
    5.0 out of 5 stars well worth the read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    It was very good and I liked that he gave a step by step plan on how to actually write the short story. Well worth the read.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Daydreamer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
    Reviewed in Germany on November 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book. It's my first read about how to write short stories. I know the author emphasizes that it's specifically benificial for writers, who want to promote their own books. I don't have a published book yet, and I think it was just as beneficial for me, because I'm planning to find potential readers before launching my novel.
    The author has a very encouraging voice and gives great advice. I loved it and recommend it whole-heartedly.
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  • G J Scobie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Recommend
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    After following Rayne on Twitter and reading her many useful writing tips I downloaded this book partly because I was looking for advice on developing my writing of short stories and partly because I felt her books would be as helpful and informative as her timeline. I was not disappointed. It is written in an engaging style and presented as advice rather than a set of rigid rules. Based on her own teaching and writing experience, Rayne takes you through numerous suggestions to kickstart your journey through the various stages of developing and writing a short story. The techniques are coupled with her own insights into the process and how you can use the vehicle of the short story to not only improve your writing but use it to market your novels. The book concludes with three of her own short stories as illustration of what can be achieved within a few pages. It is important to appreciate that this advice is not specific to any genre and is useful to anyone wishing to write short stories in the style they feel comfortable with. I love the fact that Rayne has the experience and has taken the time to present this to others in an entertaining manner. I think everyone can benefit from something contained in this book and I thoroughly recommend it.
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  • Roses are Amber
    4.0 out of 5 stars Useful exercises and tools to try out.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Writing Short Stories To Promote Your Novels is a non-fiction book from Rayne Hall’s Writer’s Craft series. This provides useful insight and exercises in forming tools which can be used in a variety of ways.

    The book has three distinct parts; the first gets the writer to evaluate themselves, their current writing genres and their audience. It then moves on to suggest ways to brainstorm book titles, and how to start plotting the short story. Next Rayne makes the writer consider characters, themes, settings, dialogue, and how to keep the short story structure tight.

    In part two, Rayne discusses lots of ways that a writer can then use their short story as a promotional tool, while pointing out some of the pros and cons.

    The last part of the book are samples from Rayne’s own writing and cover around fifty percent of the book, however, these can also be useful tools for writers to read. I like Rayne’s easy-to-read writing style and how it is broken down quickly into useful exercises. This is another book that I shall be recommending to writers.
    Customer image
    Roses are Amber
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Useful exercises and tools to try out.

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2020
    Writing Short Stories To Promote Your Novels is a non-fiction book from Rayne Hall’s Writer’s Craft series. This provides useful insight and exercises in forming tools which can be used in a variety of ways.

    The book has three distinct parts; the first gets the writer to evaluate themselves, their current writing genres and their audience. It then moves on to suggest ways to brainstorm book titles, and how to start plotting the short story. Next Rayne makes the writer consider characters, themes, settings, dialogue, and how to keep the short story structure tight.

    In part two, Rayne discusses lots of ways that a writer can then use their short story as a promotional tool, while pointing out some of the pros and cons.

    The last part of the book are samples from Rayne’s own writing and cover around fifty percent of the book, however, these can also be useful tools for writers to read. I like Rayne’s easy-to-read writing style and how it is broken down quickly into useful exercises. This is another book that I shall be recommending to writers.
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  • L
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book as I had accidently written a short story when working on something else. I wanted to use it but I wasn't sure if I was going about it in the most useful way and I needed some advice.

    This book answered all of my questions and boosted my confidence. You have to already have some skill at writing in order to get the most out of it, though it is very skillful in the way it guides you through the process.

    I love this book and I can see that I will be keeping it handy, a list of words contained in it pushed my mind into action and solved a different problem that I had been avoiding.
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  • S. Rogerson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful guide to creating lead in stories
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I found this guide helpful for thinking of ideas to write lead in stories to my novels. There's lots to good advice to follow and I liked how we must look at the two sides of writing - the creative brain and editor brain.
    There are also chapters on what options you have to find readers once you have a story to share. However, I would have liked a section on using the stories as reader magnets for newsletter sign ups to be covered.
    Well worth your time reading.
    Report

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