What does literary success look like to you? Holding a book with your name on it. Everyone’s definition of success is different, but if you’re only writing with the aim of getting rich and famous, you’re likely to be disappointed.
Literary success, to me, would mean scoring serious novel contracts with major publishers—mainstream circulation in the higher five figures and upward, with international reach, including foreign language editions and screen rights sales. This definitely calls for agency representation, and I’m hoping my track record, built up since 2016 in the short story market, will open that particular door. I’ve dabbled in screenwriting for the last twenty years, too, and a cross-pollination of success between fields is always possible.
Suann Amero is an ambivert who loves tea, cats, dancing, reading, and writing. She lives in Canada with her partner and their two cats, Quincey and Onyx.
by Raven Isobel Plum When my dog, Ebenezer, stared at ‘nothing,’ I always assumed he heard something outside the house. Yet, each day, he spent more time guarding the shadowy corner, increasingly transfixed, not allowing us near. When Miss Jeanie, the psychic, came, she pointed to that exact spot with bangled arms, saying, “You […]
by Susan Vita Rosia navigated the aisle alone. She came from a line of widows, but it was poppycock that the veil was cursed. Her candlelight satin dress suited the heirloom and hid her growing belly. The groom took her hand, and tears slid down her cheeks when she saw him. He lifted the […]
by S. Jade Path The veil is always thinnest on Samhain. Kylie cast her spell with trembling fingers, before stepping through the fluttering, gossamer threads and into a world of glittering wonder. Just a quick peek can’t hurt, she thought. *** Distantly, sonorous chimes announced the passing of midnight. The stars winked out as […]
by Constantine E. Kiousis “This it?” Jennifer asked as she pointed at the suburban house opposite them in the dimly lit street. The pale girl standing next to her nodded. Huffing, Jennifer crossed the street, walked up to the front porch, slid a sealed envelope under the door, and knocked before trotting away. Soon, […]
by Jaycee Durand Clara trailed her fingertips over the mirror’s chilled glass, her heart tripping at the beckoning reflection. Identical green eyes—but Debra’s derisive smirk. Impossible! We are one. Without me, there is no you. Come. Always belittling. Always controlling. But how do you live on when your other half is dead? Clara sagged […]
by Jodie Angell Mercy’s fingers plucked the harp strings, sensing the nearby souls in their final moments before death. She overlooked the man, unconscious in his armchair. The room filled with graceful harmony, and the music rose to a crescendo. A tear rolled from her eyes as a final breath escaped his mouth. A […]
by L.J. McLeod Dark. Cold. Her breath comes in shallow gasps. The air tastes stale. A hint of rot tickles at her nose. There is no movement, everything is still. She closes her eyes and opens them again. There is no change in the infinite blackness. Her hands are trapped, her feet bound tight. […]