There is so much information and advice for authors these days on how to get the first sales under your belt. Some will tell you to publish short stories to get a foot in the door while others will tell you to write really short stories because they don’t take so long. Yet others will tell you to forget about the shorts and go for a novel because that’s where the market is.

So, what is the right answer? Well, that depends on what your goal is.

If all you want is your name in print, it might be quicker to commit a bank robbery! If you want your work in print and out there for all to see, you might be better targeting small magazines that pay for copy and, if you are looking to make a career out of this, there are no quick ways.

That’s the bad news out of the way. Now for the good – if you really want it bad enough you can do it. Learn to write well and start making those sales.

What’s the Best Length?

The answer is very simple – what sells best is the very best work that an editor can find to match their guidelines. Yes, they might prefer a short story or a short-short than a novella so you may be able to sell three of those while your one great novel gathers dust.

That said, it isn’t necessarily a great idea to focus on these short-shorts and exclude everything else, especially if you are trying to make a career. You simply can’t learn as much as you can if you write longer work – there isn’t room to build your plot, develop your characters, and so on.

By all means, write your short-short if you have a great idea; send it to any editor that is looking for them. Then start on something longer but don’t make the mistake of starting a book that is part of a never-ending series, especially if each novel can't stand on its own. Settle for something in the middle, where your skills can develop but you have boundaries.

Short stories are a good point to start developing your basic skills in plot writing and they teach you how to manage your words – there won’t be spare room to write too much. A novella can help you to hone those skills, as well as learn how to develop characters and build your worlds. A novel gives you a bit more room to make your plot complex, add subplots and any length will provide you with practice in pacing your work.

OK, But What Length Do I Write?

I was trying to avoid giving a direct answer because it is sure to disappoint you – write the length that you need to write.

Start at the beginning and write until your story is done. It may be a short-short, it may be a full-length novel. Forget about the market until you are done writing and don’t worry about writing the “wrong” length – there is no right or wrong length and it certainly isn’t a waste of time. Every second spent writing is a learning curve and the sooner you understand that the easier you will find it.

In part 2, we’ll look at how to make those first sales.