Need some help with this one. I'm putting together a series of short stories to go alongside the book I have out (sort of like a companion piece as it where), but I noticed that a few of them seem to be more like "novellas" than short stories. Most of the short stories I have are about seven pages in length, but the longest one I have is about 90 odd pages.

Is it better to do short story anthologies and novellas separately or can I get away with adding them in like this? I've never written a short story anthology before so not sure what the best way to go about it would be.

I've certainly read short story collections which had longer stories - some writers seem to have a natural length which their stories come out to, others seem to vary a lot. But a full novella - 30k words or so - is trickier.

I think what's more important, though, is that there's some sort of coherence about the collection - a theme, a reason they're all in the same volume, a way in which the different stories speak to each other and enhance each other. And of course the order you put the stories in is important too, to make the most of the resonances and echoes.

If it's with a publisher, they presumably have some editorial input. If it's self-published, then it's up to you; I'd suggest you do what seems to work best in terms of the overall volume - the experience of reading it.

Funnily enough, since posting this I dug out some HP Lovecraft anthologies and that had a selection of stories that were only about 4 pages or so, and then longer ones of 40+ (give or take). And you're right, there does need to be some underlining theme or consistancy.

At the moment I'm just writing them out as stand alone stories so that I get an idea for length and themes and all that, see how that goes. I got about 7 planned, but I may scrap a couple if they don't go together.

I agree with Emma about theme.

You haven't said, but I get the feeling you're planning to publish your own short story collections. If so, I'd strongly recommend sending them out first to good markets (pro and semi-pro). There are several reasons for this, chief of which is it's a primer for gauging the quality of one's work. Okay, editors' tastes are subjective, but if you're regularly submitting stories to a range of SF/Fantasy editors, you'll eventually find a home for a well-written story, and in the process get some idea of what does and doesn't work. (The caveat, of course, is that you've also got to find ways of improving your writing as you go.) Another important reason is this will then give your stories some authority: 'first appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies' or whatever; and you may have some review quotes to go with it. When readers are skimming through all the available story collections, something has to make them pause at yours long enough to give it a go.

Terry

Thanks for the advice Terry. I will certainly bare that in mind. Really these short stories are a collection of ideas based around the fantasy world I created in my first book (to flesh out the world as it were) and a couple of them were made to fill in a couple of minor plot points not answered (not that there are that many, I just had some feedback on a couple of points).

Really it's just for fun rather than profit. But I haven't ruled anything out so I'll take what you said to heart.