“Short story writers have needed a book like this for decades. ... It's spectacular.” — Kristine Kathryn Rusch, multi-award-winning author & editor

Fully revised and current, this second edition addresses every change in the short fiction landscape since the classic original edition came out a decade ago.

“Doug has gone through this new volume carefully, updating every possible detail. That makes the second edition as indispensable to the short fiction writer as the first.” — Kristine Kathryn Rusch, multi-award-winning author and editor

Take your first step to becoming a professional short fiction writer—Buy this book!

In an engaging and conversational style, multi-award-winning author Douglas Smith teaches how to market and sell short stories—and much, much more.

Even experienced writers will find value here as Smith takes you from your first sale to using your stories to build a writing career. Topics include:

The Fundamentals: The different types of writers. The benefits of short fiction. Rights and licensing.

Selling Your Stories: Knowing when it's ready. Choosing markets. Submitting stories. Avoiding mistakes. How editors select stories. Dealing with rejections. When to give up on a story.

After a Sale: Contracts. Working with editors. What your first sale means. Dealing with reviews.

A Writer's Magic Bakery: Selling reprints. Foreign markets. Audio markets. Selling a collection. The indie option.

Becoming Established: Leveraging your stories. Discoverability and promotion. Career progression in short fiction.

Douglas Smith is the ideal person to write this book. His stories have appeared in thirty-seven countries and twenty-six languages. He has three acclaimed collections and has won five awards—three for his short fiction alone.

“Douglas Smith is, quite simply, the finest short-story writer Canada has ever produced in the science fiction and fantasy genres.” —Robert J. Sawyer, multi-award-winning author

“Lots of writers write good books on craft. Few have the experience to write good books on the publishing business. Doug is one of those few, and this book shows it.” — Kristine Kathryn Rusch, multi-award-winning author and editor

"An ideal book for writers who want a no-nonsense primer on how to start selling short stories … written with a clear, direct voice that makes reading easy. Douglas Smith writes like the kind of mentor you’d happily join for a few hours in the pub. His advice and explanations are authoritative and match my experience. Smith’s explanation of contracts (more negotiable than you might think) and licensing rights more than repay the price. … This isn’t a book to simply read; you’ll have to commit to applying Smith’s advice … But Playing the Short Game will speed the move from story to career." —Geoff Hart, TechWhirl Magazine