Episode 323 - Navigating the Short Fiction Market with Authority with Angelique Fawns
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Angelique Fawns discusses NAVIGATING THE SHORT FICTION MARKET WITH AUTHORITY, including how a broken ankle and a thousand dollars in failed contest entries led to a thriving short fiction career; why the intersection of your day-job skills and your creative passion is where authority gets built; how compiling a free resource for short story markets created a recognized platform; the surprising traction that comes from letting your authentic creative identity show; and how to think about diversifying income streams through teaching, speaking, and licensing.
Angelique Fawns has a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa and almost 30 years’ experience as a commercial producer. She's the author of three guides featuring the speculative fiction market, creates a horror fiction podcast called Read Me A Nightmare, and has sold over 100 short stories. You can find her fiction in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Amazing Stories, DreamForge, and a variety of anthologies.
Episode Links
SERIES PAGE - selling stories - ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QDX1PD6
Horror lite series page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMM44YPZ
Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B07ZHJGCX1
https://www.facebook.com/amfawns
https://twitter.com/angeliquefawns
https://www.instagram.com/angeliqueiswriting/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/961450101062117/
https://angeliquemfawns.substack.com
Summary
Matty Dalrymple talks with Angelique Fawns about how writers can build authority by niching down in short fiction, using market knowledge strategically, and gradually expanding their scope as their expertise grows. The conversation focuses on practical, experience-based lessons drawn directly from Angelique’s career path, with an emphasis on paying markets, transferable skills, authenticity, and long-term sustainability for writers.
BACKGROUND AND EARLY MISSTEPS
Angelique describes how her path into short fiction began not with a strategic plan, but with circumstance. After breaking her ankle and being unable to commute to work, she finally had the time to write short stories, something she had wanted to do for years. Like many new writers, she started by searching online for submission opportunities and quickly encountered contests. In her first year, she spent about a thousand dollars entering contests and did not make a single sale or win. That experience was discouraging and led her to question whether there was a better way to approach short fiction publishing.
This early frustration became a turning point. Instead of assuming failure was inevitable, Angelique began researching markets more carefully and connecting with other writers. Through a short fiction writing group called DreamCrafters, she learned about professional and semi-professional markets that paid for fiction and did not charge submission fees. This research led to her first professional sale to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, which validated both her writing and her decision to rethink how she approached submissions.
LEARNING THE MARKET AND CREATING A RESOURCE
Angelique explains that once she understood how short fiction markets worked, she realized there was a lack of clear, focused resources for writers who wanted to avoid pay-to-submit opportunities. She began compiling lists of paying markets, organized by pay rate, submission requirements, and suitability. What started as a tool for her own use eventually became her first guide, The Guide of All Guides, which listed more than sixty-five markets in order of pay.
A key point she emphasizes is the importance of understanding market fit. Knowing that certain publications will never buy particular types of stories, such as zombie fiction or grimdark work, saves writers time, money, and emotional energy. Angelique reinforces this by interviewing editors to understand why specific stories were accepted. For example, she interviewed Janet Hutchings after selling her story “Three Calendars” to Ellery Queen, and later spoke with Jackie Sherbow after she became editor. These interviews helped demystify editorial decision-making and provided concrete guidance writers could apply to their own submissions.
NICHING DOWN AS A PATH TO AUTHORITY
Matty highlights how Angelique’s work illustrates the value of niching down. Instead of positioning herself broadly as a writer, Angelique focused on a very specific niche: short fiction markets that pay and do not charge submission fees. This narrow focus made her expertise clear and actionable. As Matty notes, when a writer defines their authority that precisely, they are competing with very few others for attention, which makes it easier to become known and trusted in that space.
Angelique agrees and explains that she never set out to brand herself as an authority. She simply created the resource she wished had existed when she was starting out. Her guiding rule became simple and firm: “We do not pay to submit.” By consistently reinforcing that principle and backing it up with practical information, she attracted an audience of writers who shared the same frustration she once had.
TRANSFERABLE SKILLS FROM OTHER CAREERS
A recurring theme in the conversation is the value of transferable skills. Angelique draws a direct connection between her background in journalism and commercial production and the way she organizes short fiction markets. She compares her monthly Substack lists to a SharePoint document, where deadlines, deliverables, and key details are tracked in one place. This organizational approach helped her succeed in a demanding day job and proved equally effective in managing submissions.
Matty relates this to her own experience, noting that skills such as organization and connecting people often translate well into authority-building activities like podcasting, teaching, and writing nonfiction. Both emphasize that writers should look closely at what they already do well and consider how those skills can support their creative goals.
CONTESTS, PAYING MARKETS, AND STRATEGIC CHOICES
The discussion also addresses contests and submission fees in a nuanced way. Angelique makes clear that while she avoids pay-to-submit opportunities as a general rule, not all contests are inherently bad. Some prestigious contests offer significant exposure and career benefits that may justify a fee. The key is intentionality. Writers should understand why they are entering a contest and what they hope to gain from it, whether that is credibility, promotion, or networking.
Matty echoes this perspective, explaining that she has pursued contests selectively as a strategic investment rather than a source of income. Angelique’s lists help writers distinguish between opportunities that align with their goals and those that simply drain resources.
GENEROSITY, MARKETING, AND AUTHENTICITY
Both Matty and Angelique discuss how generosity plays a central role in building authority. Angelique notes that she is far more comfortable promoting a free resource she knows will help others than marketing herself directly. This mindset reframes marketing as service rather than self-promotion. By offering valuable information freely, she builds trust and goodwill, which in turn supports her broader platform.
Angelique also shares how interviewing other writers, particularly those running Kickstarter campaigns, allows her to help others while learning from their experiences. Instead of repeatedly asking audiences to buy something, these interviews focus on process and craft, with promotion occurring organically.
Authenticity emerges as another critical factor. Angelique admits that she long hesitated to fully embrace her identity as a horror writer because of concerns about how it might affect her journalism work. Over time, she realized that horror was the lens through which she processed the world. When she began sharing her darker stories more openly, including through Substack and LinkedIn, engagement increased rather than decreased. She cites her two-dollar sale of “Death Metal Fan” to Haunted Montreal as an example of work that resonated deeply with readers and brought her unexpected recognition.
RECOGNITION AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
A defining moment in Angelique’s journey came when she attended Superstars Writing Seminars after receiving a scholarship. To her surprise, people already recognized her name and thanked her for her blog. That experience confirmed that her work was reaching and helping others, even when she was not closely tracking metrics. Similar experiences followed at Canadian conferences such as DreadCon, When Words Collide, and Can*Con, where community feedback reinforced her growing authority.
Matty uses this to underscore how isolating authority-building work can feel, especially when feedback is delayed or invisible. Blogging, podcasting, and writing are often one-way activities, and writers may not realize their impact until someone speaks up.
EXPANDING AUTHORITY AND SUSTAINABLE INCOME
As the conversation turns toward income and sustainability, both speakers stress that authority can open doors beyond book sales. Angelique expresses interest in teaching, speaking, and researching new pathways for short fiction, including adaptations for film and television. She points out that intellectual property is in high demand and that short stories can serve as valuable source material.
Matty shares that many of her income streams have grown out of her nonfiction work rather than the books themselves. Articles, classes, and speaking engagements can all stem from a well-defined area of expertise. Both agree that writers should not be afraid to be paid for their work and that recognizing one’s value is an important step in building a sustainable creative career.
CONCLUSION
Throughout the episode, Matty Dalrymple and Angelique Fawns return to a central idea: building authority does not require trying to be everything to everyone. By starting with a narrow, well-defined niche, offering genuine value, and staying authentic, writers can establish credibility and then expand into adjacent opportunities over time. The conversation offers a practical roadmap for short fiction writers who want to build authority, avoid costly mistakes, and create a career that aligns with both their skills and passions.