--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've got five or six unpublished stories…" description: "\"I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around looking for somebody to buy them.\" — Larry Niven" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/larry-niven-4263_five_i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories_1734833.png" --- # I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around… ![“I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around looking for somebody to buy them.” quote by Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/larry-niven-4263_five_i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories_1734833.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/larry-niven-4263_five_i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories_1734833.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/larry-niven-4263_five_i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories_1734833.png) > “I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around looking for somebody to buy them.” [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He has several unpublished stories seeking a buyer, highlighting the challenges of getting work published. **In simple terms:** Unpublished stories need a market. Key Takeaway Find a publisher. Themes writing patience entrepreneurship Mood determined hopeful Type practical motivational When to use this quote - literary agent outreach - self‑publishing - crowdfunding - writing workshops Key Concepts literary market authorial persistence creative development Questions to Reflect On - What steps will you take to sell? - How can you improve marketability? A Different Perspective Rejection can be discouraging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Got Unpublished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-unpublished-1463838/) [Kicking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kicking/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [Somebody Buy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somebody-buy-1463840/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stories Kicking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-kicking-1463839/) [Unpublished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpublished/) [Unpublished Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpublished-stories-1463837/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Write, even if you have a twinge, a doubt, a fear, a block, a noisy neighbor, a sick cat, thirteen unpublished stories, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/write-even-if-you-have-a-twinge-a-doubt-a-fear-a-block-a-noisy/) [Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/) > [Brandy is so attractive you could chop her head off and put it on blue velvet in the window at Tiffany's and somebody would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/brandy-is-so-attractive-you-could-chop-her-head-off-and-put-it-on/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [You can't make somebody buy an album. I buy people's albums though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riff-raff/you-can-t-make-somebody-buy-an-album-i-buy-people-s-albums-though/) [Riff Raff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riff-raff/) > [It seems to me most people make the mistake of never building a following where they are considered a resource to their fan base…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-winget/it-seems-to-me-most-people-make-the-mistake-of-never-building-a/) [Larry Winget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-winget/) > [You buy a Ferrari when you want to be somebody. You buy a Lamborghini when you are somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/you-buy-a-ferrari-when-you-want-to-be-somebody-you-buy-a-lamborghini/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [What can a sales person say to somebody to get them to buy a product that they already use every day if they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-ellison/what-can-a-sales-person-say-to-somebody-to-get-them-to-buy-a-product/) [Larry Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-ellison/) > [I'm trying to think of other ones. Oh, yeah, I'd say - somebody would buy something and we'd say, and because you are our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/i-m-trying-to-think-of-other-ones-oh-yeah-i-d-say-somebody-would-buy/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I sold my first short story while I was home on maternity leave, then began working on novels. Since I was reading and enjoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/i-sold-my-first-short-story-while-i-was-home-on-maternity-leave-then/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [Nothing stinks like a pile of unpublished writing, which remark I guess shows I still don't have a pure motive (O it's-such-fun-I-just-can't-stop-who-cares-if-it's-published-or-read) about writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/nothing-stinks-like-a-pile-of-unpublished-writing-which-remark-i/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“Very few authors, especially the unpublished, can resist an invitation to read aloud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/very-few-authors-especially-the-unpublished-can-resist-an-invitation/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [My father was a very prolific writer and he left behind a huge body of unpublished work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carter-cash/my-father-was-a-very-prolific-writer-and-he-left-behind-a-huge-body/) [John Carter Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carter-cash/) > [The first thing an unpublished author should remember is that no one asked him to write in the first place. With this firmly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-farrar/the-first-thing-an-unpublished-author-should-remember-is-that-no-one/) [John Farrar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-farrar/) > [I've written 16 children's books and five unpublished novels. Some of the latter were breathtakingly bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/i-ve-written-16-children-s-books-and-five-unpublished-novels-some-of/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [In the end, the difference between a published writer and an unpublished one comes down to one thing: The unpublished writer gave up, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-delton/in-the-end-the-difference-between-a-published-writer-and-an/) [Judy Delton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-delton/) > [To me, all the juice of a book is in an unpublished manuscript, and the published book is like a dead tree - just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/to-me-all-the-juice-of-a-book-is-in-an-unpublished-manuscript-and-the/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) ## More by Larry Niven > [“Once Louis Wu had sworn to live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/once-louis-wu-had-sworn-to-live-forever/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [In challenging a kzin, a simple scream of rage is sufficient. You scream and you leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/in-challenging-a-kzin-a-simple-scream-of-rage-is-sufficient-you/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“There is no cause so good or noble that it will not attract fuggheads; and the fuggheads will get all the press.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/there-is-no-cause-so-good-or-noble-that-it-will-not-attract-fuggheads/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Music had played suddenly through the cabin, complex and lovely, rich in minor tones, like the sad call of a sex-maddened computer. Nessus whistled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/music-had-played-suddenly-through-the-cabin-complex-and-lovely-rich/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“This place is a playground for a questing mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/this-place-is-a-playground-for-a-questing-mind/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“have precious little free will," he was saying. "We're too intelligent not to see the right answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/have-precious-little-free-will-he-was-saying-we-re-too-intelligent/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“1a) Never throw shit at an armed man. 1b) Never stand next to someone who is throwing shit at an armed man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/1a-never-throw-shit-at-an-armed-man-1b-never-stand-next-to-someone/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [We learn only to ask more questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/we-learn-only-to-ask-more-questions/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Everything starts as somebody's dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/everything-starts-as-somebody-s-dream/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“I asked him, "Do you know the difference between nude and naked?" He shook his head. "Nude is artistic. Naked is defenseless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-asked-him-do-you-know-the-difference-between-nude-and-naked-he/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [Intelligence is just a tool to be used toward a goal, and goals are not always chosen intelligently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/intelligence-is-just-a-tool-to-be-used-toward-a-goal-and-goals-are/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [And every friend I've got has been writing Mars stories. It was pretty clear I'd never catch up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/and-every-friend-i-ve-got-has-been-writing-mars-stories-it-was-pretty/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [For each human being there is an optimum ratio between change and stasis. Too little change, he grows bored. Too little stability, he panics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/for-each-human-being-there-is-an-optimum-ratio-between-change-and/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [Anything beats an expensive stack of paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/anything-beats-an-expensive-stack-of-paper/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Humans," said the puppeteer, "should not be allowed to run loose. You will surely harm yourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/humans-said-the-puppeteer-should-not-be-allowed-to-run-loose-you-will/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) [Explore all 112 Larry Niven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) ## More Five quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [If you look at the charts every year, there may be five or ten memorable songs from each year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-jackson/if-you-look-at-the-charts-every-year-there-may-be-five-or-ten/) [Randy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-jackson/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [I don't think we need a featuring though , because five of us are enough .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyun-joong/i-don-t-think-we-need-a-featuring-though-because-five-of-us-are-enough/) [Kim Hyun-joong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyun-joong/) > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I am naturally a thin person and I am 5'1" and putting on five or 10 pounds, that looks like a lot on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-richie/i-am-naturally-a-thin-person-and-i-am-5-1-and-putting-on-five-or-10/) [Nicole Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-richie/) > [The official independence celebration was going to be held over four or five days, and a group of journalists from all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-official-independence-celebration-was-going-to-be-held-over-four/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [Man, you'd be surprised how much I'm learning - not only about myself, but about the musicians who came before me. You don't realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-hubbard/man-you-d-be-surprised-how-much-i-m-learning-not-only-about-myself/) [Freddie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-hubbard/) > [A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/a-lot-of-times-when-people-send-me-books-to-read-new-writers-mostly-i/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) [Browse all 6,265 Five quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around looking for somebody to buy them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry Niven" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories-kicking-around-looking-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Five" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories-kicking-around-looking-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/larry-niven-4263_five_i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories_1734833.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/larry-niven-4263_five_i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories_1734833.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/larry-niven-4263_five_i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories_1734833.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've got five or six unpublished stories kicking around looking for somebody to buy them.” — Larry Niven", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Larry Niven", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've got five or six unpublished...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories-kicking-around-looking-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/i-ve-got-five-or-six-unpublished-stories-kicking-around-looking-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```