GUIDELINES: FLASH DIGEST

 

Flash Digest is published quarterly, in January, April, July, and October, in print and as an ePub and PDF. It presents original science fiction, fantasy, and spooky horror stories of flash fiction length, which we regard as less than 1500 words. The lead editor is Terrie Leigh Relf.

 

Flash Digest wants non-AI original stories that are entertaining and/or have a serious point to them. We prefer to see stories with plot, tension, suspense, conflict, and character development. Remember, if readers do not care what happens to your main character[s], they won’t read the story. The narrative should maintain a sense of wondering what’s going to happen next; of what’s lurking just around the corner. Showing is better than telling. Frex, instead of telling the reader that it’s cold, show your character shivering, stomping feet, or having ice form on beard or hair. The inner thoughts and emotions of your character[s] are just as important.

 

As we will publish no more than six to eight stories per issue, we will be very picky with what we select. Just sayin’.

 

Submit your stories as rtf or .doc or .docx attachments to flashdigest at yahoo dot com [you must recombine this address for it to work. Sorry for the inconvenience. Blame spammers].

 

Please submit one story at a time, and wait for the response before submitting another. We hope to keep the response time down to two months. If you haven’t heard from us in three months, please query.

 

Flash Digest will consider original color cover art and color or b&w interior art. Probably we will accept two pieces of interior art per issue. Submit no more than three jpeg attachments at a time to flashdigest at yahoo dot com [again, recombine this address]. Do not flood us with art; once you’ve submitted three pieces, wait for a response.

 

Payment is made upon publication by check or Paypal as follows:

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Original Stories: 1 cent a word

Cover art: $15.00

Interior art: $5.00

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NOTE: If you live outside the United States, you will be paid via Paypal, or must make some other arrangement with the editor.

 

All submissions must include contact information. This means:

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Name [yours, not necessarily your byline name]

Address [street, city, country, and zip code or equivalent]

e-mail address

Paypal address

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If your address changes before the publication date, please let us know. We reserve the right to summarily delete any submission that does not contain the contact information.

 

Okay, let’s see whatcha got.

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