Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction—a print anthology of flash fiction and craft essays by writers of color!
Featuring stories by George Abraham, Reem Abu-Baker, María Isabel Álvarez, Patriz Biliran, Anna Cabe, Tyrese Coleman, Desiree Cooper, Erica Frederick, Amina Gautier, Christopher Gonzalez, Marlin M. Jenkins, Ruth Joffre, Yalie Kamara, Gene Kwak, Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint, Monterica Sade Neil, Dennis Norris II, Kristine Ong Muslim, Alvin Park, Madhvi Ramani, SJ Sindu, Maggie Su, Eshani Surya, Ursula Villarreal-Moura, Yun Wei, and C. Pam Zhang; essays by Allison Noelle Conner, Marcos Gonsalez, W. Todd Kaneko, and Alicita Rodriguez; plus an editors’ roundtable with Tara Campbell, Leland Cheuk, Tyrese Coleman, and Bix Gabriel!
The book lives! Order it through SPD.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Will writers get paid?
Yes! Thanks to Mythic Picnic (@mythicpicnic), all writers with work selected for publication will receive $50, and Jon Chaiim McConnell (@JonMcConn) has generously funded our first print run!
My work has been accepted! When will I get paid?
March, 2019.
Why only writers of color?
The vast majority of flash fiction anthologies in the United States are mostly filled with writing by white writers. And while there are several things to praise about the anthologies out there, the majority of their editors and writers are white. We want to show that, just as flash fiction is a wide-ranging genre inclusive of many different forms, it also has room for many kinds of writers. Hopefully, one day, there won’t be a need for this kind of anthology. But, for years, an anthology of this kind has been necessary.
Flash fiction seems more like an online form. Why publish an anthology in print?
One of the hopes of this anthology is that people might think of it as a potential textbook option in future courses. Currently, very few teachers seem willing to assign only digital texts.
Where can I buy this?
We’ll be accepting pre-orders in late fall. The anthology will be available from Aforementioned Productions, SPD, Amazon if you must, and in person at your local bookstore. You’ll also be able to buy a copy at different AWP events.
Who’s in charge of this gig?
Megan Giddings is the Anthology Editor. She’s worked or is working at different literary magazines such as SmokeLong Quarterly, Boulevard, and The Offing. Her flash fiction has been published in places such as Best Small Fictions 2016, Black Warrior Review, Crab Orchard Review, and Split Lip.
Bix Gabriel is the Community Outreach Facilitator. She’s a writer, teacher of creative writing at Butler University, fiction editor at The Offing magazine, co-founder of TakeTwo Services, occasional Tweeter, and seeker of the perfect jalebi. Most recently, her writing has appeared in Jellyfish Review, Electric Literature, Guernica, and Smokelong Quarterly. @bixgabriel
Paul Asta is the Book Designer. His work can be found in The Adroit Journal, Poor Claudia, Ninth Letter, and others.
Our team of readers is Paul Asta, Amy Barnes, Josh Denslow, Megan Giddings, Aubrey Hirsch, LN Holmes, and Melody Steiner. Our proofreaders are Scott Fenton, Melody Steiner, and Jennifer Wortman.
Who made that sweet book cover?
Anuj Shrestha illustrated the cover, and Jon Cameron designed it.
I want this book for my bookstore! How can I order bulk copies?
Booksellers and other retailers can order copies of Forward directly through Small Press Distribution.
Can I request a desk copy?
Because the first edition of Forward will be a limited print run, we won’t be issuing desk copies. But once the second edition is in print, you can contact Megan Giddings to request copies for your classroom!
I have a question that isn’t answered here. Who can I contact and how?
E-mail forwardflashfictionanthology@gmail.com, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.