Flash​ ​Fiction​ ​Magazine
How​ ​to​ ​Write​ ​Flash​ ​Fiction​ ​with​ ​Skill
Top​ ​10​ ​Reasons​ ​Flash​ ​Fiction​ ​Stories​ ​Get​ ​Rejected
1. The​ ​author​ ​didn’t​ ​follow​ ​submission​ ​instructions,​ ​e.g.​ ​incorrect​ ​formatting,​ ​word​ ​count​ ​too
high/low,​ ​name​ ​appears​ ​on​ ​submission​ ​when​ ​it​ ​was​ ​instructed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​removed,​ ​etc.
2. The​ ​story​ ​contains​ ​many​ ​distracting​ ​errors​ ​such​ ​as​ ​typos​ ​or​ ​blatant​ ​issues​ ​with​ ​grammar
and​ ​punctuation.
3. The​ ​story​ ​doesn’t​ ​fit​ ​the​ ​style​ ​or​ ​genre​ ​specified​ ​by​ ​the​ ​publisher,​ ​i.e.​ ​the​ ​author
submitted​ ​work​ ​without​ ​reading​ ​other​ ​work​ ​published​ ​by​ ​the​ ​literary​ ​magazine/journal.
4. The​ ​story​ ​reads​ ​like​ ​an​ ​anecdote​ ​or​ ​joke​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​a​ ​well-crafted​ ​narrative.
5. The​ ​story​ ​lacks​ ​a​ ​discernible​ ​plot​ ​and​ ​reads​ ​more​ ​like​ ​a​ ​sketch,​ ​musing,​ ​or​ ​lyric​ ​(poem).
6. The​ ​story​ ​contains​ ​too​ ​much​ ​distracting​ ​description​ ​irrelevant​ ​to​ ​the​ ​overall​ ​narrative.
7. The​ ​story​ ​contains​ ​too​ ​little​ ​description​ ​and​ ​relies​ ​heavily​ ​on​ ​abstractions,​ ​i.e.​ ​tells​ ​more
than​ ​shows.
8. The​ ​story​ ​conveys​ ​a​ ​heavy-handed​ ​message​ ​or​ ​attempts​ ​to​ ​manipulate​ ​the​ ​reader​ ​in
other​ ​ways,​ ​e.g.​ ​overly​ ​sentimental,​ ​poorly​ ​crafted​ ​plot​ ​twist​ ​ending,​ ​etc.
9. The​ ​story​ ​lacks​ ​originality​ ​or​ ​depth,​ ​e.g.​ ​relies​ ​on​ ​simplistic​ ​cliches​ ​and​ ​stereotypes.
10. The​ ​accompanying​ ​author​ ​information​ ​solicits​ ​unwarranted​ ​attention​ ​and/or​ ​attempts​ ​to
explain​ ​or​ ​interpret​ ​the​ ​story​ ​being​ ​submitted.