Eleven authors. Eleven stories. Eleven lasting impressions.

This is the mantra I kept saying in my head over and over as I was pulling together volume 1 of a new venture: Writer Shed Stories.  (Available now!) 

It’s a Kindle literary journal designed to bring previously under-the-radar writers and new voices to the reader. I wanted to offer a place for writers who may not fit in a certain genre or who love to write and do it well, but may not have jumped into the literary fray.

What I got was that and more.

The eleven writers in this volume are all very good at what they do. Some have done it more often than others on a regular basis. Some have published books. For others this is their very first published work.

Why did I do this? Why Writer Shed Stories?

Because I can. Today’s publishing models allow for it, even encourage it. I believe in the democratization of the publishing world. Sure, the Big Five publishers must and should be there and at times the strictest of gatekeepers is highly appropriate and needed. But not always. And not only. There is room for many others and that is a good thing for writers and readers.

The stories in Writer Shed Stories range from magical realism to memoir to creative nonfiction to fiction to keen observational pieces. They are varied stories; rich stories. All are short, making the case that length is not a requirement for quality. Mark Twain once said, “If I had more time, I’d write a shorter story.” It’s not easy to make a lasting impression in fewer than 2000 words.

I’m proud of this volume. Much of it shaped and nurtured in the writer shed. There will be more in due time. Consider submitting. Writer Shed Press is always open. And we pay. Not a lot. But we pay.

One last thing…

Why eleven stories, eleven authors? Simple.

We wanted it to be louder than ten.

Photo by David Monje on Unsplash