Editor Interview: Hot Flash Literary Go to the listing List all editor interviews Edit answers (editors only) Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.Flash by women.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?Smokelong Quarterly, Gooseberry Pie, Ghost Parachute, Cleaver, Fractured Literary, The Cut, The Sun, and many others.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?We love all the writers we publish and are especially excited when we come upon writers we were previously unfamiliar with.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?Like many other flash journals, we strive to publish quality over quantity, but what might set us apart is our focus on women. That and our issues are (loosely) themed. We only accept work from women-identifying writers. We are open to a range of topics, but through a woman’s lens.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?Read our previous issues, but also know that we’re open to work that may not match what we’ve already published, so give us a try. We accept up to three pieces at a time, so you have three times the opportunity.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026Describe the ideal submission.One that makes us both go “YES!” We like innovative, unique pieces. One of us loves surreal, odd work, while the other is a sucker for lyric embedded in original plots. Show us something in a fresh way.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?Some attach a document to the email instead of copying and pasting. We’ve also occasionally received lined poetry, which we’re not looking for. We’re looking for flash and flash-like prose poems.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?It’s nice to know a bit about the person submitting, but it’s not the deciding factor. If we accept your work, we’ll ask for a bio if you haven’t submitted one. Previous publications don’t matter. We’re primarily concerned with the quality of the work.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?We read every piece to the end. The pieces are short. We do discuss the pieces. We both have to be on board with a piece to accept it.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?We do basic proofreading and occasionally offer small line edits, but the author always gets the final say.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?Yes. So far we’ve nominated for Best Microfiction and Best Small Fictions. We may nominate for other awards in the future, too.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026How is your project funded?Hot Flash Literary is a self-funded labor of love. We do not charge for submissions but gratefully accept donations on our website.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026How do you promote your project and published authors/artists?We promote primarily on Hot Flash Literary’s Facebook page, but also use our own social media as well, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Substack, etc.Jessica Klimesh, Co-founder/Co-editor on 27 January 2026 Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only