Jan 16, 2014
Just a quick one - I have a submission that is 894 words: just too big for a flash fiction, but not weighty enough to be called a short story. Are you lenient on word counts?
To quote Mumford & Sons: “How fickle my word count and how woozy my eyes.” Going a little over is no cause for worry. If your story captures our editors’ attentions we’ll gladly overlook the technicality.
That said, you may find the practice of cutting words is rather useful. I would encourage those in this predicament to attempt to slim the piece down. If you find that doing so would detract from the story, retain your length and I promise I will not struggle to find any fault in your wordiness.