If this magazine was a child, they would be in second grade right now. That kind of blows me away. At the start of each year I’m thrilled to find that we’re all still here, still writing, still putting out fabulous issues and columns for you all to read.
What also blows me away is the amazingly talented women who consistently brave the rough waters of the short story submission gauntlet. It’s tough putting your work out there, hoping someone will snatch it up and love it as much as you do. I’m very pleased to tell you the stories in this issue are fabulous, stellar, and amazing and we love them as much as their authors do. Year seven is off to a great start.
You may also notice that we’ve got a new artist for this year’s covers. I found Sara Kipin through tumblr, interestingly enough, when various pieces of her work kept getting passed around by people I follow there. I knew when I saw her lady knights that I needed to get them for this year’s covers. You should seriously go look at her website. She does amazing work.
I’ll stop talking in a moment and nudge you toward the great pile of stories in this issue. I suggest you start with our featured story, “Flightcraft” by Iona Sharma.
“Flightcraft” and all the other stories look particularly lovely (as does Sara’s artwork) in the print edition, which is a bargain and a beautiful thing to hold and treasure. Sales of the book also help us pay the authors and Sara, so please do consider buying a copy! And if you can’t manage that, we do have an ebook.
In tough times, even that can be a stretch, so if you would take a moment and send out a tweet, post something on facebook, or generally just get the word out about LSQ and the awesome writers you find here, we would be amazingly grateful.
Finally, you may have noticed the banner at the top of our homepage. We’re seeking women writers of color to write for the blog! We want your unique perspectives and to make sure you have a space for your voices to be heard. If you’ve ever wanted to write a column for us, now is a great time to start. Just fill out the application and we’ll get back to you soon!