What do you want to see from Sparkler?

[Neila]

Personally I’m excited Chromatic/Sparkler is publishing short stories. I love to write, but schedule wise it can be easier to find time to write a short than a full novel.

Have you guys thought about flash fiction? Something like several flash fiction stories written by different authors along the same theme or setting?

Also, would Sparkler be interested in chibi or omake style humor comics?

[Lianne Sentar]

Although we love short stories, they’re notoriously hard to write and sell. We’re still dipping our toe in those publishing waters, but flash fiction is a possibility if our current shorts program goes well.

We also LOVE chibi/omake funnies, but even in Japan, they’re more often associated with bonus material to a regular format series than as a product all their own. But we’re open to both, if the material’s good enough. Off*Beat and Tokyo Demons have already employed them, after all.

[sora1027]

Maybe you can have an monthly anthology of short stories centered around a theme. I really liked The Maiden and the Fish. I was hoping there would be more short stories, it would be cool to have something to fill in the gaps when other series have to unexpectedly take a hiatus.

[Lianne Sentar]

First half of your sentence: we actually discussed this in editorial/marketing awhile ago, but in traditional publishing, thematic anthologies don’t sell well, so we’re being a bit conservative at the moment.

Second half of your sentence: exactly! Shorts are great to fill in gaps, and they also add extra surprises to an issue, so that’s our main purpose for them now. Some will probably also be pilots for bigger series.

I loved Maiden and the Fish, too. <3 We're slowly building up a backlog of shorts, which is also the reason submissions opened up for them specifically in December.

[Author]

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