Thank You to Wendy Nikel

“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” – J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

As 2021 draws to a close, so does another chapter here at Flash Fiction Online. December 2021 will be the last issue published during Wendy Nikel’s tenure as Editor-in-Chief. Wendy will be sorely missed, but the staff of FFO and I are enormously grateful for her leadership and wish her success in all of her future endeavors.

While Wendy will leave some big shoes to fill, I’m happy to announce that Emma Munro will be Flash Fiction Online’s next Editor in Chief. Emma has been a First Reader and Managing Editor with us for quite some time. January 2022 will mark our 100th issue. It will also be Emma’s first official issue. I have no doubt that the editorial leadership of FFO is in good hands, and I hope you’ll join us in welcoming Emma as EIC.

But before we turn the page and start a new chapter, the FFO staff, authors, and I wanted to thank Wendy for her time spent as Editor-in-Chief.

From FFO’s Authors:

Thank you, Wendy, for refusing to accept my fantastical nonsense, and for making me research how much hydrogen the sun burns per second (600 million tons!). I now have a greater understanding of what makes for plausible fiction … and a lingering sense of existential dread. On a serious note: I do hope your future endeavors, whatever they may be, are filled with wonder and joy. All the best to you! – Kyle Richardson, “Into the Lightning Suit”

I was published in the January issue–Wendy’s first–so I can say from experience that she was completely professional from the word go.  I greatly enjoyed working with her, and look forward to seeing both her editorial work and her excellent fiction elsewhere in the future. – Steve DuBois, “Warlord”

Working with Wendy on “The Tree Hunt” was a lovely experience and a great opportunity as a writer. Her insightful comments helped me to make the story what it is (and helped to make it look like I knew what I was doing all along…!). – Marissa James, “The Tree Hunt”

As an editor, Wendy is a very perceptive reader of fiction. I found her feedback subtle and nuanced – it helped me take a sideways step and see my story more completely. – Andy Oldfield, “The Dog Who Buried the Sea”

Wendy Nikel offered wonderful feedback on my submission and her keen eye caught exactly what my story needed to help it shine.  I’m thrilled she accepted the piece, Double Promotion, and I look forward to seeing it published at your wonderful journal! – Sudha Balagopal

From FFO’s Staff:

It has been such a pleasure to work with Wendy Nikel. She’s an astute listener and provides expert editorial guidance. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors. – Roni Stinger, First Reader

Working with Wendy, I admired her ability to organize and rally the team. She had a keen eye for selecting great stories and was eager to embrace diversity in authorship and staff. I’m grateful for the structure she brought to the slush review process, and I wish her the best in all her future endeavors! – AJ Cunder, Senior Editor

I am so grateful to Wendy for taking me on as a first reader. She was always available for questions and right from the start, during training, made me feel like part of the team. She made volunteering for FFO a great learning experience and real privilege. I look forward to reading more of her published stories. – Yelena Crane, First Reader

Wendy arrived to her role full of energy and got us all reinvigorated in our daily work. I remain in complete awe of her organizational skills, her amazing cover design, and her editorial vision. We were lucky to have her as long as we did, and she will be very missed. – Sabrina West, Senior Editor

Thanks Wendy for giving a new flash fiction writer a chance to see how the sausage is made! Your comments in the winnowing process were always worth reading, and reflected an amazing amount of work, dedication, and writing know-how. Wishing you continued success. – Tom Walsh, Junior Editor

It was a pleasure getting to learn from Wendy as a First Reader at Flash Fiction Online. Her knowledge and insights have helped me develop my own craft, and have given me a much deeper appreciation for flash fiction. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours! – Emily Deibert, First Reader

Both personally and as publisher, I can’t thank Wendy enough for her time as EIC. I’ve known for years that Wendy was an immensely talented writer and editor. The stories she’d published at FFO were consistently staff and reader favorites. After beginning as a First Reader, Wendy moved seamlessly into the role of Managing Editor. Her editorial advice was insightful and thoughtful. As EIC, Wendy managed the FFO staff and worked with our authors in the same way.

You might have noticed that our business model changed this year. We moved to a rolling publishing schedule, revamped our website including an e-store, and adapted our Patreon tiers to more scalable rewards. We added content like the Flash Fiction Flashback and bonus content from the authors. And we’re running our first official subscription drive. (For more about becoming a Super Subscriber, you can find that info here.) Behind the scenes, Wendy instituted an organizational system that is, and I’m not kidding here, the stuff of legend. 

We wish Wendy all the best and look forward to seeing what comes next!

Anna Yeatts, Publisher