One thing I want to see more of is variety on the SFWP journal. To this end, I pulled in Ryan Sparks as the editor about a year ago. Our goal is to quietly expand upon the journal’s mission.

Initially, back in 2002, the journal existed to feature Awards Program participants. Then we branched out and brought in other writers, largely sticking to the old umbrella that has marked the Literary Awards Program for ten years – “fiction and creative nonfiction of any genre.”

Though it’s my feeling (and Ryan’s) that the journal can do much more. Over the years, it’s become widely watched and regarded. That’s something that always slips under my radar when fooling around with the internet. I like to pretend that nobody is out there to see when I break the front page at Sfwp.com then can’t figure out how to fix it.

But…you are out there, aren’t you?

As the journal continues to evolve, one thing I’d like to add right away is a more robust book review section. And not just your ordinary book review. I want to have a section that’s devoted to the truly independent presses out there. From traditional presses like Biblioasis to the micro-presses that are squeezing out chapbooks and selling from the trunk of a car. The folks who don’t care if the megabookstores collapse – they never got on the shelves anyway. They’ve existed on word of mouth, and that sense of product recognition that makes a publisher special – you buy the book because you share that publisher’s taste in literature.

SFWP has always been about supporting authors and literature. So what better way to use the journal than to feature work from small presses? Work that you, the reader, have never heard of…but should know about.

So, I need two things. I need reviewers and I need books. If you want to review, or if you’re from a small press and want us to review your books, then let’s hear from you. The floodgates are open. All the contact info is right here.