If my funding succeeds, I plan on having open submissions and paying professional rates for my stories.

I want to put out an anthology of other authors instead of a collection of my own work for a lot of reasons. First, I just enjoy editing. I like finding great stories in the slush pile and working with authors on rewrites.

I also think that there are a lot of voices out there that deserve to be heard. And then, there’s the fact that if this works, maybe other aspiring editors will try it, and open up more markets that I can submit my fiction to.

There’s a lot of bleak fiction out there right now. Dark fiction can be wonderful, but it’s not what I want to read all of the time. So much of the fiction that I’ve seen lately focuses on humanity’s problems and failures. Acknowledging those things is vital, but I think it’s important to remember to celebrate our triumphs, too. So, if you’ve had enough bleak, angsty fiction, or if you just want a change of pace, consider funding my anthology.

Why are you doing this?

I’m passionate about fiction.  I love both writing and editing.  It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life.  Bursts of Light is the sort of book that I would pick up if I saw it in a store, and using Kickstarter is a way to make it into reality.  Thinking about the project makes me happy.  That alone seems like a pretty damn good reason to try.

Why use Kickstarter?  Why not try traditional publishing routes first?

Because I want to see if this can work.  There are a lot of projects looking for funding here, but most of the fiction that people are trying to get funding for is their own.  If crowd funding can work for fiction anthologies, I think that’ll do interesting things to the short fiction market.  I also don’t have the sort of connections that I’d need to do an anthology for a traditional publisher, and I like the thought of having creative control and being able to do this my own way.

Why should I support this project?

If you want to help another human being achieve her dream.  That’s kind of a big deal, if you think about it.

If you like fiction that makes you feel good.

If you like reading at all, really.

If you write short fiction.  If this succeeds, it could open a floodgate of new, interesting markets.  At the very least, it’ll lead to one.

If you like cookies!

What’s up with the cookies, anyway?

Cookies, like the stories I hope to include in Bursts of Light, are little things that make life better.

What will you use my money for?

I want to pay my authors $.05 per word, and I’d like publish about 100,000 words.  That’s a pretty ambitious goal, but if I’m going to do this, I want to do it right.  I also need to pay for cover art, printing costs, promotional materials, and ads.  Plus, a portion of your donation will go to Kickstarter and Amazon.

Any final words to convince me?

Walt Disney said, "All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."  That quote is a big part of my inspiration for this project.  This is the most ambitious thing that I’ve ever attempted.  I’m taking a deep breathe and making this jump.  With your help, I could succeed beyond my wildest dreams.  Without you, I’ll fall on my face.  Please, if you like the look of this project, go ahead and donate.  I appreciate any help at all, and I’ll do my very best not to disappoint you.

Also, I make really good cookies.