Meet the Judges - Chick Lit Shorties gals Julia and Jess

Last but not least, our third and final guest judges (yes, judges, plural, but third, as in one, because they're just that tight!). I present you the Chick Lit Shorties website girls, Julia Griffith and Jess McGill! So, what's their story? Well, there once were two problems: Problem One, readers who loved the Chick Lit genre had no place to turn to read a quick short story before bed, while waiting at a doctor's office, or even for a quick breather at work. Problem Two: writers in the Chick Lit and Women's Fiction genres had a hard time building up their resume with publications, a hard time getting their name out there to readers who would love their writing - if only they knew it existed. In stepped Julia Griffith and Jess McGill, one who loved the social media world, the other with writing world experience, and both with a passion for Chick Lit and Women's Fiction. Combining their powers with the magical dust of everyone who has since participated, the ChickLitShorties.com site was born. Now a fun community of writers and readers, ChickLitShorties.com has become more than a publication of Chick Lit and Women's Fiction Short Stories; it's become a playground of words, martinis, lipsticks, and chocolate. And that, hopefully all would agree, can only be called a solution. And if you just can't get enough of Chick Lit Shorties, you can also follow them on Twitter.

So here is what Julia and Jess have to say about chick lit, labels and their wondeful website.

Gabriela - What is it about chick lit that you love so much?

Julia - The voice, for sure. Reading a Chick Lit book is like hearing a friend tell a story. You can curl up, relax, and prepare to feel!

Jess - While other books often make you feel "talked at", I love the feeling of being "talked to" that Chick Lit books give you.


G - What do you think of this taboo over the name chick lit? Does the genre need to be repackaged?

Julia - Sadly, whether I think "Chick Lit" is a light, fun nickname, or a demeaning title to discount thousands of authors or books before they're even read, does not matter, because the taboo is there. But you know what? A taboo sometimes just makes something more desirable!


G - Do you think it's just the name, or has the genre changed a bit too? What do you consider to be the new, improved, going on strong chick lit?

Jess - I think it's both - the name itself is huge, but also so much has happened since the genre was born and since the genre started getting a bad rep. One thing that has happened is this whole battle has gotten the community of both women readers and women writers closer together, and all of that communication has resulted in even better books out there.


G - Do you think calling something women's fiction is sexist? Should we try to equal men and women as writers, or is there a niche that belongs only to women?

Julia - I think the question in marketing isn't whether it's sexist, it's whether it's dead on. If you call it Women's Fiction, will everyone know what you're talking about? Personally, I think the most important thing is to categorize according to the story, and not by the author. And then to be consistent about it. So if you have a light voice with modern issues but it's written by a man, stick it in to Women's Fiction! I think only then will we hear opinions from "the other" side on whether or not this label is in fact sexist :)

"But you know what? A taboo sometimes just makes something more desirable!"

G - Why start the Chick Lit Shorties website?

Julia - Whether you're a Chick Lit writer or a Chick Lit reader: doesn't everyone just want a quickie sometimes? :) If you'd like a more serious answer, we get all in-depth about it on our site :)

Jess - I had an answer. But now that I know what Julia's is I think it's too boring to include. So what she said.


G - You get lots of shorties submissions and entries on your contests. Did you expect this kind of response when you first started the website?

Jess - I'm really not sure what I expected about the numbers, but I'll tell you one thing - I definitely didn't expect the kind of quality that we've received! Some of the stories, some of the voices, they're really future bestsellers. I also think another great way to judge quality is to take a peak at beyond what has been published, at the quality of the slush pile. And our slush pile is full of some amazing potential, just requiring some more practice, some more finesse.

Julia - Hm is expecting and dreaming in the same category? :) What has caught me off guard the most is how much of a community Chick Lit Shorties has grown into. I think when you're among friends with the same interests you learn more, you grow more, and you also have more fun. That I honestly can say I did not expect. But it's also what I love most about it!


G - What can we expect from your website next? Anything juicy coming up?

Julia - Nope, we've decided to become boring. Just kidding! We've really got some great stuff coming up. For starters, our next round of short story publications is around the corner, and the stories are truly fantastic! Plus, we already have 5 published authors on board for more Extra Shorty Contests. And those are just the things we're able to reveal :)


G - What do you look for in submissions? How can our readers increase their chances of getting a short story published on Chick Lit Shorties?

Jess - Reading a good story is like watching a magic show: you willingly suspend your disbelief to enjoy Ooohing and Aaaahing. And then, even when your world is inevitably righted and returned to normal again, you still walk away with a sense of wonderment, pondering and reliving the experience. The closer to a magic act that your story is, the better chances you have for acceptance. Remember, a magician doesn't just create an act, they continue to work on it, to make it better. They show it to friends, to family, and to strangers to make sure it's interesting, to get feedback on where it might not be believable, on where it might fall apart. Then they fix it and perfect it, until finally, they're ready to show it off and wow their audience. And then the standing ovation on opening night makes all that hard work worthwhile!


Well, that's it! You've now officially met all of our wonderful guest judges! So, what's next? Well, the contest, of course! The details (including the wonderful prizes, of course!) will be up tonight, and the contest will start on Monday, November 1st. Excited? I am! So keep checking on the contest updates! Hope to see wonderful entries from you!