FAQ

What's "crime flash non-fiction?"

Fingerprints is the Web's first journal of "crime flash non-fiction." It publishes 500- to 2,000-word stories of flash non-fiction. A criminal element is present is each of the stories.

Think of it as a literary slice of life from the seedier side of things. For a good example, check out this story.

So it's just stories about criminals by criminals, right?

Fingerprints is not a true crime blotter like you'd see in a newspaper. There is a literary narrative to each of the stories. For more on the differences of crime flash non-fiction and true crime, click here.

Aren't people just going to make things up?

Authors are allowed creative license when writing their stories, but they must all be non-fiction at their core. "Creative non-fiction" might be a better term for that writing style.

How did this all get started?

Benjamin Sobieck started Fingerprints when he could not find a publisher for his crime flash non-fiction piece. It just didn't fit into the missions of any of the flash publishers out there. Thinking other writing might be going unpublished, he started Fingerprints.

Sobieck also reported on crime as a beat reporter for a newspaper. Having a morbid curiosity toward crime was in the job description.

Can I submit my piece to "Fingerprints?"

Yes, guidelines are here.