Heidi Pitlor
Heidi Pitlor has been the series editor of The Best American Short Stories since 2007. The Best American Short Stories is the longest-running and best-selling series of short fiction in the country. Each year, Pitlor works with a different guest editor to select the best twenty short stories that were published in print and online magazines.
The qualifications for selection are (1) original publication in nationally distributed American or Canadian periodicals; (2) publication in English by writers who are from, live in, or have made North America their home; (3) original publication as short stories (excerpts of novels are not considered).
Editors who wish short fiction to be considered for next year's edition should send their publications to The Best American Short Stories, Mariner Books, Attn. Jessica Vestuto, HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10007. Stories published by online journals and magazines should be sent to thebestamericanshortstories@gmail.com. Stories must be received by December 31st of the year that they were published to be considered for The Best American Short Stories. Unfortunately, we are unable to reply to individual submissions from authors, but will consider work that meets the above criteria.
"The American short story is thriving," writes guest editor Andrew Sean Greer. Two lovers purchasing a couch throw the fate of their relationship into doubt. A man fosters his brother's cat while his brother serves a prison sentence. A trash collector assembles a collection of discarded instruments banned by the government. Intimately felt and emotionally expansive, these stories create a stunning portrait of how it feels to be alive in our current moment. Series editor Heidi Pitlor writes, "The power of good art, of excellent fiction to reorient the reader toward what truly matters, never fails to inspire me."
