Image Credits:-
Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images or photos provided by Bridge House Publishing/Chapeltown Books. Some images directly from the publishers. A huge thank you to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick for sending the the poster which will advertise my book launch at this year’s school and for permission to use that poster here. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes. Many thanks to Adrian Symes for filming a certain marketing video. AI images avoided.
This post is an update for the one I wrote a few weeks ago. I’m thrilled to say my Seeing The Other Side has now been published by Chapeltown Books (as at 16th July 2026). I’m very happy with how the book looks and now have my stock with me. I’m now in the happy position of starting to organise events to celebrate my new third flash fiction collection. More details as and when.
About The Book
This book is larger than my other two, From Light to Dark and Back Again and Tripping The Flash Fantastic, put together. I’ve also written linked flash stories and acrostics in the new volume, great fun to do and I hope these will prove to be another advert for what flash fiction can do and be.
The new book is a collection of much of my work over the last two to three years and features work which had appeared on the sadly now defunct Friday Flash Fiction, on CafeLit (which is very happily still going!), as well as new material I wrote especially for the collection. It has been fun putting this together. I was delighted when part of the book was serialised in CafeLit’s Sunday Serial last year. See screenshot. The serial ran over a few weeks. It was the first time any of my work has been featured by CafeLit in this way.
I’ve had fun again with writing across the flash fiction word count spectrum too so you will find the odd one line story in here, as well as plenty stretching all the way up to the 1000 words limit. I’m particularly proud of the linked flashes for this book, especially the ones based around the theme of red. Those were fun to do.
And what is linked flash? Am glad you asked.
Linked flash is where a character and/or a setting turns up in more than one story. They may or may not be the lead in each story in the chain. Each story stands alone but as you read more tales in the chain, there is an even deeper character and story arc going on.
The Bath Flash Fiction Award specifically offer a prize for novella in flash where each chapter is a stand alone up to 1000 words but, again, as the stories go on, the arc builds and builds to a conclusion, just as a novel would. I enjoyed writing the linked stories and may put having a go for this prize on my have a go at some point list – every writer has one of those!
YouTube video
One of the nice things about having a new book out is getting to do some creative and fun marketing. I enjoyed creating this video and a huge thanks to Adrian Symes for filming it. It is difficult to do this kind of marketing on your own!
The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick – Book Launch
A fairly recent development for the school has been to allow delegates to have a launch there in the first year of publication. I’m delighted to take advantage of this opportunity.
My book launch at Swanwick will be on Sunday 9th August 2026 between 12.20 and 12.50 pm. I’ve sent in relevant information for a poster to be created (by the school). Glad to say it reached me in time for this post – see below.
There is a launch co-ordinator, whom I’ve interviewed here – the lovely Gemma Owen-Kendell. All sales go through the school’s Book Room and I am then reimbursed later. This works really well. The school will also take images using my phone (and Gemma’s one), all of which can be used for social media purposes later by the school and me. I hope to share images from this for a later CFT post.
Bridge House Publishing/Chapeltown Books
My publishers are excellent at holding online launches and it is hoped there will be one for Seeing The Other Side after Swanwick (probably around 21st August – I hope to share an update on this later). I like both online and in person launches, whether they’re my own or not. Both have their merits and are incredibly useful to writers.
Other Events
I will be starting to set these up soon. I have had a definite invite for a location for a launch and will be pursuing this option shortly. Again, more news to come later. I must admit this is where I do miss the Hiltingbury Book Fair. I would’ve found it incredibly useful had there been one this year! I do hope to arrange events locally and will post updates as and when this happens.
Updating
There are various things I need to crack on with such as updating my website to show off Seeing The Other Side. I also need to update my book records with the Society of Authors and the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society plus I hope my new book will end up on the Association of Christian Writers online bookshop in due course. I can tell you both versions of my book are on Amazon. Links below.
Conclusion
As you can imagine, I’m thrilled I now have a third flash fiction collection to my name. Publication moments are always special and they vindicate the efforts the author has put in to their latest work. Also just holding your book in your hands will always be pretty special.
Bias aside, I’m pleased with how the book looks and the design of the book helps it stand out. I’ve had some lovely comments before now on Chapeltown Books’ square book format.
It has been a long time, six years, since I last had to think about launch events. Despite the problems of launching a book in lockdown, Tripping the Flash Fantastic had great launches online. For Seeing The Other Side, it will be a joy being able to have in person and online events. More news to come as I have it.
Last but not least, a huge thanks to Gill James and her team at Bridge House/Chapeltown Books for the wonderful work they’ve put in to make this book possible. I think it looks great, it reads well, and I hope others will enjoy it too.
Related Posts:-
Publication Thoughts – Seeing The Other Side by Allison Symes
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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