Our Why
Palm Branch Publishing, LLC is an independent press based in Bay County, Florida, founded by author and publisher Kelley Rene in 2023. We publish curated short fiction anthologies that champion new and emerging authors alongside established, award-winning writers.
Our Mission
Palm Branch Publishing operates with a dual mission: to give new and emerging authors a professional, supportive path into print, and to publish quality fiction infused with encouragement, hope, and positivity. We believe a short story can deliver a full literary arc — beginning, middle, and end — in the time it takes to fly across the country, ride a train, or wait for soccer practice to end.
Contributing to an anthology can provide both a great learning experience and fast track writers toward publication.
Writers, collaborate with us. New adoring fans are waiting to meet you!
What We Publish
We publish themed, multi-author short fiction anthologies. Each collection brings together a mix of first-time writers and established authors around a single unifying subject or concept, developed under one editorial vision from open call through publication.
Published anthologies:
• PIVOT: Stories of Change (August 2025) — our inaugural anthology, fourteen stories about the moment a character chooses to change direction
• INTRIGUE: Stories of Mystery and Transcendence (January 2026) — eleven mixed-genre stories of mystery, suspense, and the unseen
• RESOLVE: Stories That Wrestle With Truth (June 2026) — eleven stories about resilience and getting back up after being broken
• ALONE: Stories to Revive the Spirit of Christmas — a holiday anthology scheduled for release September 2026
Recognition
Palm Branch Publishing was named Best Independent Publisher in Bay County for 2025 by the Evergreen Awards. Several of our authors and titles have gone on to win Bookfest Awards and other honors.
Submissions
Palm Branch Publishing accepts short story submissions for upcoming themed anthologies from new and experienced writers alike. Visit our Submission Guidelines page for current open calls and requirements.
Contact Us
For submissions, review copies, media inquiries, or speaking engagements, reach us at info@palmbranchpublishing.com or through our Contact page.
Meet our experienced team of editors:
Veronika Sprague is an eclectic book editor from Syracuse, specializing in Christian/inspirational manuscripts, contemporary fiction, and speculative fiction. Amongst her credits are serving as managing and acquisitions editor for Ellechor Publishing for 3 years; running a freelance editing business for 10; and ghostwriting a writing manual that won the USA Best Book Award in its category.
Currently she works as a stay-at-home mom, home educator, and freelance editor. She also coordinates a small online writing group for Christian authors that serves as weekly inspiration to pursue her first love, speculative fiction. Her blog and services may be found at https://veronikasprague.carrd.co.
Sara-Meg Seese
Sara-Meg Seese is a graduate of Ursinus College, where she built her love for reading into a B.A. in English Literature. After graduation, she toured for more than fifteen years with an international Christian repertory theater company, racking up thousands of performances in English, German, and Spanish. The New Jersey native finally stopped traveling and put down roots in the DFW area in 2005. A pastor’s kid twice over, she has written and produced a number of plays and skits for local churches and had a monologue published in a nationally-distributed magazine. Several short stories and novellas have been featured in various anthologies, including Amazon best-sellers, and she was thrilled to receive a Reader’s Choice award in 2018. Her day job as a Software Quality Analyst allows her to get paid to break the computer system on a daily basis, a challenge she relishes most of the time. She shares her little condo with four feline overlords who enrich her life while depleting her bank account with their addiction to salmon pâté and handfuls of treats.
