Bio 
Bess Vanrenen has worked as a writer and editor for over a decade. Previously, she was the Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book Colorado Book Awards program coordinator. She was an acquisitions editor for several years, developing books about business, medicine, and pets.
Her short stories have been published in Flash Fiction Magazine, The Madison Review, Tampa Review, KYSO Flash, and elsewhere. She was first runner-up for the AULA MFA Dorland Arts Prize and a finalist for the 2025 Shirley Holden Helberg Grant from the National League of American Pen Women, and her short story “Missed Connection” won a Stories on Stage contest and was performed live. Her short story collection was named a semi-finalist in the 2025 St. Lawrence Book Award by Black Lawrence Press. Her personal essays are published in a variety of print and digital publications, including Role Reboot and The Manifest-Station.
Contact Bess about writing and editing projects.