Can you believe we are here? Alive on this giant spinning disco ball as it orbits yet one more loop around that blazing glittery star?
I can’t believe it either. I truly can’t.
But here we are. The end of 2022.
And, you know what that means, friends. In addition to today being a most festive and exciting holiday, it’s also the last weekend of the month and so…time to brag your lit mag!
I’m happy to share that I had a short story of my own appear a few weeks ago in Atticus Review.
This was a story that sat neglected in the PANK submission queue for nearly two years. I didn’t send it to many places. The longer PANK sat on it, the more I told myself it was an unworthy story that wouldn’t, and likely shouldn’t, ever see the light of day.
I know, I know, I am constantly telling all of you to not do this. I insist that you should all submit to many places at once, to not let any single rejection or lack of response shape your feelings about your own work.
And yet I did not take my own advice!
The story sat and sat. Then, one afternoon—inspired by all of you and all your stories of persistence and determination—I worked up the nerve to open the document that was languishing in the queue. And, to my amazement and relief, my eyeballs did not fall out of my head! I didn’t even faint!
In fact, I realized my little story deserved a much better chance than I was giving it by letting it gather dust in a dark corner no editor was even peeking into.
So I sent it out to about eight more places. I heard back from an editor at Atticus Review in under three months. She made some good editorial suggestions. I edited the piece accordingly. She accepted the changes immediately. The piece went live a few months later. The staff of Atticus Review were wonderful to work with and I couldn’t be happier with their communications, response times, and the magazine’s presentation.
Moral of the story: never, ever give up on your work!
Also: Take your own advice (at least sometimes).
But enough about me.
What about you?
Where did you publish this month?
If there is a particular publication that excites you from the past year, let us know about that too.
How did you find the magazine?
How long was the piece on submission? How many lit mags did you submit to before the piece found its cozy little home?
Did you edit the piece as you submitted or did it find its home in its original form?
You know the drill. Tell us the story behind the story, the lines behind the poem.
Don’t forget to share the links!
Come on out, step right up. Go on and BRAG YOUR LIT MAG!
It's been a good year for writing. Not as good for publishing - mostly because in this, my second year of actively sending work out, I've become more selective in the journals I "submit to." (Isn't the language of "submission" and "acceptance" and "rejection" the stuff of therapists?!).
That said, I think having three poems in @Rattle this past year is a highlight. All three made their ongoing lists of "most widely shared." But more importantly, the correspondence and response posts I received from readers of these poem was overwhelming and touching. To move and heal people with words that flowed from my own hand - now THAT is the best!
Finally, “Prayer for the Unrung Bell” https://www.rattle.com/prayer-for-the-unrung-bell-by-dick-westheimer/ seemed to elicit hope in folks who shared with me that they felt hopeless in the face of social decay – and that the poem gave them a glimpse of alternatives to despair.
I cannot imagine a more rewarding year that this one – even with so many poems piling up in the "rejection" stack.
One more gratitude: To you @Becky for sustaining a cross discipline community of writers with such courage and grace. Thank you.
Lamplit Underground publishes in a sort of online e-reader format that seems not to link back to the rag itself, so if you want to submit to them, go to: https://www.lamplitunderground.com
I also heard that my story, "Fried Baloney Sandwiches," will be published in Rock and Hard Place magazine's next issue, though not this month. This story went through several iterations, and I eventually shortened it by about 40% and changed it from humorous to wistful, but it works beautifully now. Rock and a Hard Place focuses on literary noir, one of my specialties, and has published three of my stories before. And they pay! (Not all that much, but I'll take it.) https://www.rockandahardplacemag.com
Thanks for this Becky! And congrats on your publication at Atticus Review—it's a lovely piece.
I was happy to have two stories published this month. One is a story I simply loved and never gave up on. I submitted it to a workshop where it received praise, but on the market it received only rejections. After several rounds of submissions, I shelved it for several years. Then, this year, I took it out, reworked it with fresh eyes, bore a few fresh rejections, and then submitted it to Five on the Fifth, where I felt the piece's vibe fit (after spending time reading their stories). http://www.fiveonthefifth.com/vol-8-issue-2-story-2
My second publication was a quirky piece that popped out of me almost whole. I looked for places that published quirky pieces and received a rather quick acceptance and a few sensible edits from Subnivean. https://www.subnivean.org/post/meredith-wadley
This month I published my third piece in Moss Piglet Zine and my first in Meat for Tea. Both were accepted the first time I sent them out--but they were very targeted! I responded to Duotrope theme calls. Both were narrative nonfiction flash adapted from my forthcoming book--a centennial history of the Wasatch Mountain Club here in Utah. The book is mostly complete and I'm scrambling to place adapted stories as quickly as possible before it's published--likely in August.
I highly recommend Moss Piglet Zine! They produce a gorgeous full-color, perfect bound digest-sized magazine every month, featuring art, prose, and poetry on a theme. The themes for all of 2023 are on their website. They respond within days. Also, once you publish with them, they know you and will watch for new work you send them. They emphasize that the magazine is a community.
Meat for Tea also does a printed book, quarterly. They responded immediately. My only gripe is that there were mistakes. In the TOC, my story was listed on the wrong page, and in the list of authors, I was listed as Barbara Wilson Frank. Ugh--who the hell is she? I was listed correctly in the back with an author bio, so that was nice. Also, they have a small team (2!) who do a boatload of work, so I have to hand it to them.
Both magazines had about a month turnaround between submission and final printed version, so that was kind of amazing. Both pieces will be available as PDFs next month. Free at Moss Piglet. You'll find one of my earlier pieces on pages 50-51 of the October issue--flipping through the book will give you a feel for their quality: https://issuu.com/krazines/docs/moss_piglet_oct_2022_web
Happy new year, all--I love this community. Huge thanks to Becky, and to all participants.
Hi Becky! Congratulations on your acceptance and the hope that comes with it ! I was psyched last week because Potato Soup Journal, who published my story, "The Acquitted" (http://potatosoupjournal.com/the-acquitted-by-maggie-nerz-iribarne/) earlier in the year, wrote to say they will put it in their Best of 2022 anthology! YAY!
Thanks for the opportunity to share and for doing all the great things you do!
A sort of travel piece that I thought was too hard to place got picked up Tuesday by Wander-Lust journal. Then my Dublin Fall in Fall got picked up twice, one here ( Esoterica magazine was my first paid writing piece) and then Fauxmoir is also publishing it next week. I never listen to no previously published submissions by the way. And then there was Harness magazine, where those amazing young women over there publish every piece I send them. This was truly the year of me being published. I've lost track right now of just how many pieces were published this year, basically because I'm to lazy to keep track! Happy New Year all!
Thanks for the invitation, Becky, and for the link to your story. I'm still thinking about it and wonder myself what a life in art is -- action? art? relationships? reflection? in an eternal circle.
This is an online journal that publishes new poetry each month. I found the journal via the Discover tab in Submittable. They responded in five months, and best of all, they requested recordings of the poems and the backstory of each poem, which they published along with the poems.
I had submitted these poems to various journals, so I went into my active submissions in Submittable and let all the journals know that these three poems were no longer available. I had hoped that this action would elicit responses from those other journals, and it did. I heard from at least four journals, and they responded to my submissions -- rejecting them, but giving me an answer, at least -- and in the case of three of them, sending very nice rejection letters. My favorite line from the Rumpus rejection was "I wanted to tell you that we love your voice and I hope you'll submit to us again in the future."
Cathexis Northwest came through at a time when I needed encouragement, and I am grateful to these generous editors.
The only thing I have to brag about was doing 1500 words the other day without having the need to cut them down to 67. Congrats on your work and all you are doing here.
Just got an acceptance on a piece that I had submitted eleven previous times. As with anything that sits, its flaws became more visible each time I revisited it. And revised it. And resubmitted it. At last, it's home. It's a new publication -- Wrong Turn Lit -- which I learned of through the Duotrope newsletter. Targeting such pubs can be a strategy for getting stuff into the world. That said, my story is far better than when I first thought it was ready for prime time. Lesson learned? Rejection can be the world's way of showing us a path to better work. We can so easily delude ourselves about our work and its function and finish. No, it may not be a Caddy. Maybe a Yugo. Applying the critical eye is so hard, when the knife will cut into our flesh and blood. But we've got to do it. Becoming smart, discerning, honest self-editors is, to me, the heart of writing. I love the first draft part. Revising is just damned hard work. All in all, it's been a good year. 14 acceptances.
Becky, I love the staccato sentences with simple syntax that form your short story ("I Had Some Ideas About Art") and how they are juxtaposed against complex sentences like this:
"To Up Against the Wall Motherfucker, art was life and life was art and art was action and action was life and life was action was art" -- with this sentence being the theme of the story possibly?
It's a great, fast-paced piece!
I'll juxtapose against your sentence: "In Mexico, alone on a bus from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara, I stared out the window and saw black highway, black trees."
...the sentence from my recently published creative nonfiction: "My first trip to Guatemala, I assumed my liberation from the torment of work would be a brochure-perfect tropical paradise of white sand and clear-water beaches."
I am so happy to finally hold in my hands, a copy of Bacopa Literary Review 2022 (print journal) from the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. They quickly accepted my creative nonfiction essay "Santorini Blue" -- about lost memories unearthed, after finding digital photos, unseen for 11 years. It's my first hybrid piece, with ruminating fragments of poetry here and there.
This is the first time I've left a comment in Lit Mag News! I am highly introverted, shy to comment, and sooooo uncomfortable to 'brag' about my work, though I push myself to do it. I'm sure many of you feel the same!
If you haven't heard about Bacopa Literary Review -- they run a free annual writing contest (around May). Check their website for 2023 events and exact dates, instructions, etc. The journal itself is lovely and available on Amazon.
Dec 31, 2022·edited Jan 1, 2023Liked by Becky Tuch
I had a poem in Closed Eye Open, and one in Nine Cloud Journal. The latter poem was a tiny condensed version of my dissertation from twelve years ago that responded to the theme "Releasing the Mandala."
On a less festive note, I have several accepted poems pending publication that are way overdue. I'm wondering if I should pull them, as both are for the second volume of new journals, and the last time that happened was years ago and that journal apparently went defunct. (I emailed each politely, but none have responded.)
Thanks for letting us know about the faux pas. My short CNF piece, "Removed Organs v the Body That Remains" was published in Peregrine, the annual lit mag of Amherst Writers & Artists. (AWA) I had sent the piece only one other place (Brevity) which rejected it with a standard form. The piece was written as a workers' compensation case between my surgically removed organs and the parts that remained, motivated by 2021's emergency gall bladder surgery. I don't usually write pieces like this. I appreciate that AWA hosts public readings of the lit mag - I read on Dec 12 but there's a second reading on Jan 8 at 7 pm ET. https://amherstwriters.org/events/#!event/2023/1/12/peregrine-xxxvi-launch-reading
My flash suite "Lashed" was published this month by After Happy Hour, a journal based in Pittsburgh, PA.
I originally wrote the piece as a mini-chapbook and decided to restructure as a suite. I am so pleased AHH presented "Lashed" over a several pages, pp. 30-38, a presentation which ran true to my original vision.
Make certain to check out the amazing Issue 18 at the link below.
Next year I will have a few brags (I hope!) I feel much more confident about submitting after reading your newsletter. I have a lot of poetry to share!
"I Had Some Ideas About Art" !!!! Ah, now I know why my artist in the making story resonated! A beautiful piece! Thank you for putting it up, and thank you for your work making this site such a welcoming and fun and inspiring and intelligent place for writers and artists. You are doing something really important here, for a lot of people. Thank you, and everyone here, and wishing you all a new year of art and love.
Dec 31, 2022·edited Dec 31, 2022Liked by Becky Tuch
Congratulations on taking your own advice and placing the story, Becky. Turns out you have been giving good advice, eh?
There was a batch of five poems I started sending out in 2020. Two poems got picked up along the way. But three stubbornly clung to nonpublication. Every so often I would send them to another lit venue ... Finally this month an ezine took them, all three together. The same zine had rejected me before, so it was nice to turn that around, too. (I then had to withdraw the poems from several places, at least two of which had sat on the poems for more than a year.) Check them out: http://lovesettlement.blogspot.com/2022/12/three-poems-at-thieving-magpie.html
Thanks for this monthly feature, Becky. I always find a new and interesting lit mag where I can submit. And congrats to all who were published in December.
For me,
1. Brevity blog published my guest post, "A Brew Hall, Beer, and Books" December 16. It's about my collaborative book launch celebrating seven local authors, in addition our my own recent release. I wrote it with my writing partner (and co-author of my book.) She is also my daughter and makes everything I submit so much better! And she has taught me so many tips on how to critique/edit her work too.
2. Way back in February, I submitted to the Brick Street Poetry project that will send poems to the moon. They said at the time it may take all of 2022 to choose poems, and only acceptances would be sent. I got busy, forgot I had submitted, and then at the end of the December received word. My sijo (Korean poem) was accepted for their Polaris Trilogy, which "will be launching in a time capsule aboard the Space X flight scheduled to depart for the South Pole of Earth’s Moon in 2023."
3. Vine Leaves Press's SPILL IT! publishes a monthly op ed piece—something I had very little experience in. I did some research on how to write and pitch this style and submitted my idea on December 14: Can Parents Create an Olympic Champion? On December 21, I received an acceptance. Coming soon to their newsletter!
I also had a story that sat for a very long time at Pank! And I put money in their tip jar! No response to my message asking for an update. I'm in a similar situation with Hobart right now. A little frustrating. The story at Pank went on to get published in the 3288 Review. and with withdrawn from Pank. I also recently had a nonfiction flash piece published in the inaugural issue of Green House Literary. The story at Hobart is now waiting at a few other places.
As it happens, this morning I came across some poems/short stories I wrote over 50 years ago in college--some of them were ok enough that I asked myself, why did I stop writing for all those decades? Well, I know I won't get an answer to that anymore than why I began writing again as an old man, and doing better than I ever imagined I would. As of last week I've been published in 127 different lit mags, some more than once, and my trade publisher in early December released a 3rd book of poems titled 'Soul Songs'. This book, to an even greater extent than the 2 earlier books, 'The Enormity of Existence' and 'Of Ether and Earth', explores the awareness I've had since having an NDE whilst almost drowning in a Vermont river in 1971: I have--or more accurately, 'am' a consciousness that existed before the birth of my body and will survive its death-- yes, a soul. The fact that so many today don't want to believe that, or even entertain the hope that death doesn't mean their personal extinction is interesting. Our continual propensity towards depression, divorce, crime, violence, warfare, and general lack of empathy or even basic tolerance stems, I suspect, from our failure to see that each one of us has an endless being within, and that what we call 'life' is really very much just a long dream-- and death simply means you awaken from it --though as I learned as a young agnostic desperate to escape a major depression, how you 'awaken' may depend on what world or dream you go to next. My publisher let me add a prose 'mini-memoir' about my attempted suicide and resultant NDE at the end of 'Soul Songs'
Since Becky has generously allowed us to give ourselves a plug: all 3 of my books are available under my pen name, Nolo Segundo, on Amazon and I believe Barnes and Noble. To please the karmic gods of publishing, the modest royalties go to Doctors Without Borders.
I love two things about your story: you published your piece despite a ridiculous wait time of two years with the first place you sent it to, and then you ended up publishing the piece in an even more prestigious lit mag. Fantastic. The lesson is clear: never give up on a piece.
After 5 rejections over 2 years from Blue Mountain Review, a publication I greatly admire from Georgia, USA, three of my microfiction pieces (Journey to the top; Stroke and touch and go; Space) were published in December 2022 pp 199-203.
I feel very fortunate that 37 of my stories have been published this year, along with 11 poems, with 3 being nominated for prizes/collections.
I think this is very much related to my attitude that publication by smaller mags is better than a diet of rejections from larger mags and voracious searching for potential outlets via lists, Submittable, Duotrope, ChillSubs etc .
All the best to everyone in this community for reaching the world in 2023.
It's been a great year for publishing. Nothing in December, but one of the pieces I published in World Literature Today last spring inspired a call from an educational publisher who licensed it, which was really nice. I also received word that a chapter from a book I am translated was chosen for as one of five pieces for "Sundial Review: New Voices in Translation". The chapter is a fictional take on the life of Hollywood actress, the divine Lupe Vélez entitled "The Girl from Mexico" and I'm so excited to get this piece by award-winning Mexican writer Mónica Lavín out into the world. Dear Publishers #AmQuerying the whole book entitled "La casa chica"!! Becky, I loved your "I Had Some Ideas About Art". Great reading!
I haven't done this before, so if any of this is not allowed, please just delete.
A friend and I have this week published (online) our sixth issue of Tandeta Magazine. It's been mostly a vanity project for our own work and that of friends and associates, and we don't know where to take it next (I suppose if we got a ton of good submissions we'd make a Vol 7 happen ASAP), but 6 feels like an accomplishment, even if it was mostly a learning experiment.
I've been accepted to have a regular column/post called "Stories from a Wanderer" at Kind Over Matter, in the Kind Kindred series. The first installment was a week or so ago, the next and following are the first Thursday of the month.
I got my usual 1 or 2 "We enjoyed it but/Please try us again," which, well, y'all know...
I like your story, Becky, a lot. I like the edge it takes between story/not story--it's so difficult to lean to the "story" side where meaning is found, while keeping the lovely, poignant ambiguities of "slice of life/character sketch." (I hope you see this as a compliment! It's meant to be.)
Today my translation of a story by Catulle Mendès was published online by Danse Macabre Literary Magazine, https://dansemacabreonline.wixsite.com/neudm/catulle-mendes-148. My translated title is "The Little Blue Flame". This is the 14th place I've submitted it to since 2016. The publisher, Adam Henry Carrière, is kind and encouraging. It's the second of my translated pieces he has published. I adhered to his strict submission instructions and he responded quite quickly. A great New Year's Eve gift, though here in Australia it's already New Year's Day!
Becky, I love your story! These are serious questions put down on the page as though nonchalantly, that is, the style and form are matching the subject matter. Also, the names are really great. Also, you tie the whole thing together, and it's very artfully (:)) done.
Thanks for sharing your story behind the story, Becky. I remember reading it earlier last month in Atticus and was so taken away. I didn’t know this was the story you had stuck at that mag. I also had a story stuck somewhere that wasn’t responsive after I followed up way past the expected turnaround date. I’ve taken your advice and sent out to other places.
In the meantime my flash was published yesterday. A great way to start the new year. Yay!
Congratulations, Dick! I read your poems at the time and liked them. Glad you turned up here so I can tell you directly. I had a poem in Rattle about three years ago, after several tries and rejections. Three in one year! Respect.
It's been a good year for writing. Not as good for publishing - mostly because in this, my second year of actively sending work out, I've become more selective in the journals I "submit to." (Isn't the language of "submission" and "acceptance" and "rejection" the stuff of therapists?!).
That said, I think having three poems in @Rattle this past year is a highlight. All three made their ongoing lists of "most widely shared." But more importantly, the correspondence and response posts I received from readers of these poem was overwhelming and touching. To move and heal people with words that flowed from my own hand - now THAT is the best!
The first, "The Miracle of Naming" https://www.rattle.com/the-miracle-of-naming-by-dick-westheimer/ about a murdered trans woman moved some parents to more fully accept their LGTBQ+ kids.
The second, “The Nearly New Moon and the Crescent Earth” https://www.rattle.com/the-nearly-new-moon-and-the-crescent-earth-by-dick-westheimer/ about longing and being distant from family brought a new understanding to me - and so so many readers about being at peace with that *physical* distance.
Finally, “Prayer for the Unrung Bell” https://www.rattle.com/prayer-for-the-unrung-bell-by-dick-westheimer/ seemed to elicit hope in folks who shared with me that they felt hopeless in the face of social decay – and that the poem gave them a glimpse of alternatives to despair.
I cannot imagine a more rewarding year that this one – even with so many poems piling up in the "rejection" stack.
One more gratitude: To you @Becky for sustaining a cross discipline community of writers with such courage and grace. Thank you.
Okay, here goes:
My story, "Four Crows," was published in Off Course:
https://www.albany.edu/offcourse/issue91/risemberg_richard.html
And "The Tributary" appears in Lamplit Underground:
https://online.fliphtml5.com/dnitz/vsjr/#p=32
Lamplit Underground publishes in a sort of online e-reader format that seems not to link back to the rag itself, so if you want to submit to them, go to: https://www.lamplitunderground.com
I also heard that my story, "Fried Baloney Sandwiches," will be published in Rock and Hard Place magazine's next issue, though not this month. This story went through several iterations, and I eventually shortened it by about 40% and changed it from humorous to wistful, but it works beautifully now. Rock and a Hard Place focuses on literary noir, one of my specialties, and has published three of my stories before. And they pay! (Not all that much, but I'll take it.) https://www.rockandahardplacemag.com
Felt pretty good after a bit of a dry spell.
Happy New Year!
Rick
Thanks for this Becky! And congrats on your publication at Atticus Review—it's a lovely piece.
I was happy to have two stories published this month. One is a story I simply loved and never gave up on. I submitted it to a workshop where it received praise, but on the market it received only rejections. After several rounds of submissions, I shelved it for several years. Then, this year, I took it out, reworked it with fresh eyes, bore a few fresh rejections, and then submitted it to Five on the Fifth, where I felt the piece's vibe fit (after spending time reading their stories). http://www.fiveonthefifth.com/vol-8-issue-2-story-2
My second publication was a quirky piece that popped out of me almost whole. I looked for places that published quirky pieces and received a rather quick acceptance and a few sensible edits from Subnivean. https://www.subnivean.org/post/meredith-wadley
Looking forward to seeing more shared work here!
Enjoy a good slide into 2023, everyone!
This month I published my third piece in Moss Piglet Zine and my first in Meat for Tea. Both were accepted the first time I sent them out--but they were very targeted! I responded to Duotrope theme calls. Both were narrative nonfiction flash adapted from my forthcoming book--a centennial history of the Wasatch Mountain Club here in Utah. The book is mostly complete and I'm scrambling to place adapted stories as quickly as possible before it's published--likely in August.
I highly recommend Moss Piglet Zine! They produce a gorgeous full-color, perfect bound digest-sized magazine every month, featuring art, prose, and poetry on a theme. The themes for all of 2023 are on their website. They respond within days. Also, once you publish with them, they know you and will watch for new work you send them. They emphasize that the magazine is a community.
Meat for Tea also does a printed book, quarterly. They responded immediately. My only gripe is that there were mistakes. In the TOC, my story was listed on the wrong page, and in the list of authors, I was listed as Barbara Wilson Frank. Ugh--who the hell is she? I was listed correctly in the back with an author bio, so that was nice. Also, they have a small team (2!) who do a boatload of work, so I have to hand it to them.
Both magazines had about a month turnaround between submission and final printed version, so that was kind of amazing. Both pieces will be available as PDFs next month. Free at Moss Piglet. You'll find one of my earlier pieces on pages 50-51 of the October issue--flipping through the book will give you a feel for their quality: https://issuu.com/krazines/docs/moss_piglet_oct_2022_web
Happy new year, all--I love this community. Huge thanks to Becky, and to all participants.
Hi Becky! Congratulations on your acceptance and the hope that comes with it ! I was psyched last week because Potato Soup Journal, who published my story, "The Acquitted" (http://potatosoupjournal.com/the-acquitted-by-maggie-nerz-iribarne/) earlier in the year, wrote to say they will put it in their Best of 2022 anthology! YAY!
Thanks for the opportunity to share and for doing all the great things you do!
Maggie Iribarne
A sort of travel piece that I thought was too hard to place got picked up Tuesday by Wander-Lust journal. Then my Dublin Fall in Fall got picked up twice, one here ( Esoterica magazine was my first paid writing piece) and then Fauxmoir is also publishing it next week. I never listen to no previously published submissions by the way. And then there was Harness magazine, where those amazing young women over there publish every piece I send them. This was truly the year of me being published. I've lost track right now of just how many pieces were published this year, basically because I'm to lazy to keep track! Happy New Year all!
https://wanderlust-journal.com/2022/12/27/two-bossy-broads-travel-abroad/
https://esotericamag.com/a-dublin-fall-in-fall/
https://www.harnessmagazine.com/balm-desert/
Thanks for the invitation, Becky, and for the link to your story. I'm still thinking about it and wonder myself what a life in art is -- action? art? relationships? reflection? in an eternal circle.
I had three poems published in the December issue of Cathexis Northwest: https://www.cathexisnorthwestpress.com/post/mike-rowe-s-dirty-jobs-all-the-dishes-the-house
This is an online journal that publishes new poetry each month. I found the journal via the Discover tab in Submittable. They responded in five months, and best of all, they requested recordings of the poems and the backstory of each poem, which they published along with the poems.
I had submitted these poems to various journals, so I went into my active submissions in Submittable and let all the journals know that these three poems were no longer available. I had hoped that this action would elicit responses from those other journals, and it did. I heard from at least four journals, and they responded to my submissions -- rejecting them, but giving me an answer, at least -- and in the case of three of them, sending very nice rejection letters. My favorite line from the Rumpus rejection was "I wanted to tell you that we love your voice and I hope you'll submit to us again in the future."
Cathexis Northwest came through at a time when I needed encouragement, and I am grateful to these generous editors.
Happy New Year,
Karen
The only thing I have to brag about was doing 1500 words the other day without having the need to cut them down to 67. Congrats on your work and all you are doing here.
Just got an acceptance on a piece that I had submitted eleven previous times. As with anything that sits, its flaws became more visible each time I revisited it. And revised it. And resubmitted it. At last, it's home. It's a new publication -- Wrong Turn Lit -- which I learned of through the Duotrope newsletter. Targeting such pubs can be a strategy for getting stuff into the world. That said, my story is far better than when I first thought it was ready for prime time. Lesson learned? Rejection can be the world's way of showing us a path to better work. We can so easily delude ourselves about our work and its function and finish. No, it may not be a Caddy. Maybe a Yugo. Applying the critical eye is so hard, when the knife will cut into our flesh and blood. But we've got to do it. Becoming smart, discerning, honest self-editors is, to me, the heart of writing. I love the first draft part. Revising is just damned hard work. All in all, it's been a good year. 14 acceptances.
Becky, I love the staccato sentences with simple syntax that form your short story ("I Had Some Ideas About Art") and how they are juxtaposed against complex sentences like this:
"To Up Against the Wall Motherfucker, art was life and life was art and art was action and action was life and life was action was art" -- with this sentence being the theme of the story possibly?
It's a great, fast-paced piece!
I'll juxtapose against your sentence: "In Mexico, alone on a bus from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara, I stared out the window and saw black highway, black trees."
...the sentence from my recently published creative nonfiction: "My first trip to Guatemala, I assumed my liberation from the torment of work would be a brochure-perfect tropical paradise of white sand and clear-water beaches."
The title of my just-published personal essay is "Rain-Soaked Banana Plantations, Quetzal Birds, Garifuna Music," and it's published by Isele Magazine. https://iselemagazine.com/2022/12/23/rain-soaked-banana-plantations-quetzal-birds-garifuna-music-audrey-shipp/
Happy New Year!
I am so happy to finally hold in my hands, a copy of Bacopa Literary Review 2022 (print journal) from the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. They quickly accepted my creative nonfiction essay "Santorini Blue" -- about lost memories unearthed, after finding digital photos, unseen for 11 years. It's my first hybrid piece, with ruminating fragments of poetry here and there.
This is the first time I've left a comment in Lit Mag News! I am highly introverted, shy to comment, and sooooo uncomfortable to 'brag' about my work, though I push myself to do it. I'm sure many of you feel the same!
If you haven't heard about Bacopa Literary Review -- they run a free annual writing contest (around May). Check their website for 2023 events and exact dates, instructions, etc. The journal itself is lovely and available on Amazon.
I had a poem in Closed Eye Open, and one in Nine Cloud Journal. The latter poem was a tiny condensed version of my dissertation from twelve years ago that responded to the theme "Releasing the Mandala."
On a less festive note, I have several accepted poems pending publication that are way overdue. I'm wondering if I should pull them, as both are for the second volume of new journals, and the last time that happened was years ago and that journal apparently went defunct. (I emailed each politely, but none have responded.)
Barbara Krasner
18 min ago
Thanks for letting us know about the faux pas. My short CNF piece, "Removed Organs v the Body That Remains" was published in Peregrine, the annual lit mag of Amherst Writers & Artists. (AWA) I had sent the piece only one other place (Brevity) which rejected it with a standard form. The piece was written as a workers' compensation case between my surgically removed organs and the parts that remained, motivated by 2021's emergency gall bladder surgery. I don't usually write pieces like this. I appreciate that AWA hosts public readings of the lit mag - I read on Dec 12 but there's a second reading on Jan 8 at 7 pm ET. https://amherstwriters.org/events/#!event/2023/1/12/peregrine-xxxvi-launch-reading
My flash suite "Lashed" was published this month by After Happy Hour, a journal based in Pittsburgh, PA.
I originally wrote the piece as a mini-chapbook and decided to restructure as a suite. I am so pleased AHH presented "Lashed" over a several pages, pp. 30-38, a presentation which ran true to my original vision.
Make certain to check out the amazing Issue 18 at the link below.
https://issuu.com/afterhappyhourreview/docs/issue_18
Best wishes and best of the New Year!
:)
Sheree S.
Next year I will have a few brags (I hope!) I feel much more confident about submitting after reading your newsletter. I have a lot of poetry to share!
"I Had Some Ideas About Art" !!!! Ah, now I know why my artist in the making story resonated! A beautiful piece! Thank you for putting it up, and thank you for your work making this site such a welcoming and fun and inspiring and intelligent place for writers and artists. You are doing something really important here, for a lot of people. Thank you, and everyone here, and wishing you all a new year of art and love.
Congratulations on taking your own advice and placing the story, Becky. Turns out you have been giving good advice, eh?
There was a batch of five poems I started sending out in 2020. Two poems got picked up along the way. But three stubbornly clung to nonpublication. Every so often I would send them to another lit venue ... Finally this month an ezine took them, all three together. The same zine had rejected me before, so it was nice to turn that around, too. (I then had to withdraw the poems from several places, at least two of which had sat on the poems for more than a year.) Check them out: http://lovesettlement.blogspot.com/2022/12/three-poems-at-thieving-magpie.html
Thanks for this monthly feature, Becky. I always find a new and interesting lit mag where I can submit. And congrats to all who were published in December.
For me,
1. Brevity blog published my guest post, "A Brew Hall, Beer, and Books" December 16. It's about my collaborative book launch celebrating seven local authors, in addition our my own recent release. I wrote it with my writing partner (and co-author of my book.) She is also my daughter and makes everything I submit so much better! And she has taught me so many tips on how to critique/edit her work too.
https://brevity.wordpress.com/2022/12/16/reimagined-book-launch/
2. Way back in February, I submitted to the Brick Street Poetry project that will send poems to the moon. They said at the time it may take all of 2022 to choose poems, and only acceptances would be sent. I got busy, forgot I had submitted, and then at the end of the December received word. My sijo (Korean poem) was accepted for their Polaris Trilogy, which "will be launching in a time capsule aboard the Space X flight scheduled to depart for the South Pole of Earth’s Moon in 2023."
3. Vine Leaves Press's SPILL IT! publishes a monthly op ed piece—something I had very little experience in. I did some research on how to write and pitch this style and submitted my idea on December 14: Can Parents Create an Olympic Champion? On December 21, I received an acceptance. Coming soon to their newsletter!
I also had a story that sat for a very long time at Pank! And I put money in their tip jar! No response to my message asking for an update. I'm in a similar situation with Hobart right now. A little frustrating. The story at Pank went on to get published in the 3288 Review. and with withdrawn from Pank. I also recently had a nonfiction flash piece published in the inaugural issue of Green House Literary. The story at Hobart is now waiting at a few other places.
Oh! Bragging rights! This month stories and drawings accepted by Bone Parade, Plato's Cave, and Dark Yonder.
As it happens, this morning I came across some poems/short stories I wrote over 50 years ago in college--some of them were ok enough that I asked myself, why did I stop writing for all those decades? Well, I know I won't get an answer to that anymore than why I began writing again as an old man, and doing better than I ever imagined I would. As of last week I've been published in 127 different lit mags, some more than once, and my trade publisher in early December released a 3rd book of poems titled 'Soul Songs'. This book, to an even greater extent than the 2 earlier books, 'The Enormity of Existence' and 'Of Ether and Earth', explores the awareness I've had since having an NDE whilst almost drowning in a Vermont river in 1971: I have--or more accurately, 'am' a consciousness that existed before the birth of my body and will survive its death-- yes, a soul. The fact that so many today don't want to believe that, or even entertain the hope that death doesn't mean their personal extinction is interesting. Our continual propensity towards depression, divorce, crime, violence, warfare, and general lack of empathy or even basic tolerance stems, I suspect, from our failure to see that each one of us has an endless being within, and that what we call 'life' is really very much just a long dream-- and death simply means you awaken from it --though as I learned as a young agnostic desperate to escape a major depression, how you 'awaken' may depend on what world or dream you go to next. My publisher let me add a prose 'mini-memoir' about my attempted suicide and resultant NDE at the end of 'Soul Songs'
Since Becky has generously allowed us to give ourselves a plug: all 3 of my books are available under my pen name, Nolo Segundo, on Amazon and I believe Barnes and Noble. To please the karmic gods of publishing, the modest royalties go to Doctors Without Borders.
Congratulations on your publication, Becky!
I love two things about your story: you published your piece despite a ridiculous wait time of two years with the first place you sent it to, and then you ended up publishing the piece in an even more prestigious lit mag. Fantastic. The lesson is clear: never give up on a piece.
After 5 rejections over 2 years from Blue Mountain Review, a publication I greatly admire from Georgia, USA, three of my microfiction pieces (Journey to the top; Stroke and touch and go; Space) were published in December 2022 pp 199-203.
https://issuu.com/collectivemedia/docs/bluemountainreviewdecember2022
Also 'The Extraordinary Thing Is ...' has been published in Great Ape v5 https://great-ape.com/store/
I feel very fortunate that 37 of my stories have been published this year, along with 11 poems, with 3 being nominated for prizes/collections.
I think this is very much related to my attitude that publication by smaller mags is better than a diet of rejections from larger mags and voracious searching for potential outlets via lists, Submittable, Duotrope, ChillSubs etc .
All the best to everyone in this community for reaching the world in 2023.
It's been a great year for publishing. Nothing in December, but one of the pieces I published in World Literature Today last spring inspired a call from an educational publisher who licensed it, which was really nice. I also received word that a chapter from a book I am translated was chosen for as one of five pieces for "Sundial Review: New Voices in Translation". The chapter is a fictional take on the life of Hollywood actress, the divine Lupe Vélez entitled "The Girl from Mexico" and I'm so excited to get this piece by award-winning Mexican writer Mónica Lavín out into the world. Dear Publishers #AmQuerying the whole book entitled "La casa chica"!! Becky, I loved your "I Had Some Ideas About Art". Great reading!
I haven't done this before, so if any of this is not allowed, please just delete.
A friend and I have this week published (online) our sixth issue of Tandeta Magazine. It's been mostly a vanity project for our own work and that of friends and associates, and we don't know where to take it next (I suppose if we got a ton of good submissions we'd make a Vol 7 happen ASAP), but 6 feels like an accomplishment, even if it was mostly a learning experiment.
I've been accepted to have a regular column/post called "Stories from a Wanderer" at Kind Over Matter, in the Kind Kindred series. The first installment was a week or so ago, the next and following are the first Thursday of the month.
I got my usual 1 or 2 "We enjoyed it but/Please try us again," which, well, y'all know...
I like your story, Becky, a lot. I like the edge it takes between story/not story--it's so difficult to lean to the "story" side where meaning is found, while keeping the lovely, poignant ambiguities of "slice of life/character sketch." (I hope you see this as a compliment! It's meant to be.)
The wonderful Renwick Berchild has chosen a suite of my poems to be part of her ongoing ROAR Showcase at Green Lion Journal. I’m blown away!
https://greenlionjournal.com/2023-roar-showcase-the-experienced-kim-whysall-hamond/
Today my translation of a story by Catulle Mendès was published online by Danse Macabre Literary Magazine, https://dansemacabreonline.wixsite.com/neudm/catulle-mendes-148. My translated title is "The Little Blue Flame". This is the 14th place I've submitted it to since 2016. The publisher, Adam Henry Carrière, is kind and encouraging. It's the second of my translated pieces he has published. I adhered to his strict submission instructions and he responded quite quickly. A great New Year's Eve gift, though here in Australia it's already New Year's Day!
This was a productive year for me 30+ poems published in 15 reviews, an essay in Tamarind Literary and my graphic novel My Life in Fish: One Scientist's Journey http://www.garygrossman.net/my-life-in-fish-one-scientists-journey/
Becky, I love your story! These are serious questions put down on the page as though nonchalantly, that is, the style and form are matching the subject matter. Also, the names are really great. Also, you tie the whole thing together, and it's very artfully (:)) done.
Powerful story, Becky! Well deserved to be published in the Atticus Review, congratulations!
So wonderful to take some time to read the news from everyone.
Becky, you are bringing us together and I truly appreciate your gift of creating
community. Hope to be able to send my work out into the virtual world soon.
So helpful to read these reports. Happy 2023!
My story about an underground bunker salesman having remorse is out in The Blue Lake Review (https://bluelakereview.weebly.com/bunker-down.html).
Thanks for sharing your story behind the story, Becky. I remember reading it earlier last month in Atticus and was so taken away. I didn’t know this was the story you had stuck at that mag. I also had a story stuck somewhere that wasn’t responsive after I followed up way past the expected turnaround date. I’ve taken your advice and sent out to other places.
In the meantime my flash was published yesterday. A great way to start the new year. Yay!
https://theairgonautblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/01/matty-hammers-twelve-in-the-rain/
Loved your story in Atticus Review.
Congratulations, Dick! I read your poems at the time and liked them. Glad you turned up here so I can tell you directly. I had a poem in Rattle about three years ago, after several tries and rejections. Three in one year! Respect.