Got both of you beat at 81! And I suspect there are a lot more senior writers there. I'm always a little gun shy about putting my age, or even the fact I'm retired in my bio.
I just decided to put it out there bc an agent said, “Don’t you know everything has an expiration date.” So I turned that into my motto—There’s No Expiration on Dreams!
Aug 27, 2022·edited Aug 27, 2022Liked by Becky Tuch
I published my Spanish language essay Historia ósea (The bone's story) with Poetripiados in Mexico. It is in the style of an ecological meditation, a hymn of praise, a condemnation. It is my second Spanish language text to receive an enthusiastic home, so I think I can now call myself a bilingual writer without reservations. I have revised both the English and Spanish versions of this essay over and over and over; indeed, I would revise it in one language and then have to revise it in the other. I forged the essay between the two languages, rubbing the essence of my eco-philosophy like a stone between two tongues until it gleamed. One way I find places to submit is by following other writers on IG, T, and FB. When I find someone whose work vibes with my own, I take note. I keep careful submission spreadsheets for all my work. Por si les interesa leer: https://www.poetripiados.com/historia-osea/
Totally! LALT published my translation of an essay by the prize-winning Mexican author Angelina Muñiz-Huberman just this year! LALT and its sister publication World Literature Today are crucial magazines in the world literature landscape.
I'm knee-deep in translating the first chapbook of the late Afro-Brazilian poet, Adão Ventura who was a colleague at Univ. of New Mexico and became a close friend.
Felicidades, John! I just had the opportunity to present a public discussion with the great Portuguese-Spanish translator, Jerónimo Pizarro (Pessoa), at the Manizales Bookfair in Manizales Colombia and we quickly formed a bond over ideas and intimacies related to words that we had previously kept to ourselves. These is much to be written and shared about the intimacy of translation, translation and friendships. The depth of it is astonishing. Keep us apprised! You can find me on Twitter at DorothyPS. Let's stay in touch!
Thanks, Dorothy. Working to find a publisher. Adão Ventura was an early fighter for social justice in Brazil. He asked me to translate his first work, which I did some 50 years ago. A well-known university press was going to publish it, but never did for reasons unknown. I have all our back and forth correspondence, etc., so when it finally appears somewhere, it should be interesting.
Interesting, Dorothy and John. We have a Spanish language critique group, or Taller, every Wednesday 7-9pm on zoom. It started in person in S. Florida, but I moved to NC and two retired profesoras joined, great writers, who are also remote. If you're interested in participating, email me at rhorner@isicor.com or palabreros 2020@gmail.com. You don't have to bring a text each time but you can. Usually <2000 words, sometimes microcuentos. We edit/comment online with google docs during the zoom session. Richard
Betsy - I'd so welcome this. I write in English with Spanish pushing through, and my essays and poems gravitate to the Latin American experience that is an essential part of my life. So thank you in advance.
Aug 27, 2022·edited Sep 26, 2022Liked by Becky Tuch
Published a microfiction piece in Scrawl Place, and a short story in Roi Fainéant Press. Both involve queer characters, drugs, and Maine, so I guess that's my shtick this month (okay, let's be real—it's my shtick every month)!
Also, I was asked to be one of the panelists (a.k.a. readers) for Newfound's prose chapbook contest, so if you have a chapbook manuscript you're excited about, I encourage you to submit starting September 15. Details: https://newfound.org/prose-prize/
queer characters, drugs, and Maine isn't me, but I love it. Have you watched the show Hi-Town? Really it's in Provincetown, but the Hi- refers to Hyannis. The first season actually was filmed in Provincetown, which is pretty thrilling if you know the place. Starring a gay addict lady cop. drugs. strippers. Massachusetts. so, so fun.
Yes, I love Hightown! So entertaining! Can't wait for season 3! I was actually born in Lawrence, a.k.a. Lawtown, which was a pretty rough place at the time, so that may explain my attraction to dark, drug-fueled New England narratives.
I just started reading your Portland thing. Ha! We went up there in October & it was all drug addicts! it was the off season and there was no one else. I'm somewhat from that community in the past so it's always been ultra visible to me. But people all over the park of course, in the coffee shops, crazy smile on lots of people I was thinking, what drug is that? woman coming out of squat in pjs in the middle of the day. what a scene. finally i googled it and we educated ourselves about Portland. Really can't wait to finish your piece. Oh--and one of my cousins grew up in Lawrence. All the other three of them are: long dead. I'm 68 and I'm the youngest of the cousins, so, yeah, it was rough, and we were in Medford.
Not quite a lit mag, but I’ve been invited to participate in a reading series next month at a very cool bookstore in my hometown, where I will be spending a few days for my nephew’s wedding. I’ll be reading five poems and will have to dash right from the airport to the bookstore. Just like in a corny movie about a Famous Writer.
Heh. Every time I do something like that, or have a poem published in some lit mag anyone has heard of, or get a $500 grant, I think it’s the pinnacle of my brilliant career. And I’m probably right.
This summer I had two stories published, "Hetrick's Army" in Ninth Letter and "Being-With" in Crab Creek Review. In both cases, the editors had wise suggestions, I revised based on those suggestions, and the stories were better for it. I also appreciated that Crab Creek had a little launch party on Zoom and I got to read a piece from the story. Both stories are a lesson in perseverance, as they had been rejected (though sometimes with an encouraging note) from dozens of places.
Crab Creek Review and Ninth Letter are both print-only magazines, so I'm afraid the stories are not viewable online. I did make a youtube in which I read one of the stories aloud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeD6WBq0jgI&t=779s
Three haiku to a great little journal called Whisky Blot, a CNF piece (I've been trying to place for years) to Plants and Poetry journal. Amazing what happens when you submit regularly!
I got my start writing book reviews for Southern Review of Books. My debut essay publication was at Another Chicago Magazine—it was the first literary essay I’d ever written—and my second publication was at The Masters Review for the craft essay I wrote ahead of a seminar I gave as part of my masters program. I’m extremely grateful to all of them for hosting my work!
"Suite of Ice" only took a year or so to be published. "The Rim" took ca. 7 years of revision and sending. Its difficulty in being placed could be related to its dark and violent subject matter; it's my way of responding to an awful crime that happened in my neighborhood in 2006....
Aug 27, 2022·edited Aug 27, 2022Liked by Becky Tuch
Thanks so much to you, Becky! I published my first piece with Motherwell after attending your editor talk with Lauren Apfel. I can't recommend the publication or Lauren enough.
I wrote about being a child bride and the show "Stay Sweet: Pray and Obey."
Thank you for your editor talks. They are invaluable, and I'm so appreciative!!!
I’m currently ‘shopping’ to have something ‘acceptable’ to share. But when I do, I will. Until then, I’m looking forward to reading the roundup. Thanks.
More and more I think you should write write write, and then send out. Don't focus on the publications, focus on your own thoughts and voice, put them down, and send it out. The wisdom used to be that you should polish your writing to perfection before sending it out, but with so many thousands of online journals now, it's more like a big conversation. Write. Send out. "Acceptable" doesn't exist. :)
I agree with that for the most part. Generative work I very important. A well filled watering well is much easier to take sizable dips out of and see if it holds water somewhere. But I think where I might waver about the acceptable thing isn’t so much about getting accepted somewhere, but rather me doing something I feel acceptable to share. But that’s starting to smell a lot like spoiled liverwurst. I know I gotta though that out. I’ll got back to writing and writing. Perhaps I’ll see a wild yarn worth displaying as a newsletter to keep me honest of producing.
I initally wrote the essay for a competition - it had a specific theme ('home') and a tight word limit, and I got absolutely nowhere in the competition! But after letting the essay sit for a while, I came back and loosened it up a bit, and then slowly let the essay take me where it wanted to go, which turned out to mean including some of the weird, dysfunctional dynamics of my wider family.
Meanwhile Catherine - who until recently was the books editor at The Spinoff - would occasionally drop into my DMs to ask if I had any essays that might work for the books section (and in true depression style, I would feel overwhelmed and not reply). Then a couple of weeks ago I wrote a new essay - a good fast write, done in a few hours - and I asked if anyone on twitter had ideas on where to send it. And Catherine was in my DMs in a heartbeat, asking to see it... and then was very understanding and supportive when I said I wanted to try somewhere outside of New Zealand first. But, I said, I could send you this other thing I wrote? And she loved it, but it's not book-related, so she sent it to the big boss editor, who also loved it, and so... it got published! Complete with its own custom illustrations, based on the actual photos the essay grew from.
Hi Becky, I am happy to share the news that a selection from my memoir-in-progress won the Honeybee Creative Nonfiction Award from The Good Life Review in July. Here is the link: https://thegoodlifereview.com/issue-eight/connect-disconnect-by-suzi-banks-baum/ The second week of September, the Good Life people will feature an author interview which addresses your questions. This piece rumbled in over the winter, benefiting greatly from the support of my writing partner. It also felt urgent because of the impending changes in Roe v. Wade. Though I wrote it before the Supreme Court made their decision, the timing of this publication of a piece about sexual coming of age felt spot on. My contribution to the desire for bodily autonomy. I hope others enjoy it. I'd love to hear responses. Thank you for this invitation to share. xoSuzi
All of these took at least a year to place (Bush Rescue 2 years) and underwent some minor revisions along the way. If you believe in a story, keep sending it out and it will find a home.
And a big shout out to Sky Island Journal https://www.skyislandjournal.com/, whose acceptance letter for 3 of my stories they will publish in October was the best I've ever received. It included your stories 'are gifts that keep on giving; we discover more about them, and ourselves, with every reading. It will be an honor to share them with the world.'
I had two flash CNF pieces published in anthologies in the past month. I remember a discussion, I think on here, as to whether you'd submit to anthologies, because it is harder to share your work. I get that, but I guess my kids will each get a copy of the anthologies for Christmas, and it is kind of cool to have your work in a book.
I find the process of writing the shorter pieces envigorating, and have found a couple of good readers to make sure they are up to par before sending out.
My larger project, a memoir, is grinding along. I'm actually in a year-long class for that one. Write, rewrite, trying to get some kind of first draft by the end of the year.
Also, I too, am in the oldster category... and proud of it! :)
This is all so great. I can't wait to read everyone's work. I recently had a piece in the journal Eclectica. It's unlike anything I've written before. I wrote it as an assignment for a Grub Street class on the subject of surrealism and other types of experimental writing. We had a college-level reading list! I've published about a dozen stories before this. Here's the link. They put my piece in the "miscellany" section. https://www.eclectica.org/v26n2/toc.html
A story I wrote titled "Love Passing" will be published in early September in "Litbreak Magazine." The story set in San Francisco's North Beach and involves a brief romance between a white female artist and Black software developer. I completed it last November and have sent it out to about 15 lit mags during the first seven months of the year. This is my second piece of fiction to get published after many years as a non-fiction writer. I have to say the advice, support and info I've received from Becky, her various interviews with various editors ,and all of you has been a big part of what kept me from getting discouraged and to continue submitting it. Extremely helpful - thank you!!
I’ve published six stories in the past two years. I revised and revised, that’s my habit.. getting words on paper first and then going over and over until happy. Then I “bake” them for a week.
Great topic since this is the first month in 3 years I've been published multiple times. First Harness Magazine which has published 8 pieces of mine so far published my To the Marlboro Marbury Man piece. Then my new thing as a music writer unpaid of course for botheringtheband.com published my 3rd review and now my SSSH series (Singer/Songwriter/Serendipitous/Homage is a regular column whenever I want. Then Fauxmoir mag published Marlboro Man as well this month. And Sad Girls Club is publishing my Pandemical Perspectives piece. That's never happened before this many in one month. And well I'm finding that 'no previously submitted' pieces is kind of well just a suggestion to a lot of these litmags, so I just keep submitting regardless.
It's been a pleasure reading other people's work this weekend. As for myself, I have a snarky micro called "Facing a 'Three to Five Poems' Quandary, I Turn to Sara Bareilles" out in Riddled with Arrows. It addresses a poetry submission rule that I find tedious. Read it here:
Riddled with Arrows only publishes work (fiction/nonfiction/poetry) about the writing process, and I discovered it on Duotrope. The editor-in-chief, Shannon Connor Winward, has a great sense of humor, and acceptances/rejections are sent in a timely manner (my piece was accepted in 20 days).
Anyone write poetry related to the Vietnam War? I founded an online journal that is open for submissions, and we'd like to see your poems. Please see www.VietnamWarPoetry.com
You should be able to Google that and find something. And the places like Writers Digest and Poets and Writers have all sorts of lists. I'm not sure if you mean for children or about, but I think for. In any case if you look online for titles, and then look at the specific websites to see if the publications look like places you'd feel at home, you should find publications. Good luck!
Aug 29, 2022·edited Aug 29, 2022Liked by Becky Tuch
FIrst, I want to say how exciting it is to read about everyone's accomplishements! Thanks Becky for setting this thread up.
This week a collection entitled Windblown II, which pairs writers with land trusts, has just been released with three of my poems written about Springfield Woods in Baltimore.
In a few weeks my first full length poetry collection will be published. :) I don't have an exact date yet, but we are getting close!
I recently had two longer poems accepted with Heimat Review (https://heimatreview.weebly.com) in their first edition. This was a huge win for me because one piece had been in progress for about 5 years and had been sent out to about 25 journals before finally being accepted. The other piece in the journal has been in progress for about 2 years and had gone out about 10-15 journals before being accepted. Nice!
And I have a new piece in the most recent edition of The Inflectionist Review (https://www.inflectionism.com). So, yeah! And congrats to everyone in this thread!
The story is about the psychic repercussions of George Floyd's murder in far away Africa. A cnf piece is germinating from the experience of winning a paid contest with a story that had been rejected for mere publication earlier.
Really, really interesting topic for people here and abroad.
But in all honesty, rejections can mean many things, so it may not be hugely meaningful that the piece was rejected--unless you do feel it was rejected for bad reasons.
I published a novel excerpt (first 5 chapters, 20 pages approximately) in ovunquesiamo.com this spring. It's a novel I will try to get published, and I am still doing some touch-up/revising. A colleague told me about the site and I've published on it before. I also got a fellowship from NJ State Art Council after submitting this piece. Here's a link: https://ovunquesiamoweb.com/archive/spring-2022/mauro-altamuro/
Instead of sharing my successes, can I share a new journal I discovered that is publishing really great work? It's called Solar Journal. I almost passed on this journal for inclusion in my database (there's no masthead, for example), but it's affiliated with Hunter College's MFA program, so I figured it was worth a shot. So I read a few stories. Really great stuff.
I published my debut, PAPER BAGS, at 77, with Woodhall Press. Reviewed at Maudlin House, Oldster Magazine, Shout Out Miami. I’m over the 🌝 💥⚡️✨
Congrats, never too late, is it! I'm publishing again at 68, and it seems like many of my poet friends on FB are in their 60's or older.
Got both of you beat at 81! And I suspect there are a lot more senior writers there. I'm always a little gun shy about putting my age, or even the fact I'm retired in my bio.
I just decided to put it out there bc an agent said, “Don’t you know everything has an expiration date.” So I turned that into my motto—There’s No Expiration on Dreams!
I published my Spanish language essay Historia ósea (The bone's story) with Poetripiados in Mexico. It is in the style of an ecological meditation, a hymn of praise, a condemnation. It is my second Spanish language text to receive an enthusiastic home, so I think I can now call myself a bilingual writer without reservations. I have revised both the English and Spanish versions of this essay over and over and over; indeed, I would revise it in one language and then have to revise it in the other. I forged the essay between the two languages, rubbing the essence of my eco-philosophy like a stone between two tongues until it gleamed. One way I find places to submit is by following other writers on IG, T, and FB. When I find someone whose work vibes with my own, I take note. I keep careful submission spreadsheets for all my work. Por si les interesa leer: https://www.poetripiados.com/historia-osea/
Wonderful! I'll be interviewing the editor of Latin American Literature Today this fall. I hope it will be of interest!
Totally! LALT published my translation of an essay by the prize-winning Mexican author Angelina Muñiz-Huberman just this year! LALT and its sister publication World Literature Today are crucial magazines in the world literature landscape.
I'm knee-deep in translating the first chapbook of the late Afro-Brazilian poet, Adão Ventura who was a colleague at Univ. of New Mexico and became a close friend.
Felicidades, John! I just had the opportunity to present a public discussion with the great Portuguese-Spanish translator, Jerónimo Pizarro (Pessoa), at the Manizales Bookfair in Manizales Colombia and we quickly formed a bond over ideas and intimacies related to words that we had previously kept to ourselves. These is much to be written and shared about the intimacy of translation, translation and friendships. The depth of it is astonishing. Keep us apprised! You can find me on Twitter at DorothyPS. Let's stay in touch!
Thanks, Dorothy. Working to find a publisher. Adão Ventura was an early fighter for social justice in Brazil. He asked me to translate his first work, which I did some 50 years ago. A well-known university press was going to publish it, but never did for reasons unknown. I have all our back and forth correspondence, etc., so when it finally appears somewhere, it should be interesting.
Interesting, Dorothy and John. We have a Spanish language critique group, or Taller, every Wednesday 7-9pm on zoom. It started in person in S. Florida, but I moved to NC and two retired profesoras joined, great writers, who are also remote. If you're interested in participating, email me at rhorner@isicor.com or palabreros 2020@gmail.com. You don't have to bring a text each time but you can. Usually <2000 words, sometimes microcuentos. We edit/comment online with google docs during the zoom session. Richard
Betsy - I'd so welcome this. I write in English with Spanish pushing through, and my essays and poems gravitate to the Latin American experience that is an essential part of my life. So thank you in advance.
Published a microfiction piece in Scrawl Place, and a short story in Roi Fainéant Press. Both involve queer characters, drugs, and Maine, so I guess that's my shtick this month (okay, let's be real—it's my shtick every month)!
"Shrooms in Unity, Maine” in Scrawl Place:
https://scrawlplace.com/2022/08/26/shrooms-in-unity-maine/
“Seagulls Circle and Scream” in Roi Fainéant Press:
https://roifaineantarchive.wixsite.com/rf-arc-hive/post/seagulls-circle-and-scream-by-goldie-peacock
Also, I was asked to be one of the panelists (a.k.a. readers) for Newfound's prose chapbook contest, so if you have a chapbook manuscript you're excited about, I encourage you to submit starting September 15. Details: https://newfound.org/prose-prize/
queer characters, drugs, and Maine isn't me, but I love it. Have you watched the show Hi-Town? Really it's in Provincetown, but the Hi- refers to Hyannis. The first season actually was filmed in Provincetown, which is pretty thrilling if you know the place. Starring a gay addict lady cop. drugs. strippers. Massachusetts. so, so fun.
Yes, I love Hightown! So entertaining! Can't wait for season 3! I was actually born in Lawrence, a.k.a. Lawtown, which was a pretty rough place at the time, so that may explain my attraction to dark, drug-fueled New England narratives.
I just started reading your Portland thing. Ha! We went up there in October & it was all drug addicts! it was the off season and there was no one else. I'm somewhat from that community in the past so it's always been ultra visible to me. But people all over the park of course, in the coffee shops, crazy smile on lots of people I was thinking, what drug is that? woman coming out of squat in pjs in the middle of the day. what a scene. finally i googled it and we educated ourselves about Portland. Really can't wait to finish your piece. Oh--and one of my cousins grew up in Lawrence. All the other three of them are: long dead. I'm 68 and I'm the youngest of the cousins, so, yeah, it was rough, and we were in Medford.
What’s the title of the Portland thing—Portland, ME?
It's the second link Goldie Peacock put above. Seagulls Circle and Scream. Trish--you do the Binders? I've seen your name.
Yes, I do Binders, love it. I do Express Lane also with Ashleigh & Allison. I want to read your Portland piece.
Not quite a lit mag, but I’ve been invited to participate in a reading series next month at a very cool bookstore in my hometown, where I will be spending a few days for my nephew’s wedding. I’ll be reading five poems and will have to dash right from the airport to the bookstore. Just like in a corny movie about a Famous Writer.
I did that one time, actually went to Kentucky to read a short piece I had in their journal. Utterly worth it.
Heh. Every time I do something like that, or have a poem published in some lit mag anyone has heard of, or get a $500 grant, I think it’s the pinnacle of my brilliant career. And I’m probably right.
nothing wrong with any of those things:)
This summer I had two stories published, "Hetrick's Army" in Ninth Letter and "Being-With" in Crab Creek Review. In both cases, the editors had wise suggestions, I revised based on those suggestions, and the stories were better for it. I also appreciated that Crab Creek had a little launch party on Zoom and I got to read a piece from the story. Both stories are a lesson in perseverance, as they had been rejected (though sometimes with an encouraging note) from dozens of places.
That is cool. I had a story rejected by Crab Creek review (published elsewhere, but I will try again. I love the vibe.
Crab Creek has rejected me, too:)
Yes, Crab Creek (and also Ninth Letter) had rejected a couple of my stories in the past.
do you have the links?
Links to what?
the stories in the magazines, online
Crab Creek Review and Ninth Letter are both print-only magazines, so I'm afraid the stories are not viewable online. I did make a youtube in which I read one of the stories aloud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeD6WBq0jgI&t=779s
do you have links?
So, this month I was invited to speak to the North Carolina Poetry Society in September, had publications appear in Gargoyle, Brass Bell, Writing in a Woman's Voice (August 23, 2022 https://writinginawomansvoice.blogspot.com/ ), Spillwords (https://spillwords.com/my-parcels-status/) Haiku universe(https://haikuniverse.com/haiku-by-joan-leotta-2/)
I love your newsletter! Thanks for all the tips, and suggestions plus now the chance to brag!
I've had a couple of pieces published recently:
Across The Margin: https://acrossthemargin.com/on-a-knife-edge/
The Bluebird Word: https://thebluebirdword.com/call-me-mary-by-ali-mckenzie-murdoch/
Soon to be published in Flash Fiction Magazine and Bright Flash Literary Review.
🎉
Three haiku to a great little journal called Whisky Blot, a CNF piece (I've been trying to place for years) to Plants and Poetry journal. Amazing what happens when you submit regularly!
My first book review! http://www.compulsivereader.com/2022/08/06/pay-attention-taste-remember-review-of-diane-leblancs-poetry-collection-the-feast-delayed
Also an odd little poem in the beautiful journal River Heron Review https://www.riverheronreview.com/issue-52-1#/amy-beth-sisson
Love your poem! And congrats on starting your MFA last fall.
I was recently published in an interesting venue, Faux Moir, that takes first person narratives , and does not distinguish between or categorize them by whether they are "true" or not. I LOVE that concept. Mine was a (mostly factual) poem: https://fauxmoir.com/no-4/tag/Julie%20Benesh?fbclid=IwAR08m__RXFqEgv6GPjX9OmV3aMFKtOvfNFrkxARHQuy7txA-k5vwQkvUGiU
I also have a poem published in Dildoun Review (accompanied by a super-cute illustration):
https://thedillydounreview.com/issue-19/julie-benesh-3/?fbclid=IwAR3eduMp8eMWVwnKVnyhFXqYDgKYdQYhVX_SvZ7OMW4GdGxC5lL-d4d6Ano
And these two poems in The Write Launch: https://thewritelaunch.com/2022/08/on-the-way-to-conception-and-different-folks/?fbclid=IwAR3Nc3FbpFaMMuocRiZ959dsklvTKUF6HBhT2eKeyoGRePdfhnJODIYsupM
Also got two great blurbs to include on my upcoming chapbook!
I got my start writing book reviews for Southern Review of Books. My debut essay publication was at Another Chicago Magazine—it was the first literary essay I’d ever written—and my second publication was at The Masters Review for the craft essay I wrote ahead of a seminar I gave as part of my masters program. I’m extremely grateful to all of them for hosting my work!
Southern Review of Books
https://southernreviewofbooks.com/author/raeraetherabbit/
“Displace”
https://anotherchicagomagazine.net/2022/02/15/displace-by-rachael-greene/
“Writing Real Life”
https://mastersreview.com/writing-real-life-by-rachael-greene/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=writing-real-life-by-rachael-greene
Really good magazines!
I published a story, "Suite of Ice," in an interesting online mag, ISELE https://iselemagazine.com/2021/11/15/suite-of-ice-cara-diaconoff/
It's part of a collection I'm working on of stories that update Russian folk tales or are inspired by Russian historical settings.
I also, this past June, published a story, "The Rim," in Front Range Review, which is a print mag out of a two-year college that, unfortunately, doesn't have an extensive website https://www.frontrange.edu/programs-and-courses/academic-departments/larimer-campus-departments/larimer-english-comm-department/front-range-review
but still could be worth sending work to!
"Suite of Ice" only took a year or so to be published. "The Rim" took ca. 7 years of revision and sending. Its difficulty in being placed could be related to its dark and violent subject matter; it's my way of responding to an awful crime that happened in my neighborhood in 2006....
This month I have three poems up at Verse-Virtual https://www.verse-virtual.org/2022/august/grossman-gary-d-2022-august.html and two poems in MacQueen's Quinterly , although my prose poem is listed under fiction http://www.macqueensquinterly.com/MacQ14/Grossman-Mindfulness.aspx http://www.macqueensquinterly.com/MacQ14/Grossman-Daylilies.aspx . Both of these outlets are populated with many poets ranging from folks who have published five books to newbies. Friendly and excellent outlets to send work too. Verse-Virtual also has a very active community on FB that is worth participating in.
I love the ending of "Mindfulness"--nicely done!
Thanks!
Thanks so much to you, Becky! I published my first piece with Motherwell after attending your editor talk with Lauren Apfel. I can't recommend the publication or Lauren enough.
I wrote about being a child bride and the show "Stay Sweet: Pray and Obey."
Thank you for your editor talks. They are invaluable, and I'm so appreciative!!!
https://motherwellmag.com/2022/08/10/i-was-a-child-bride-its-time-to-stop-teaching-young-girls-to-stay-sweet/
The JARNAL from the Mason Jar Press out of Baltimore -- was such a discovery! Check them out -- and my new CNF!! There's a reading TODAY, Saturday, August 27 from 2-3 p, ET -- free via Zoom -- must register for it.... at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-novel-idea-mason-jar-press-present-an-afternoon-of-poetry-prose-tickets-393169048207 Great folks here!!!
I’m currently ‘shopping’ to have something ‘acceptable’ to share. But when I do, I will. Until then, I’m looking forward to reading the roundup. Thanks.
More and more I think you should write write write, and then send out. Don't focus on the publications, focus on your own thoughts and voice, put them down, and send it out. The wisdom used to be that you should polish your writing to perfection before sending it out, but with so many thousands of online journals now, it's more like a big conversation. Write. Send out. "Acceptable" doesn't exist. :)
I agree with that for the most part. Generative work I very important. A well filled watering well is much easier to take sizable dips out of and see if it holds water somewhere. But I think where I might waver about the acceptable thing isn’t so much about getting accepted somewhere, but rather me doing something I feel acceptable to share. But that’s starting to smell a lot like spoiled liverwurst. I know I gotta though that out. I’ll got back to writing and writing. Perhaps I’ll see a wild yarn worth displaying as a newsletter to keep me honest of producing.
It sounds as though you are overthinking it, or starting with self criticism. We all do, but it's not actually productive:)
I had an essay published in the Sunday Essay segment of The Spinoff (New Zealand media outlet) a couple of weeks ago.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/the-sunday-essay/14-08-2022/the-sunday-essay-the-girl-in-the-sundress-standing-in-front-of-the-shed
I initally wrote the essay for a competition - it had a specific theme ('home') and a tight word limit, and I got absolutely nowhere in the competition! But after letting the essay sit for a while, I came back and loosened it up a bit, and then slowly let the essay take me where it wanted to go, which turned out to mean including some of the weird, dysfunctional dynamics of my wider family.
Meanwhile Catherine - who until recently was the books editor at The Spinoff - would occasionally drop into my DMs to ask if I had any essays that might work for the books section (and in true depression style, I would feel overwhelmed and not reply). Then a couple of weeks ago I wrote a new essay - a good fast write, done in a few hours - and I asked if anyone on twitter had ideas on where to send it. And Catherine was in my DMs in a heartbeat, asking to see it... and then was very understanding and supportive when I said I wanted to try somewhere outside of New Zealand first. But, I said, I could send you this other thing I wrote? And she loved it, but it's not book-related, so she sent it to the big boss editor, who also loved it, and so... it got published! Complete with its own custom illustrations, based on the actual photos the essay grew from.
Eek, and then it's ended up in this week's Memoir Monday newsletter! <faints>
Hi Becky, I am happy to share the news that a selection from my memoir-in-progress won the Honeybee Creative Nonfiction Award from The Good Life Review in July. Here is the link: https://thegoodlifereview.com/issue-eight/connect-disconnect-by-suzi-banks-baum/ The second week of September, the Good Life people will feature an author interview which addresses your questions. This piece rumbled in over the winter, benefiting greatly from the support of my writing partner. It also felt urgent because of the impending changes in Roe v. Wade. Though I wrote it before the Supreme Court made their decision, the timing of this publication of a piece about sexual coming of age felt spot on. My contribution to the desire for bodily autonomy. I hope others enjoy it. I'd love to hear responses. Thank you for this invitation to share. xoSuzi
Successful submissions this month include:
A dollar's worth of destiny - Worthing Flash https://worthingflash.blogspot.com/2022/07/a-dollars-worth-of-destiny.html
Bush Rescue - Unlikely Stories https://www.unlikelystories.org/content/bush-rescue
Now I lay me down to sleep - Spillwords https://spillwords.com/now-i-lay-me-down-to-sleep/
All of these took at least a year to place (Bush Rescue 2 years) and underwent some minor revisions along the way. If you believe in a story, keep sending it out and it will find a home.
And a big shout out to Sky Island Journal https://www.skyislandjournal.com/, whose acceptance letter for 3 of my stories they will publish in October was the best I've ever received. It included your stories 'are gifts that keep on giving; we discover more about them, and ourselves, with every reading. It will be an honor to share them with the world.'
I had two flash CNF pieces published in anthologies in the past month. I remember a discussion, I think on here, as to whether you'd submit to anthologies, because it is harder to share your work. I get that, but I guess my kids will each get a copy of the anthologies for Christmas, and it is kind of cool to have your work in a book.
https://www.americanwritersreview.com/ American Writers Review 2022 Edition ("Jenny Moves to Albuquerque"
https://pureslush.com/store/anthologies-themed/marriage-lifespan-vol-6/ ("First Ballgame of the Year")
I find the process of writing the shorter pieces envigorating, and have found a couple of good readers to make sure they are up to par before sending out.
My larger project, a memoir, is grinding along. I'm actually in a year-long class for that one. Write, rewrite, trying to get some kind of first draft by the end of the year.
Also, I too, am in the oldster category... and proud of it! :)
This is all so great. I can't wait to read everyone's work. I recently had a piece in the journal Eclectica. It's unlike anything I've written before. I wrote it as an assignment for a Grub Street class on the subject of surrealism and other types of experimental writing. We had a college-level reading list! I've published about a dozen stories before this. Here's the link. They put my piece in the "miscellany" section. https://www.eclectica.org/v26n2/toc.html
Margaret, I read it. Fascinating!
Thanks. As I said, not at all like my other stories. Because it was an assignment for a class, I felt pleasantly detached from it.
A story I wrote titled "Love Passing" will be published in early September in "Litbreak Magazine." The story set in San Francisco's North Beach and involves a brief romance between a white female artist and Black software developer. I completed it last November and have sent it out to about 15 lit mags during the first seven months of the year. This is my second piece of fiction to get published after many years as a non-fiction writer. I have to say the advice, support and info I've received from Becky, her various interviews with various editors ,and all of you has been a big part of what kept me from getting discouraged and to continue submitting it. Extremely helpful - thank you!!
I’ve published six stories in the past two years. I revised and revised, that’s my habit.. getting words on paper first and then going over and over until happy. Then I “bake” them for a week.
Here’s a link to a recent one: https://scholar.valpo.edu/vfr/vol11/iss2/8/
Thanks for the chance to brag!
Great topic since this is the first month in 3 years I've been published multiple times. First Harness Magazine which has published 8 pieces of mine so far published my To the Marlboro Marbury Man piece. Then my new thing as a music writer unpaid of course for botheringtheband.com published my 3rd review and now my SSSH series (Singer/Songwriter/Serendipitous/Homage is a regular column whenever I want. Then Fauxmoir mag published Marlboro Man as well this month. And Sad Girls Club is publishing my Pandemical Perspectives piece. That's never happened before this many in one month. And well I'm finding that 'no previously submitted' pieces is kind of well just a suggestion to a lot of these litmags, so I just keep submitting regardless.
It's been a pleasure reading other people's work this weekend. As for myself, I have a snarky micro called "Facing a 'Three to Five Poems' Quandary, I Turn to Sara Bareilles" out in Riddled with Arrows. It addresses a poetry submission rule that I find tedious. Read it here:
https://www.riddledwitharrows.com/rwa-5-4-open/microfiction/
Riddled with Arrows only publishes work (fiction/nonfiction/poetry) about the writing process, and I discovered it on Duotrope. The editor-in-chief, Shannon Connor Winward, has a great sense of humor, and acceptances/rejections are sent in a timely manner (my piece was accepted in 20 days).
Lol you found art in the multi-poem-submitting process. Nice work!
Thanks!
Thanks for the tip on that mag. It looks interesting!
You're most weclome!
Anyone write poetry related to the Vietnam War? I founded an online journal that is open for submissions, and we'd like to see your poems. Please see www.VietnamWarPoetry.com
I forgot to mention that I regularly revise my poems, even after publication. I'm not sure that I'm ever finished with a poem.
I’m looking for a Children’s publication that accepts short stories. Thanks!
You should be able to Google that and find something. And the places like Writers Digest and Poets and Writers have all sorts of lists. I'm not sure if you mean for children or about, but I think for. In any case if you look online for titles, and then look at the specific websites to see if the publications look like places you'd feel at home, you should find publications. Good luck!
FIrst, I want to say how exciting it is to read about everyone's accomplishements! Thanks Becky for setting this thread up.
This week a collection entitled Windblown II, which pairs writers with land trusts, has just been released with three of my poems written about Springfield Woods in Baltimore.
In a few weeks my first full length poetry collection will be published. :) I don't have an exact date yet, but we are getting close!
Hi! Long-time reader, first time commenter here.
I recently had two longer poems accepted with Heimat Review (https://heimatreview.weebly.com) in their first edition. This was a huge win for me because one piece had been in progress for about 5 years and had been sent out to about 25 journals before finally being accepted. The other piece in the journal has been in progress for about 2 years and had gone out about 10-15 journals before being accepted. Nice!
And I have a new piece in the most recent edition of The Inflectionist Review (https://www.inflectionism.com). So, yeah! And congrats to everyone in this thread!
I won the inaugural Harambee Literary Prize last month with my short story, The Pacification of Umunnakwe, https://harambeeliteraryprize.com/index.php/2022/07/09/the-pacification-of-umunnakwe-2/
The story is about the psychic repercussions of George Floyd's murder in far away Africa. A cnf piece is germinating from the experience of winning a paid contest with a story that had been rejected for mere publication earlier.
Really, really interesting topic for people here and abroad.
But in all honesty, rejections can mean many things, so it may not be hugely meaningful that the piece was rejected--unless you do feel it was rejected for bad reasons.
I published a novel excerpt (first 5 chapters, 20 pages approximately) in ovunquesiamo.com this spring. It's a novel I will try to get published, and I am still doing some touch-up/revising. A colleague told me about the site and I've published on it before. I also got a fellowship from NJ State Art Council after submitting this piece. Here's a link: https://ovunquesiamoweb.com/archive/spring-2022/mauro-altamuro/
Instead of sharing my successes, can I share a new journal I discovered that is publishing really great work? It's called Solar Journal. I almost passed on this journal for inclusion in my database (there's no masthead, for example), but it's affiliated with Hunter College's MFA program, so I figured it was worth a shot. So I read a few stories. Really great stuff.
Thanks for this info, Erik.
So honored to be included in
https://www.amazon.com/Nonwhite-Woman-Micro-Essays-Nonfiction/dp/1949116697?crid=3R9PJV1242OP8&keywords=non+white+and+women&qid=1649378952&sprefix=nonwhite+and+woman,aps,180&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=miki06-20&linkId=792ed5c11a8ac202a9a1a64c8407b49b&languag