Jolene, Please Don't Take My Lit Mag!
SPD shutters & leaves publishers in shock; Editor of Guernica resigns; Poetry Foundation issues statement on boycott; thoughts on editing a lit mag, running a poetry contest, going digital; & more
Welcome to our bi-weekly news roundup!
Greetings Lit Maglipses,
Brace yourselves—this one’s a long one!
We’ll start with news many of you have likely heard: Small Press Distribution has announced its closing.
SPD was a distribution center, which “distributed books for hundreds of independent literary publishers” for over fifty years. Though the company has been beset with operational problems, the announcement came suddenly and without warning, leaving hundreds of small presses in the lurch.
In 2021 I wrote about workers speaking out against of wage theft and abuse here. At that time, many presses issued statements and ended business with SPD. An internal investigation ultimately led to the resignation of SPD’s Executive Director. In spite of its internal conflicts, the center continued to serve roughly 400 publishers, “many specializing in experimental genres and emerging writers.”
Upon SPD’s closing, Ingram, “the consolidated giant of US book distribution,” has contacted presses and invited them to ship books to their warehouse, with presses covering shipping costs themselves. As of today, “clients of Small Press Distribution are still scrambling to find viable options to replace the services provided by SPD.”
Between shipping costs and losses from books not distributed by SPD, small presses stand to lose up to tens of thousands of dollars. Many may be forced to shutter. SPD apparently owes Noemi Press “upwards of $8,000” and Black Lawrence Press “more than $17,000—an enormous sum for a small press.”
A few alternatives have risen to the fore to take the place of SPD. But each have limitations. Some distributors do not distribute to Amazon. Some presses may face difficulty finding “businesses willing to work with them if they aren’t as prominent. Poetry books especially, which are mostly published by small presses, are going to struggle…”
Meanwhile, some books no longer have presses to claim them. Ingram has notified publishers that any inventory left in its warehouse after 60 days “will be recycled.” This could mean the loss of “many rare small press books and journals.”
The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) has made “this FAQ page and will continue to update it with information as the situation progresses.” They have also compiled this list of Presses Previously Distributed by SPD. Many of the presses on this list (Burnside Review, Cider Press Review, Fence Books, Hanging Loose Press, Zone 3 Press, and more) are lit mags or homes for lit mags.
In other news, Jina Moore has announced her resignation as Editor-in-Chief of Guernica Magazine:
In the March issue of Guernica, I published “From the Edges of a Broken World,” a personal essay by Joanna Chen. Many critics have said the essay normalized the violence Israel has unleashed in Gaza. I disagree. I saw the piece as an example of the difficult work that Guernica is known for: capturing, with complexity and nuance, how such violence is normalized, and how a violent state extracts complicity from its citizens.
…Guernica is an essential part of the literary landscape, bringing urgent and eloquent voices to a wide readership. In these weeks, I have prioritized internal conversations with the Guernica founder and board president to preserve the magazine and clarify its values over my public engagement with the unfolding debate.
But it has become clear to me that Guernica’s commitment to writing on war, injustice, and oppression has evolved. The magazine stands by its retraction of the work; I do not. Guernica will continue, but I am no longer the right leader for its work.
Responses to Moore’s resignation ranged from “much respect” to “credit…for standing her ground” to a statement from Palestine Writes, which “welcomes the resignation.”
At The New Republic, Michael Tomasky interviewed Joanna Chen, author of the essay at the heart of the Guernica upheaval (which has since been republished at Washington Monthly). Says Chen, “History has taught us that attempts to censor and suppress literary works only serve to expand readership. The message, rather than being erased, is heard all the more loudly. I see what happened as a way forward. The conversation has begun.”
In related news, The Poetry Foundation put out a statement last week:
In November 2023, members of the poetry community published an open letter, subsequently signed by many others, declaring a boycott of the Poetry Foundation. After multiple conversations, internally and with several of the organizers, the boycott was lifted by the organizers in March 2024.
…We maintain that it is not the role of the Poetry Foundation to make institutional statements about geopolitical crises. What we can do, however, is provide a platform for poets who are most impacted by and connected to those crises, and use the space we take up in the world of poetry accordingly.
For background on the boycott, see AGAINST GENOCIDE: An Update on the Boycott and Holding Cultural Institutions Accountable. Omar Sakr, Tariq Luthun, George Abraham and Noor Hindi write, “Among a number of concerns, we cited a failure [from the Poetry Foundation] to properly communicate their operating principles, the lack of a code of conduct, ambiguity around who and what they platform, and general transparency concerns.”
As to the rationale for lifting the boycott, they write, “Leaders listen, and leaders learn, and to their credit the Foundation has responded.”
Many writers were dissatisfied with The Foundation’s statement, calling it everything from “unsurprisingly trash” to “self-aggrandizing” to sounding “like it was written in consultation with lawyers.”
A few opinion pieces on the subject of lit mags caught my eye of late.
Prismatica Press Editor Devon Webb asks “What Does It Take to Be a Literary Magazine Editor?”
Communication is, in my experience, one of the most crucial skills to hone as an editor. The world of indie lit is rife with challenges, & the likelihood of conflict is not something I can recommend turning a blind eye to. I’ve personally found that transparency goes a long way…
Only Poems Editor Shannan Mann writes about “Designing a poetry contest without selling our soul.” “A lot of lit mags have celebrity judges. Most of these judges do not read more than 10 or so selections from the entire submission pile.” For their inaugural poetry contest, “All winners will be selected by the ONLY POEMS Editors. Celebrity judges are usually paid around $500-$1000 to pick the winners from a small pool. We decided to use that money to pay a little more to the poets we publish.”
The editors of Tahoma Literary Review and Solstice talked about their transition to online-only publishing.
One concern is whether interest in submitting will continue. From what we’ve heard, some writers and poets clearly prefer to appear in physical print, and we may lose those submissions. But we also have met many who are either neutral about the medium or even prefer online. Time will tell…In any case, we plan to continue paying our writers and touting their accomplishments as Solstice does. That has not changed from switching to online.
Finally, for something utterly delightful, check out this adorably peppy news segment with the Editors of Booth. “A little gravity, a little levity…What is Booth?”
For those of you seeking gainful employ:
The Yale Review seeks an Editorial Assistant.
West Trade Review seeks staff & readers.
For those of you seeking homes for your latest & greatest:
Here is a site I found today that does a weekly roundup of opportunities.
Erica Verrillo has 83 Calls for Submissions in April 2024 - Paying markets and 54 Writing Contests in April 2024 — No entry fees.
Erika Dreifus has “50+ fee-free opportunities that pay for winning/published work.”
Authors Publish has 15 Places That Publish Writing About Writing and Publishing (though they seem to have forgotten one very special, very important place!) (which pays contributors!) and 5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in April 2024
If you are looking for a poetry retreat, Jan Freeman is offering workshops. “MASS MoCA Writing Through Art Poetry Retreats is accepting applications for the June 12–16 retreat.”
Lit Mag News readers will receive a 10% discount at registration. Just mention in your application email that you referred by me/Lit Mag News, and claim your credit!
Whew, as for us, dear readers, you still with me? I told you there was a lot this week!
We also have a lot coming up this month. There is still time to order your discounted copy of Florida Review for our Lit Mag Reading Club!
Click below to learn more about The Reading Club, plus to check out the dates & times of upcoming interviews with editors, information sessions, special writing opportunities, and more.
Save the Dates! April interviews & info sessions!
And that you sunglassed speculators with your eyes on the sky in hopes of spotting the swiftly passing spectacle of magical and fantastical dimness events, you on the rooftop, waiting for the wondrous awe to wrench you from all the usual widget-counting weariness, you with your eyes cast downward and protected from the burning glare, you with your squinting face pinched tight in order to see your way through those distant and invisible mysterious infinities, you who asks yourself daily who will prevail in this epic battle of moon and sun, but who in fact wonders now if it’s actually not a battle? maybe it’s in fact a comingling? A love affair? Distant entities, literally star-crossed, finally joining as one? Is today in fact THE MOST ROMANTIC DAY of the year?? Is the solar eclipse a story of nothing more, nothing less, than ALWAYS-THWARTED BUT ALWAYS-LOYAL TRUE LOVE????? You and you, out there, so full of wingspan and eyes wide open as you stare into that wondrous illicit darkness that burns until it glows, you, everywhere, so rare, so special, so luminescently and exquisitely yearning, afire, is the news in literary magazines.
Have a most illuminating week, pals.
Fondly,
Becky
The Guernica story is truly pathetic. Even in her resignation letter, the editor felt the need to make it clear that she regards Israel as a violent state. In other words, she is on the same side of the issue as every other member of the far left. Can you imagine the firestorm that would erupt if a lit mag editor actually supported Israel? But of course none of them will do so publicly, for fear of losing their jobs. All of which again illustrates that there is no real diversity in the lit mag world. Everyone is forced to march in lockstep with the crowd, and no contrary opinions are allowed.
I agree with Chen and have been disgusted by the Stalinist right and lefts positions on the war issue. We as creative arts people, of all peoples, should be in the best position not to be swayed by propoganda and agitprop. I like edvidence based facts. These are very hard to come by in any war situation. The Middle East is a hornet's nest of waring nationalist and dictatorial ambitions shored up by extreme religious fascists and nationalists. Anyone who claims the visions of a prophet or seer is simply a con.
As a retired journalist and professor I seek balance and discussion as the way forward. Eventually this most recent bloodbath will end. What follows is what will either point a way out of this quicksand that the Gazian and Israeli peoples are caught up in as the crazy nationalists and fanatics in power on both sides of this make ordinary people pay the price.
There are peacemakers on both side more than willing to come up with working solutions but the current leaderships in Hamas (the attacker) and Israel (the revenger)only care for their agendas. Thus no hostages have been freed since the first attempts and the relentless bombing, shooting, and unacceptable starvation and displacement of the Gazan civilians continues while the fanatics in the West Bank commit atrocities against the Palestians Arabs there. The history is so complicated that one hardly knows what words to use to describe the indigenous peoples of this region throughout history and since 1949.
This is why I supporrt Chen and deplore the hatchet job that Guenica committed against her, their editor and a well written piece on the situation. Chen's is a respectful, and balanced point of view. But this kind of self censorship and blatant censorship across the cultural continuum. It is happening among creatives. It ignores as well the planted operatives, especailly in liberal and left organizations where ignorant, well meaning, ahistorical individuals who deplore war violent act out their anger. As well as among privileged people who want a feel good while never having been to war. It is a great jump on the bandwagon opportunity for attention getting and a moment to act out their hostilities.
What the divisionism does is fuels antisemitism here and abroad and it completely misunderstands how this undermines democracy as opposed to dictatorships, it loves to blame government, especially Americas when the current administration is doing all in its power to try and stop the bloodshed and negotiate a solution while still desperately trying to support a long time ally.
I follow the White House briefings-do the critics? I read foreign takes on the on-going conflict, do the demonstrators? I write "not in my name," and I don't hop on to the blame and shame bandwagon--do you?
Neither Chen nor I are for war but we are careful about what language we use, the meanings of our terms and how not to be driven by emotions and impulses. Are the critics? You decide for yourselves where you stand and try to find your own ground so you can come up with possible solutions to end the conflict. Leave the justice to come within the laws of conflict to those who are far more qualified than me or thee are in a position to make.