It’s been quite a month, dear readers. As most of you know, I’ve been traveling in France, much of that time with limited internet. Logging off once in a while is something I cannot recommend enough.
Even better if you find yourself in all sorts of curious company.
My seven-year-old daughter had the honor of naming the animals we encountered. Among such names were “Brian,” “Max,” “Sam,” and—my personal favorite—”Melted Oil.”
What the duck does this have to do with literary magazines?
Nothing, really. Except to say, another big blob of time has gone by full of all manner of adventures. And thus we have arrived at the last weekend of the month.
You know what that means.
It is time for all of you to step forward, tell us about what you’ve been up to and where you’ve published lately.
Indeed, it is time to celebrate you—your successes, your accomplishments, your rugged perseverance, your hard work and your absolute unwavering dedication to your craft.
Tell us, friends. Where did your work appear this past month?
Don’t be shy!
Share the link(s).
Tell us the details. How did you find this particular lit mag? How many other journals did you send your work to before this piece found its home?
Did you edit the piece as you submitted it or did it get picked up pretty much in its original form?
Did you work with the editor(s) on revision? What was that experience like?
Are you pleased with the final product?
Come on out. Now is your time.
Step right up and brag your lit mag!
And here’s one last picture. Do you see the rainbow? Ain’t that something.
Thanks for all the great photos, Becky! It’s been a kind month, with two flash fiction pieces published and three more accepted, plus one longlisted. I sent each to only a handful of magazines; lovely editors, and no changes requested so far. I’ve found some magazines via lists included here (thank you, Becky!) and some via author bios on pieces I’ve read and liked.
I had a true ghost story accepted by Paranormal Press; a story about London accepted by Mysterious Ink for an anthology of reprints (cool idea!); published a reprint of a comic flash essay in Stone of Madness. There may be more, but that's all I can remember right now at 4am (we've had thunderstorms here that woke our dogs and us super early).
What I do know is that I'm at 52 published or accepted essays or stories in just under two years, including some reprints. It's been an amazingly fruitful writing time for me once I got my bearings during the pandemic. I've also been inspired by the writers I've been editing and coaching at writewithoutborders.com.
How did I pick the pubs above? Checking their websites, reading their guidelines and sampling what they were publishing.
I published a deeply personal story that took me years to understand. Writing this piece was not easy—it required introspection, vulnerability, and a lot of courage. I published it hoping that it would help others who may be going through similar situations. https://minervarising.com/glimpses-by-anne-e-beall/
I have not commented before - thought I'd mention two recent publications, in Mutha Magazine and Heimat Review. Both editors accepted very quickly, and were both great to work with. Links are at:
Congratulations to my Lit Mag colleagues reporting on their publications here. Thanks to Lit Mag for this opportunity to share good news.
I'm at the point in my brief writing career - I started writing poetry two years ago - where rejections are almost welcome. At least it means that someone has read my work! That said, it is always a thrill to get an acceptance.
Recently, I have been writing poems about the gun culture in this country. It made sense to submit to gun control advocacy publishers and to journals know for publishing grit lit. It's such an honor to have Bullets Into Bells (other contributors include Richard Blanco and Rita Dove!) publish my poem We Carry <https://bulletsintobells.com/2023/05/31/we-carry/>. My poem Absolute: For Ukraine was published in New York Quarterly <https://nyq.org/magazine/article/baum-absolute/>. Cowboy Jamboree Press published my poem I See Your Ghost, and then accepted my chapbook How to Rob a Convenience Store for publication in 2024.
Jul 29, 2023·edited Jul 29, 2023Liked by Becky Tuch
If I may be permitted a retroactive brag as a reader initially shy to comment here, "Molten Summer Reverie" is a prose poem I wrote especially for a Canadian journal of surrealist writing. In a quirk of synchronicity, after waiting a month with no word, it was accepted the day after reading it at a poetry event here in Melbourne, Australia. (Did she hear me across the seas? ) I found "Aurora Journal" as I was googling "journals surrealist themes". I loved its aesthetic, read madly, & wrote a poem I felt fit the editor's definition of surrealism (dreamy / ethereal is her preference - although I'd say not a definitive definition of surrealism!). I had 2 beta reader's feedback & it underwent numerous revisions to be accepted without change. It's a paying journal & I'm delighted it landed in its intended home . The E.I.C provides her published authors a wonderful summary feedback that could be used as a review.
A flash fiction was longlisted for a UK anthology. The longlist consisted of 105 pieces from 584 entries, so although it wasn't shortlisted, this "re-emerging" writer sees this as encouraging feedback.: )
Lastly, another flash fic "Unmasking Desire" was accepted for a journal with Substack origins (now on a separate site). "Exist Otherwise" is a bi-monthly themed journal drawn from 20th-century surrealist (I'm sensing a pattern here), gender-fluid artist Claude Cahun. (David Bowie exhibited their work in NY around 2006). I discovered the journal via a rabbit-hole, starting on a recent Authors Publish newsletter. I didn't resonate with the listed journal, but the other links turned up this gem. The theme was around masks / identity. I decided to work a prose poem into flash fiction - maybe 30 minutes of editing. I submitted & 3 days later it was accepted. Eric sends out proofs, so mine was slightly tweaked (all my suggestions). Delighted with how it's been presented ! Just a heads up - it's under a "resurrected" pseudonym.(I used to publish intelligent erotica & blog about sexuality.) This isn't explicit, but it does explore desire & sexuality- & my pseudonym insisted on claiming it. There's a comments section & I know Eric would love if you commented (moi aussi!)
I'm always researching where to send my poetry and prose. WOMPO's listserve is a good place to see where other women writers are getting their poetry published. Poets & Writers Magazine also lists many journals and presses, and so does The Writer's Chronicle.
I'm trying to find an editor interested in an essay about my experiences as a woman who was sexually harassed for many years by a male member of my synagogue, while the rabbi and the synagogue "leaders" did very little to assist me. At the end of my esssay, I make recommendations for changing policies to make it harder for such abuse to happen in houses of worship. Do any of you know of a good venue for such an essay? If so, please let me know. Thank you!
Becky, I grew up in Wisconsin, and your photos of cows brought back many good memories of my home state. Have a great time in France!
This week my 2nd flash fiction "Taking Mary Oliver's Advice" was published by Cotton Xenomorph. I discovered the journal on Twitter and I was very impressed with the work I read. I'd sent this story to 17 journals and received 14 rejections. I had a very interesting experience when I withdrew from two of the journals that hadn't yet responded: they invited me to submit more work - and these are both dream journals for me!
Jul 29, 2023·edited Jul 29, 2023Liked by Becky Tuch
This month saw my longeset piece in Spanish ever published in Luvina, the lit mag of The University of Guadalajara , Mexico (on paper and online). This marks the first time my name has ever appeared on a lit mag's cover, which is a heart-warming achievement, as is my company in the issue, some of Latin America's best contemporary writers. If you read Spanish, here it is: https://luvina.com.mx/la-historia-de-mi-lengua-d-p-snyder/ . Additionally, my translation of the bone-chilling story of motherhood gone wrong, "Instinct" by Basque contemporary writer Mónica Crespo, appears in print in the Summer issue of beautiful Ploughshares, thanks to a quick yes from guest editor, novelist Tom Perrotta. Having our work in Ploughshares is a dream come true!
Becky, those pictures are amazing. Looks like a fantastic trip! This month I have a short story out in Fabula Argentea. I had a feeling it was perfect for them, and I only submitted it to that journal. I received an acceptance in three weeks. The EIC, Rick Taubold, is excellent--he does what he says he will when he says he will, and I was paid ($10) within days of publication. He suggested a few minor edits (generally about comma placement and paragraph breaks). I accepted all but one, and he agreed to leave it alone without a fuss. Two things set this journal apart: 1) at the end of each piece, they explain why they chose it, and 2) the pieces are eclectic, so you can sometimes get away with humor. (Note, however, that they are not on social media, although there is an active comment section on their website.) Here's the link:
I also have a prose poem out in Lost Balloon, another great journal with a lovely EIC. This piece took some time to place (I submitted to numerous journals and racked up both form and high-tier rejections). I think I heard back from Lost Balloon within two months. No payment, but they have a large online following and heavily promote pieces on social media. No edits were proposed.
July was relatively quiet, not all months can be gangbuster. I had an atmospheric piece, "On a Dusty Road" picked up by The Yard - Crime Blog. They're here, on Substack. I'm not sure how I found them, maybe through this newsletter :) . I tend to look at mags that publish writer buddies, especially when I like their story! So here's the link: https://theyardcrimeblog.com/2023/07/06/on-a-dusty-road-texas-ranger/ . First submission, no edits. Added little pat on the back, they used two of my pictures of West Texas to illustrate the piece. I like that. Now, if I may, I'm August guest editor at Punk Noir Magazine. Subs open August 1 and will close August 24. I will read and select as the weeks go, so if you're interested, don't wait till the 24th. There's a theme and 2,500 words max. No stipend but tons of love! You can find about it here - https://punknoirmagazine.wordpress.com/punk-noir-magazine-3/
Devil's Party Press is publishing a collection of my short stories now available for presale. Thirteen years ago when I began writing more often because my kids were in college and didn't need me as much and I was downright lost and depressed about that, I never thought I'd be able to do this. It's been a joy of a journey and a lot of grit and determination. The very best part is all the writing friends I have made in critique groups, seminars, workshops, getaways. If you have the time and you like short stories please visit me at https://virginiawatts.com/.
This month I saw my poem "Barn Buzzard" published in Walloon Writers Review, a print only publication about northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. It's sold at a number of Michigan bookshops as well as ThriftBooks online. When my siblings and I got together at the old family farm in Cheboygan County last week, I shared it with them and was glad to see they didn't mind that I'd compared all of us to the buzzard that perched on the beam of the fallen barn! If nothing else, we share a good sense of humor.
Last year I bought a copy from a bookshop in Petosky to get a feel for what they like, which is general audience work about the area from people with some connection to Northern Michigan, even as tourists. I'd submitted two pieces but had to withdraw one when it became part of the Tethers End poetry collection under contract with Shanti Arts.
Congrats everyone! I'm excited to share that I just had a craft essay accepted by Cleaver, which was recently featured in Lit Mag News. It's a piece focused on the threats to creative writers posed by generative AI - with a note of hope from Faulkner and, of all places, the US Navy. The editor and I are working on revisions so I don;t have a link yet to share.
I had some trouble placing this piece, and I didn't know The Raven Review well until I found them and submitted. As with the others, they were friendly and professional. They put out a quality publication.
I apologize for the superficial summaries of my publication experiences up there, but these past few months have been busy.
I work quickly, write daily, and submit a lot I started writing for publication at the end of 2019.
November 22, 2022- January 4, 2023, for acceptance; publications July 3, 2023. "The Short Form of Love", in Citron Review. Sent it out twice before. Picked the journal because I admire the poets they select. Small revisions for a small poem. No editing by journal. A lovely experience.
My sestina, "Six," appeared this month in Last Stanza Poetry Journal. There's no online link, and even as a contributor, I have to buy a copy. The editor wanted me to change a few lines that, for me, violated the integrity of the sestina (because she wanted to change the end words in one stanza). I asked and received the opportunity to revise, but alas, I couldn't sustain the sestina in a way that incorporated her changes. So, it appeared as a quasi-sestina. Sigh. You can read about the themed issue, "The Things We Carry," here: https://laststanzapoetry.blogspot.com/2023/03/callout-for-issue-13-of-last-stanza.html
This is actually a deep revision of the first piece I ever submitted to a lit mag over a year ago! Originally, this was a short poem formatted in the style of a note-to-self you might jot down in your Notes App (like the poor man's "Notebook Fragments" by Ocean Vuong). It was my first rejection and in hindsight the rejection was totally fair, but at the time I was devastated. I shelved the piece and returned to it this spring to see if I could salvage something, and after working with it for a while, I realized that where I was going wrong was that this was a CNF piece, not a poem! I'm really proud of how it turned out.
I also submitted it to two other magazines, but Mag 20/20 got to it first. I didn't do any edits, but I did record myself reading it for their website! That's always something I've wanted to do for one of my publications, so that was incredibly cool, but way harder than I expected.
In July, I had two poems accepted for the debut issue (coming out in early August) of RECESSES, a "zine based in Birmingham, UK, but open to the world".
My poem, 'tadpole', was accepted by Granfalloon, my third piece published in this speculative journal, one I really enjoy.
Two other inaugural journals have accepted my poems for their first issues: Wireworm and Do Geese See God: A Literary Magazine.
One of my newer poems was also accepted by Lowestoft Chronicle with a one-day turnaround. I was especially pleased with how this poem turned out, so it made me very happy to find a home for it so quickly!
Also, this month, I started a volunteer Reader gig for White Cresset Arts Journal.
I'm continuing my New Year's resolution to write a haiku or small poem every day (give or take!) and I'm also enjoying my participation (for the 4th year in a row) in the Poetry Postcard Festival, an opportunity to playfully create - and exchange! - postcards with other likeminded creatives. I highly recommend it!
Like most writing opps, I must have found the call on Twitter. I sent the essay to a total of nine (!) journals, including to a contest where it was named a finalist. I withdrew it from the contest after Ninth Letters’s acceptance.
I edited it a few times, including the title. The editors were very responsive and helpful during the editing process especially as I improved the ending. They also allayed my fears about the originality of the form.
I’ve been wanting to experiment with hermit crab essays. I had lots of fun writing this piece, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with 26 pieces.
It's inspiring to read everyone's story of their acceptances and then to read the pieces themselves. I'm fairly new to writing creative nonfiction and was pleased to have an essay accepted in June and then another in July, Bread and Butter. It wasn't a story I was sure most journals would be interested in from the beginning. It was rejected eight times.
Then along came Wild Greens to say they would publish it in their Neighborhood issue. I had happened upon the call for submissions by chance a few days before the deadline. I was thrilled it found a home in a lovely magazine. The editor was kind and wonderful to work with.
In dialogue with Mad Swirl: a creative outlet about a poem of mine called I WANT TO BE YOUR LOVER. The cool thing about Mad Swirl is that if they accept 3 of your poems they’ll dedicate a page to you in their poetry forum. I was in dialogue with Editor M.H. about cutting the last 4 lines of the poem but he will not and ‘dems are the breaks I guess. This kind of thing never bothered me before but I’m feeling like poet C.A. Conrad and that the poem wasn’t finished, just orphaned.
Funny thing is this poem was accepted without those last 4 lines by Book Of Matches, A Literary Journal, but I got my wires crossed and it ended up appearing in Mad Swirl before I could withdraw the sub. That’s the first time that’s ever happened in 13 years of submitting poetry. It’s a good problem to have and the only recourse I have is to run the piece how I want it in THIRD ACT, my 10th full-length poetry collection due out in ‘24.
My poem “Midwestern” was in the recent Prairie Schooner. The last time I had a poem in PS was in 1998! So I was pleased. “Midwestern” had been submitted many places over the years, in many revised versions. When I finally got it revised to what might be its best form I decided to start at the top of my list and sent it to Prairie Schooner. I also just got an acceptance from Rattle, another on my top list, for a poem called “Fresh”. When I wrote “Fresh” I thought that it sounded like the type of poem, the pacing etc., that Tim would like, so I only sent it to him. My acceptance to rejection ratio is about 1% to 99%, but I have not been sending poems out so regularly the past year or so. There are fewer poems I feel are ready. My second collection was just published by Rebel Satori Press, after being rejected by at least 20 presses over the years, and revised accordingly. I had just gotten it revised into a form I felt good about, again, and Rebel Satori had a call for Queer Mojo titles. I sent the book in believing it was neither queer nor mojo enough, but they took it! https://rebelsatori.com/product/blue-like-apples/ My website www.rasma.org needs updating, but sharing it here will motivate me to get that done!
This was a response to a themed submission call, and I actually reduced the essay by about half its original word-count in the hours before the call was due! It's one I'd been working on and failing to place for multiple years now, and I'm so happy it got this home. The editors didn't do much hands-on with me, but they also were very good about letting everyone approve their pieces before publishing and paid what they could. It was a good experience and I would recommend submitting to them if you are a sports type at all--which I'd generally say I am *not,* so I am tickled pink over this!
The fallow clouds finally parted and my novel excerpt, "Masks on Fire" is now on the new issue of Collidescope, an especially smart and visually exciting journal! Newest version of the novel departs from this part, but if it gets readers interested, all the better! Thanks editor George Salis!!
Deep Overstock was one of the first journals to accept my work and I've grown rather fond of their themed issues, their personal responses, their quick turnaround, and their professional touch.
Got a poem out in Provenance. It’s my first try at the luc bat form, and was written after a visit to Angel Island, which housed military training grounds and also internment camps during the first half of the 1900s.
My poem "Spirit in the Dark at the Church of Zoom" was accepted by Feral journal of poetry & art after being rejected by 28 other lit mags (https://feralpoetry.net/spirit-in-the-dark-by-la-felleman/). The rejections didn't cause me to edit the poem; I kept submitting it as is until it found a home. The theme of Issue 16 is Music, my poem was inspired by an Aretha Franklin performance, and the editor saw the fit, thankfully. I do like the layout of the online journal. Each literary piece is paired with original art on a webpage. Contributors do not get a free copy of the print version, so that's something to keep in mind if that is important to you. Overall, a good experience and I will submit to Feral again.
Thanks for all the great photos, Becky! It’s been a kind month, with two flash fiction pieces published and three more accepted, plus one longlisted. I sent each to only a handful of magazines; lovely editors, and no changes requested so far. I’ve found some magazines via lists included here (thank you, Becky!) and some via author bios on pieces I’ve read and liked.
“After-words” in Milk Candy Review: https://milkcandyreview.home.blog/2023/07/13/after-words-by-donna-shanley/
“The Rise” in The Ekphrastic Review: https://www.ekphrastic.net/the-ekphrastic-review/the-rise-by-donna-shanley
I had a true ghost story accepted by Paranormal Press; a story about London accepted by Mysterious Ink for an anthology of reprints (cool idea!); published a reprint of a comic flash essay in Stone of Madness. There may be more, but that's all I can remember right now at 4am (we've had thunderstorms here that woke our dogs and us super early).
What I do know is that I'm at 52 published or accepted essays or stories in just under two years, including some reprints. It's been an amazingly fruitful writing time for me once I got my bearings during the pandemic. I've also been inspired by the writers I've been editing and coaching at writewithoutborders.com.
How did I pick the pubs above? Checking their websites, reading their guidelines and sampling what they were publishing.
I published a deeply personal story that took me years to understand. Writing this piece was not easy—it required introspection, vulnerability, and a lot of courage. I published it hoping that it would help others who may be going through similar situations. https://minervarising.com/glimpses-by-anne-e-beall/
I have not commented before - thought I'd mention two recent publications, in Mutha Magazine and Heimat Review. Both editors accepted very quickly, and were both great to work with. Links are at:
https://www.muthamagazine.com/2023/06/love-and-the-terror-of-loss/?fbclid=IwAR0l9V1Kxy2tIChgz49jXWh7naXWGVSA7XbTn7D9HWK5CRiioHfeWP_Z4BA
and
https://www.heimatreview.com/joy-in-unexpected-fields.html
I also just launched my personal website: www.lizbirdwrites.com
My new book dropped. https://www.amazon.com/Brief-Natural-History-Women/dp/1957248130
Congratulations to my Lit Mag colleagues reporting on their publications here. Thanks to Lit Mag for this opportunity to share good news.
I'm at the point in my brief writing career - I started writing poetry two years ago - where rejections are almost welcome. At least it means that someone has read my work! That said, it is always a thrill to get an acceptance.
Recently, I have been writing poems about the gun culture in this country. It made sense to submit to gun control advocacy publishers and to journals know for publishing grit lit. It's such an honor to have Bullets Into Bells (other contributors include Richard Blanco and Rita Dove!) publish my poem We Carry <https://bulletsintobells.com/2023/05/31/we-carry/>. My poem Absolute: For Ukraine was published in New York Quarterly <https://nyq.org/magazine/article/baum-absolute/>. Cowboy Jamboree Press published my poem I See Your Ghost, and then accepted my chapbook How to Rob a Convenience Store for publication in 2024.
My website is https://www.rachelrbaum.net/poetry. Be well.
If I may be permitted a retroactive brag as a reader initially shy to comment here, "Molten Summer Reverie" is a prose poem I wrote especially for a Canadian journal of surrealist writing. In a quirk of synchronicity, after waiting a month with no word, it was accepted the day after reading it at a poetry event here in Melbourne, Australia. (Did she hear me across the seas? ) I found "Aurora Journal" as I was googling "journals surrealist themes". I loved its aesthetic, read madly, & wrote a poem I felt fit the editor's definition of surrealism (dreamy / ethereal is her preference - although I'd say not a definitive definition of surrealism!). I had 2 beta reader's feedback & it underwent numerous revisions to be accepted without change. It's a paying journal & I'm delighted it landed in its intended home . The E.I.C provides her published authors a wonderful summary feedback that could be used as a review.
https://www.theaurorajournal.org/winter-2023-volume/molten-summer-reverie
A flash fiction was longlisted for a UK anthology. The longlist consisted of 105 pieces from 584 entries, so although it wasn't shortlisted, this "re-emerging" writer sees this as encouraging feedback.: )
Lastly, another flash fic "Unmasking Desire" was accepted for a journal with Substack origins (now on a separate site). "Exist Otherwise" is a bi-monthly themed journal drawn from 20th-century surrealist (I'm sensing a pattern here), gender-fluid artist Claude Cahun. (David Bowie exhibited their work in NY around 2006). I discovered the journal via a rabbit-hole, starting on a recent Authors Publish newsletter. I didn't resonate with the listed journal, but the other links turned up this gem. The theme was around masks / identity. I decided to work a prose poem into flash fiction - maybe 30 minutes of editing. I submitted & 3 days later it was accepted. Eric sends out proofs, so mine was slightly tweaked (all my suggestions). Delighted with how it's been presented ! Just a heads up - it's under a "resurrected" pseudonym.(I used to publish intelligent erotica & blog about sexuality.) This isn't explicit, but it does explore desire & sexuality- & my pseudonym insisted on claiming it. There's a comments section & I know Eric would love if you commented (moi aussi!)
https://existotherwise.cc/unmasking-desire/
Becky, I love this community & your posts are always inspiring & informative. :)
my poem appeared in Poetica Magazine: Catering- a poem about the Machtesh Ramon crater in Israel and what it represented to me.
Dear Friends,
I had four poems published in July. I have listed them below.
“Your Angry Words.” (tanka) Moonbathing #28 (Spring/Summer 2023): 8.
“A Former Patient Returns.” ONE ART (June 27, 2023). https://oneartpoetry.com/2023/06/27/a-former-patient-returns-by-janet-ruth-heller/ I wrote this poem in the 1980s and am happy to have found such a good home for this work.
“Black Sheep.” (senryu) The Frameless Sky 18 (June 2023): online.
“Cottonwood Seeds.” (tanka) Ribbons 19.2 (Spring/Summer 2023): 42.
I'm always researching where to send my poetry and prose. WOMPO's listserve is a good place to see where other women writers are getting their poetry published. Poets & Writers Magazine also lists many journals and presses, and so does The Writer's Chronicle.
I'm trying to find an editor interested in an essay about my experiences as a woman who was sexually harassed for many years by a male member of my synagogue, while the rabbi and the synagogue "leaders" did very little to assist me. At the end of my esssay, I make recommendations for changing policies to make it harder for such abuse to happen in houses of worship. Do any of you know of a good venue for such an essay? If so, please let me know. Thank you!
Becky, I grew up in Wisconsin, and your photos of cows brought back many good memories of my home state. Have a great time in France!
Best wishes!
Janet Ruth Heller
This week my 2nd flash fiction "Taking Mary Oliver's Advice" was published by Cotton Xenomorph. I discovered the journal on Twitter and I was very impressed with the work I read. I'd sent this story to 17 journals and received 14 rejections. I had a very interesting experience when I withdrew from two of the journals that hadn't yet responded: they invited me to submit more work - and these are both dream journals for me!
Here's the link: https://www.cottonxenomorph.com/journal/2023/7/27/taking-mary-oliver-advice
This month saw my longeset piece in Spanish ever published in Luvina, the lit mag of The University of Guadalajara , Mexico (on paper and online). This marks the first time my name has ever appeared on a lit mag's cover, which is a heart-warming achievement, as is my company in the issue, some of Latin America's best contemporary writers. If you read Spanish, here it is: https://luvina.com.mx/la-historia-de-mi-lengua-d-p-snyder/ . Additionally, my translation of the bone-chilling story of motherhood gone wrong, "Instinct" by Basque contemporary writer Mónica Crespo, appears in print in the Summer issue of beautiful Ploughshares, thanks to a quick yes from guest editor, novelist Tom Perrotta. Having our work in Ploughshares is a dream come true!
Becky, those pictures are amazing. Looks like a fantastic trip! This month I have a short story out in Fabula Argentea. I had a feeling it was perfect for them, and I only submitted it to that journal. I received an acceptance in three weeks. The EIC, Rick Taubold, is excellent--he does what he says he will when he says he will, and I was paid ($10) within days of publication. He suggested a few minor edits (generally about comma placement and paragraph breaks). I accepted all but one, and he agreed to leave it alone without a fuss. Two things set this journal apart: 1) at the end of each piece, they explain why they chose it, and 2) the pieces are eclectic, so you can sometimes get away with humor. (Note, however, that they are not on social media, although there is an active comment section on their website.) Here's the link:
https://fabulaargentea.com/index.php/article/the-best-neighbors-by-colette-parris/
I also have a prose poem out in Lost Balloon, another great journal with a lovely EIC. This piece took some time to place (I submitted to numerous journals and racked up both form and high-tier rejections). I think I heard back from Lost Balloon within two months. No payment, but they have a large online following and heavily promote pieces on social media. No edits were proposed.
https://lost-balloon.com/2023/07/12/on-retraction-colette-parris/
Happy weekend to all! :)
I've had a poem recently in Open: Journal of Arts and Letters: https://ojalart.com/poetry-all-forms-stylesrobbie-nesterspace-talk/
Also 2 poems in The Journal of Radical Wonder and a third coming out in a couple of days. Here's one of them: https://medium.com/the-journal-of-radical-wonder/emily-dickinson-in-the-virtual-world-3b0f3b4f0477
Poems accepted to Minyan, One Art, and Sheila Na Gig forthcoming.
July was relatively quiet, not all months can be gangbuster. I had an atmospheric piece, "On a Dusty Road" picked up by The Yard - Crime Blog. They're here, on Substack. I'm not sure how I found them, maybe through this newsletter :) . I tend to look at mags that publish writer buddies, especially when I like their story! So here's the link: https://theyardcrimeblog.com/2023/07/06/on-a-dusty-road-texas-ranger/ . First submission, no edits. Added little pat on the back, they used two of my pictures of West Texas to illustrate the piece. I like that. Now, if I may, I'm August guest editor at Punk Noir Magazine. Subs open August 1 and will close August 24. I will read and select as the weeks go, so if you're interested, don't wait till the 24th. There's a theme and 2,500 words max. No stipend but tons of love! You can find about it here - https://punknoirmagazine.wordpress.com/punk-noir-magazine-3/
Devil's Party Press is publishing a collection of my short stories now available for presale. Thirteen years ago when I began writing more often because my kids were in college and didn't need me as much and I was downright lost and depressed about that, I never thought I'd be able to do this. It's been a joy of a journey and a lot of grit and determination. The very best part is all the writing friends I have made in critique groups, seminars, workshops, getaways. If you have the time and you like short stories please visit me at https://virginiawatts.com/.
This month I saw my poem "Barn Buzzard" published in Walloon Writers Review, a print only publication about northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. It's sold at a number of Michigan bookshops as well as ThriftBooks online. When my siblings and I got together at the old family farm in Cheboygan County last week, I shared it with them and was glad to see they didn't mind that I'd compared all of us to the buzzard that perched on the beam of the fallen barn! If nothing else, we share a good sense of humor.
Last year I bought a copy from a bookshop in Petosky to get a feel for what they like, which is general audience work about the area from people with some connection to Northern Michigan, even as tourists. I'd submitted two pieces but had to withdraw one when it became part of the Tethers End poetry collection under contract with Shanti Arts.
Congrats everyone! I'm excited to share that I just had a craft essay accepted by Cleaver, which was recently featured in Lit Mag News. It's a piece focused on the threats to creative writers posed by generative AI - with a note of hope from Faulkner and, of all places, the US Navy. The editor and I are working on revisions so I don;t have a link yet to share.
Hello.
I responded very early this morning, but it was semi-coherent, I felt, so I'll try again.
I'm new to Lit Mag News. July 2023 was possibly my most prolific month for publications. I had six pieces go online.
Here are the links in roughly chronological order (they're all flash fiction):
"PETS" in Idle Ink: https://idleink.org/2023/07/01/pets-by-travis-flatt/
They were lovely and quick to work with. I'd send to them again in the future, for sure.
"Joseph's Gray Place" in Stone of Madness https://stoneofmadnesspress.com/issue-22/travis-flatt
Their response to my work was extremely kind. It bolstered my confidence.
"Star Birth" in AntipodeanSF https://www.antisf.com/the-stories/star-birth
For this journal/podcast I've recorded a reading, which will air later this year (I believe.) They said I sound like comedian Steven Wright. Ha.
"Theater Kid" in Sleet Magazine https://www.sleetmagazine.com/selected/flatt_v15n1.html
I started this story as a HAD prompt, and it morphed into this draft.
"Old Man Steve" in A Thin Slice of Anxiety http://www.athinsliceofanxiety.com/2023/07/fiction-old-man-steve.html
I've very fond of working with the editors here, they're quick and kind. Very professional. I highly recommend them.
"Poison Control" in The Raven Review https://www.theravenreview.org/poison-control-flatt.html
I had some trouble placing this piece, and I didn't know The Raven Review well until I found them and submitted. As with the others, they were friendly and professional. They put out a quality publication.
I apologize for the superficial summaries of my publication experiences up there, but these past few months have been busy.
I work quickly, write daily, and submit a lot I started writing for publication at the end of 2019.
My site is www.travisflattblog.com
Twitter(gross, I know):@WriterLeeFlatt
November 22, 2022- January 4, 2023, for acceptance; publications July 3, 2023. "The Short Form of Love", in Citron Review. Sent it out twice before. Picked the journal because I admire the poets they select. Small revisions for a small poem. No editing by journal. A lovely experience.
My sestina, "Six," appeared this month in Last Stanza Poetry Journal. There's no online link, and even as a contributor, I have to buy a copy. The editor wanted me to change a few lines that, for me, violated the integrity of the sestina (because she wanted to change the end words in one stanza). I asked and received the opportunity to revise, but alas, I couldn't sustain the sestina in a way that incorporated her changes. So, it appeared as a quasi-sestina. Sigh. You can read about the themed issue, "The Things We Carry," here: https://laststanzapoetry.blogspot.com/2023/03/callout-for-issue-13-of-last-stanza.html
I had a vignette-style CNF piece about Much Ado About Nothing and a very weird breakup published in Mag 20/20 this month. It's called "The Fourth Story": https://www.magtwentytwenty.com/post/the-fourth-story-eleanor-ball.
This is actually a deep revision of the first piece I ever submitted to a lit mag over a year ago! Originally, this was a short poem formatted in the style of a note-to-self you might jot down in your Notes App (like the poor man's "Notebook Fragments" by Ocean Vuong). It was my first rejection and in hindsight the rejection was totally fair, but at the time I was devastated. I shelved the piece and returned to it this spring to see if I could salvage something, and after working with it for a while, I realized that where I was going wrong was that this was a CNF piece, not a poem! I'm really proud of how it turned out.
I also submitted it to two other magazines, but Mag 20/20 got to it first. I didn't do any edits, but I did record myself reading it for their website! That's always something I've wanted to do for one of my publications, so that was incredibly cool, but way harder than I expected.
In July, I had two poems accepted for the debut issue (coming out in early August) of RECESSES, a "zine based in Birmingham, UK, but open to the world".
My poem, 'tadpole', was accepted by Granfalloon, my third piece published in this speculative journal, one I really enjoy.
Two other inaugural journals have accepted my poems for their first issues: Wireworm and Do Geese See God: A Literary Magazine.
One of my newer poems was also accepted by Lowestoft Chronicle with a one-day turnaround. I was especially pleased with how this poem turned out, so it made me very happy to find a home for it so quickly!
Also, this month, I started a volunteer Reader gig for White Cresset Arts Journal.
I'm continuing my New Year's resolution to write a haiku or small poem every day (give or take!) and I'm also enjoying my participation (for the 4th year in a row) in the Poetry Postcard Festival, an opportunity to playfully create - and exchange! - postcards with other likeminded creatives. I highly recommend it!
I published “Empirical Evidence: An Abecedary” in Ninth Letter’s online issue on Invisibility. http://www.ninthletter.com/summer-2023/summer-2023-cnf/514-zubiri
Like most writing opps, I must have found the call on Twitter. I sent the essay to a total of nine (!) journals, including to a contest where it was named a finalist. I withdrew it from the contest after Ninth Letters’s acceptance.
I edited it a few times, including the title. The editors were very responsive and helpful during the editing process especially as I improved the ending. They also allayed my fears about the originality of the form.
I’ve been wanting to experiment with hermit crab essays. I had lots of fun writing this piece, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with 26 pieces.
Congrats to all you super talented scribes.
This month I won 3rd prize (including some cash) in the Peter Cowan Writers Centre annual national 600-word short story competition. https://sixcrookedhighways.com/2023/06/25/at-the-end-of-the-word-2/
And Odd Magazine published my little snippet 'The Bus To Nowhere'. https://theoddmagazine.wixsite.com/oddity-26/odd-shorts
It's inspiring to read everyone's story of their acceptances and then to read the pieces themselves. I'm fairly new to writing creative nonfiction and was pleased to have an essay accepted in June and then another in July, Bread and Butter. It wasn't a story I was sure most journals would be interested in from the beginning. It was rejected eight times.
Then along came Wild Greens to say they would publish it in their Neighborhood issue. I had happened upon the call for submissions by chance a few days before the deadline. I was thrilled it found a home in a lovely magazine. The editor was kind and wonderful to work with.
It's here: https://www.wildgreensmagazine.com/magazine#h.8a55qzrjxkig
Becky, thanks for this forum! And tell your daughter Melted Oil is the best name.
I had a poem accepted by redrosethorns magazine. It’s a home/belonging theme. Hoping to soon get some micros into magazines too
In dialogue with Mad Swirl: a creative outlet about a poem of mine called I WANT TO BE YOUR LOVER. The cool thing about Mad Swirl is that if they accept 3 of your poems they’ll dedicate a page to you in their poetry forum. I was in dialogue with Editor M.H. about cutting the last 4 lines of the poem but he will not and ‘dems are the breaks I guess. This kind of thing never bothered me before but I’m feeling like poet C.A. Conrad and that the poem wasn’t finished, just orphaned.
Funny thing is this poem was accepted without those last 4 lines by Book Of Matches, A Literary Journal, but I got my wires crossed and it ended up appearing in Mad Swirl before I could withdraw the sub. That’s the first time that’s ever happened in 13 years of submitting poetry. It’s a good problem to have and the only recourse I have is to run the piece how I want it in THIRD ACT, my 10th full-length poetry collection due out in ‘24.
My poem “Midwestern” was in the recent Prairie Schooner. The last time I had a poem in PS was in 1998! So I was pleased. “Midwestern” had been submitted many places over the years, in many revised versions. When I finally got it revised to what might be its best form I decided to start at the top of my list and sent it to Prairie Schooner. I also just got an acceptance from Rattle, another on my top list, for a poem called “Fresh”. When I wrote “Fresh” I thought that it sounded like the type of poem, the pacing etc., that Tim would like, so I only sent it to him. My acceptance to rejection ratio is about 1% to 99%, but I have not been sending poems out so regularly the past year or so. There are fewer poems I feel are ready. My second collection was just published by Rebel Satori Press, after being rejected by at least 20 presses over the years, and revised accordingly. I had just gotten it revised into a form I felt good about, again, and Rebel Satori had a call for Queer Mojo titles. I sent the book in believing it was neither queer nor mojo enough, but they took it! https://rebelsatori.com/product/blue-like-apples/ My website www.rasma.org needs updating, but sharing it here will motivate me to get that done!
Here is a link to the backstory of my most recent short story publication, "The Chet Arthur Five Play Jeffersonville," in the Spring edition of Rock Salt Journal. I lost count of how many times I submitted it before I did a hatchet job to it. https://lizgauffreau.com/2023/06/28/short-story-publication-the-chet-arthur-five-play-jeffersonville/
Loved "melted oil". :)
Hello hello! I published a braided essay about contortion classes and trying to get chronic pain diagnosed. It's called "You Don't Break" and it's in Words and Sports Quarterly here: https://www.wasquarterly.com/sports/vol-3-no-1#you-don-t-break
This was a response to a themed submission call, and I actually reduced the essay by about half its original word-count in the hours before the call was due! It's one I'd been working on and failing to place for multiple years now, and I'm so happy it got this home. The editors didn't do much hands-on with me, but they also were very good about letting everyone approve their pieces before publishing and paid what they could. It was a good experience and I would recommend submitting to them if you are a sports type at all--which I'd generally say I am *not,* so I am tickled pink over this!
Cleaver was kind enough to just share my craft piece, "Navigating Back: Stargazing and the Threat of AI." Here's the link: https://www.cleavermagazine.com/navigating-back-stargazing-and-the-threat-of-ai-a-craft-essay-by-scott-hurd/
https://spillwords.com/facing-my-death/
I had poem accepted by Spillwords.
The fallow clouds finally parted and my novel excerpt, "Masks on Fire" is now on the new issue of Collidescope, an especially smart and visually exciting journal! Newest version of the novel departs from this part, but if it gets readers interested, all the better! Thanks editor George Salis!!
I had a short poem called "Photo Taken in Times Square, 2010" featured in the print edition of Deep Overstock where the theme was "Romance." This week I am featured reading it on their podcast. Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/do21-romance-ep-6-david-de-young-junix-seraph-photo/id1526944685?i=1000622788765
Or if you prefer to read:https://deepoverstock.com/2023/07/01/photo-taken-in-times-square-2010-by-david-de-young/
Deep Overstock was one of the first journals to accept my work and I've grown rather fond of their themed issues, their personal responses, their quick turnaround, and their professional touch.
Got a poem out in Provenance. It’s my first try at the luc bat form, and was written after a visit to Angel Island, which housed military training grounds and also internment camps during the first half of the 1900s.
My poem "Spirit in the Dark at the Church of Zoom" was accepted by Feral journal of poetry & art after being rejected by 28 other lit mags (https://feralpoetry.net/spirit-in-the-dark-by-la-felleman/). The rejections didn't cause me to edit the poem; I kept submitting it as is until it found a home. The theme of Issue 16 is Music, my poem was inspired by an Aretha Franklin performance, and the editor saw the fit, thankfully. I do like the layout of the online journal. Each literary piece is paired with original art on a webpage. Contributors do not get a free copy of the print version, so that's something to keep in mind if that is important to you. Overall, a good experience and I will submit to Feral again.
What an inspiring group, overall! I have many links open to be read this week... thanks, one & all, for posting!
Molten Summer Reverie.
I had a piece appear in Unbroken, the prose poem journal. I like the look of the website if that's something you consider when submitting.
https://www.theunjournals.com/38c
It's one of a series and the first to find a home so that was nice to see.
I also had acceptances in DMQ Review and Red Rose Thorns.
Thanks so much, Meg!
enjoy, enjoy!! i am so jealous...
Thanks all! Yes, I've had a good month.
Thanks Jon! I'm glad to hear that Rick provides feedback on submissions.