"Raw, Resonant, Risk-Taking." A Chat With Cindy DiTiberio, Rudri Patel, Lolita Pierce and Andrea Lani, Editors of Literary Mama

Publisher and Editors of long-standing mom-themed lit mag take us behind the scenes

Happy Monday, friends. Another editor interview is in the books!

Actually, today’s interview was with several editors, as I had the pleasure of chatting with Cindy DiTiberio, Rudri Patel, Lolita Pierce and Andrea Lani, Editors of Literary Mama. This online magazine “honors the many faces of motherhood by publishing work that celebrates the journey as well as the job.” Founded in 2003, this journal now has a whopping 24 editors on its staff.

Andrea, who has been with the journal the longest, shared how the original conception of the journal was to publish work that was “too raw, too real, too literary and too radical for mainstream publications.” To this day, that mission has continued. Fiction Editor Lolita Pierce described a desire to see work that is “raw, resonant and risk-taking.” They like material that is vulnerable, fresh and crosses boundaries, whether in the realm of culture or language.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn of this magazine’s editorial process, which is far more welcoming than that of most lit mags. Lolita responds to each story submission with personalized feedback and with the intent of giving writers as much support as possible, even if a particular piece is not exactly right for Literary Mama. At this magazine, she said, “There is no slush pile.”

For pieces that are right, these editors will often work with the writer before publication. While writers should unquestionably send their best work, these editors go through multiple rounds of edits with their writers, and a piece not being “publication ready” may not be a reason for rejection. What’s more important is that the piece is exciting and “assertive in its voice.”

Some topics these editors tend to see a lot of include miscarriage, IVF, the difficulty of labor, as well as mama-writers writing from the same socio-economic class. Such topics or backgrounds are not off limits, but these editors do encourage submissions from a wider range of authors. Lolita specifically would like to see more work representing different class backgrounds, as well as more BIPOC and LGBTQ writers.

The magazine publishes Creative Nonfiction, Fiction (including flash fiction), Poetry, Literary Reflections, Profiles and Reviews.

Reviews Editor Rudri Patel shared useful insights into what type of reviews she likes to see. Ideally, it’s something of a mix between the personal essay and critical analysis. The review should explore why the book connected to the writer in a meaningful way and should make the reader want to go out and buy the book. No negative reviews, please, as this magazine is a space to support writers and uplift writer-parents.

As Cindy, the magazine’s publisher explained, this magazine is open for submissions year-round. They publish online six times per year.

In addition to reading the magazine itself, you can keep up with them by signing up for their newsletter, following them on Twitter, Facebook Instagram, and checking their blog, where they periodically post calls for submissions. They will also have three new editorial jobs opening up soon, so if you’d like to get involved with them, be on the lookout.

What else do these editors want to see in submissions? Why do they think there aren’t more mom-themed lit mags out there? How has the writing landscape changed for mothers who want to tell their stories?

All that and more in today’s interview!

To all who came out today, thank you for tuning in! Your faces are the daffodils in my day!

And, of course, thank you to Cindy, Andrea, Lolita and Rudri for taking the time to peel back the curtain of another vital little magazine.

Happy viewing!