Rebel Lit Mag, You've Torn Your Dress!
Lit Mag Incubator Program; serial plagiarist; more thoughts on men in publishing; Conduit v Conduit; Confessions of a Journal Editor; nasty rejection letters; when to follow up on a sub; and more!
Welcome to our bi-weekly news roundup!
Greetings Lit Magrobats,
This week in lit mags there is good news, there is legal news, and there are inside looks into the mysterious minds of magazine editors. Grab yourself a tall glass of ice-cold kombucha and let’s dive in!
As many lit mags reel from the recent revocation of their NEA grants, the indefatigable team at Chill Subs has stepped in with an opportunity. The crew announced on
last week the launch of their Lit Mag Incubator Program.So the NEA just screwed the literary world out of $350,000 by cutting grants from loads of lit mags and programs. And, well, we don’t have $350,000... But we have $5,000. So we’re going to put it to good use.
…we want to give a boost to folks who want to try something different.
There are no restrictions to enter. Your mag could be 50 years old and ready to innovate, or just an idea for a mag you wish you had the resources to create. There are no limits on genre, style, age, country, nonprofit status, or experience.
All we want to know is: Do you believe you can make your lit mag financially sustainable within one year? If yes, tell us your plan.
Any lit mag is eligible to apply for the program. Five chosen lit mags will receive $1,000 each “and brought into a private chat with Chill Subs and our growing Board of Editor-Advisors from The Sun, HAD, ONLY POEMS, and SmokeLong Quarterly.”
In less pleasant news, a new serial plagiarist has come into the light. On his Facebook page, One Art Editor Mark Danowsky posted:
Many editors report having work submitted by this writer. If you are an editor, you might wish to check your submissions queue and/or past contributors. Since posting this, Katz’s website, which held links to dozens of published works, has been removed.
Moving along, in my last newsletter I shared various opinions regarding declining male readership and the perception of fewer books by men getting published generally. It is in this context that Conduit Books was launched in England last spring. The press “seeks to publish literary fiction and memoir of the highest quality, focussing initially on male authors.”
In Only Men: Is The UK’s Newest Publisher Necessary?
reports that this new press “is causing a bit of a stir in the book world.” DeLone writes,These op-eds and the conceit behind Conduit Books as a men-only publisher seem to suggest that men reading books is a supply-side problem. That there are not enough men writing books and not enough publishers publishing books specifically for men. As someone who is down in the trenches of publishing, considering projects and watching many publications, this does not seem to be the reality.
DeLone, who is an editor at Atria Books, confirms that he receives many submissions by men and that his press also publishes many books by men. Ultimately he concludes,
What’s…important is not to lose sight on the ground level that authors and their identities shouldn’t be reduced to stats. Publishing or not publishing a writer exclusively based on their identity is fundamentally disrespectful. Part of the work that needs to be undertaken in book publishing is not just increasing the number of authors of color and different backgrounds blindly, but in creating sustainable cycles and giving them the same level of professional care and efforts that they haven’t always been historically afforded.
Meanwhile, Conduit Books is causing a bit of a stir in the U.S. as well. The founders of U.S.-based Conduit Books & Ephemera have issued a Cease-and-Desist letter to the UK press over its name. They say,
We were blindsided recently when we learned that a new press has infringed upon our trademarked name.
Unfortunately, we've been forced to hire legal counsel, who have issued a cease and desist letter against the publisher responsible for violating our trademark.
I reached out to Conduit Editor Steven Lee Beeber for more information. He wrote me:
Conduit Books has been publishing since 2018 and the press was founded in 1993, so it seemed unlikely that they were unaware of our existence. With that in mind, [Editor-in-Chief William Waltz] contacted a lawyer who did the dirty work. And when I say dirty work, I mean he had to waste our time and money on this nonsense. The “other” Conduit took three weeks to answer our cease and desist order, and their response was that their lawyer would be contacting us. That has yet to happen. Our assumption is that they will be forced to comply as they have clearly infringed on our copyright and undermined our mission with one that we strongly oppose.
In response to whether people have confused his press with the UK-based Conduit, Beeber told me:
A number of media outlets appear to have been confused, and both readers and writers have contacted us regarding our “new” editorial stance. We’ve since sent out a general notice reiterating our long-standing commitment to publishing amazing work from wherever it may come.
…We have been proudly publishing the most adventurous poetry since 1993 and books since 2018. We will continue to do so by showcasing a wide range of poetic voices from a wide range of backgrounds. If your readers would like to learn more about the only Conduit Books that matters, we invite them to visit our website.
A variety of inside looks into publishing caught my eye this week.
Founding Editor of the magazines Orca (now closed) and Tahoma Literary Review, Joe Ponepinto, has at last launched a Stack of his own.
is “dedicated to helping writers to better understand their endeavor—everything from working more creatively and efficiently, to identifying publishing opportunities…” He is seeking “[t]houghtful essays on aspects of creative writing, the writing life, and the business of writing and publishing.”In his first post Confessions of a Journal Editor, he writes,
I got to the point where I cringed whenever I opened a submission and saw that it was written in first-person, present tense. There were some days when it seemed like three-quarters of the submissions were written that way. Who is teaching emerging writers to write this way? Does it have something to do with our obsession with self-empowerment and personal validation?…Obviously some of those FPPTs were well done because we did publish a few, but I can’t help wondering whatever happened to good old-fashioned third-person, past tense. You don’t see that much anymore, but I feel it is a far better way to create character sympathy and engage readers. Admittedly, this probably due in part to my Catholic upbringing, which emphasizes selflessness over egoism. But I still think it’s right.
At What I Learned By Publishing My Own Lit Mag, Founder of The Faoileánach Journal
writes,…[O]ne day, I received the nastiest rejection email from a small literary magazine that I ever thought possible.
“You are only writing to get published, and it’s so obvious,” they told me. “You obviously have not read any of our other work, as yours does not fit in anywhere among something we would publish. Please never submit again.”
I was dumbfounded. I had done all my due diligence. Most rejections I let roll off my back, but this one felt like they had developed some kind of personal vendetta against me and my work. I had submitted exactly one poem. To this day, it is one of the most important poems I have written, for both myself and my readers.
After that experience, I had had enough with being treated like a submission rather than a human being. So I told myself I was going to start my own lit mag.
At
, has written On poetry competitions. Copley advises,…When choosing which prize to enter, or which poems to enter, don’t try to ‘play’ the system. Or, don’t enter what you think a particular judge will want to read. Bet on yourself, not on the judge.
It might be tempting to try and shape a poem around a judge’s own poetic interests, or even to choose a batch that you think will most ‘fit’ with their personal taste. If you find yourself doing this, remember that 300 other people are probably doing the same thing. For instance, for this most recent prize, I would estimate that nearly 40% of entries were bird-related. I get it. I love birds too. But at certain points I wondered whether some writers had sent in their bird work specifically because of my last book - that they were trying to ‘play’ the system and cater to their idea of what I would like.
At
, the editors have posted Behind the Scenes: Shortlisting Submissions.At Lemon Jelly Press, we prioritise publishing work that celebrates diversity in all its forms and actively seek to support writers from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds. Whether through lived experience, cultural identity, neurodivergence, disability, or socio-economic background, we are especially interested in work that brings fresh perspectives and fosters connection, empathy, and understanding. Our aim is to create space where all writers feel seen, supported, and celebrated. If we read a submission that is wonderful, but it means we cannot take on a piece of work of equal talent from a marginalised writer, or a story that celebrates diversity in a unique and talented way, it may have to be passed on.
At
, “Alle responds to: "How long to wait for a response from a literary magazine?” Alle answers the question,A well known author who recently published at a top literary journal, recommended that I submit to them. I used their name and wrote I wouldn't be submitting simultaneously…
Now I’m regretting that promise because I’m seeing how long litmags can take with their response. I might not be able to send it out again for a year! Any advice?
At
, Masters Review reader has posted Why I Turn Down Submissions.Your ending will absolutely make or break whether your piece gets published. I’ve read so many good pieces that I ended up saying no to because I was disappointed by the ending. There are a lot of different ways endings can go wrong, so make sure you’re dedicating the time and care necessary to stick the landing.
And at
, not to be confused with the site above, features a lit-mag-related podcast. In the latest episode, Why Do Lit Mags Often Face Closure? #DefunctLitMags Forrow looks at “why literary arts magazines, journals, and presses often decide to close their doors or can no longer stay open. She also touches base briefly on how they obtain funding or try to cover costs over time.”Finally, many of you have asked me in recent months about Fairy Tale Review. You’ve wondered if the magazine is still running and were curious if I had any intel. I can report that the journal is indeed going strong! Here is a little exchange I had last week:
Speaking of tracking down lit mags, it’s now time for everyone’s favorite intermittent feature of this newsletter…the Buellers! This is the space where we ask about lit mags that seem to have disappeared. Their websites may be active, their submissions might even be open, but their editors haven’t produced a new issue in awhile or seem otherwise missing, leaving us all to call out…
Below is a note I received from a readers about New Millennium Writings:
…a concern about the lit mag New Millennium Writings Awards. I’ve entered their contests for many years, and my short stories have always been named as finalists. Recently, in the 58th awards, I entered the poetry category, and one of my poems placed as a finalist. In submittable it states that in this category, the winner and all poetry finalists will appear in print. That was a while ago now, and no such print issue has manifested. On their website, the contact us button has been disarmed! I messaged them through submittable to ask when the print issue might appear, to no avail. They have now offered two contests since then, and I entered these before I began to sense something sketchy. I contacted chill subs to ask if they could shed any light on the situation, and they said it did indeed sound dodgy! They told me that NMW has not produced a print issue since 2019! I’ve also written to writer beware and am awaiting their reply. Meanwhile NMW has now added weekly poem of the week contests. So they’re taking it in! I wonder if you have any take on this sad exploitive situation?
Anyone have any information about this journal and its contests?
As for us, in case you missed it, I’ve updated the June schedule with the exact day and time for our interview with the editors of Sewanee Review. You can get those details, learn more and register right here:
And that you fitness fanatics and frantic runners-up-staircases because you always forgot something on the way out of the house (or think you have), you who emanate the essence of your divine being going hard as an equestrian on the elliptical, you treading water on that tricky sticky always-rolling treadmill, you doing your spins, you sprinting your way in, you rowing your way home, you and you, honing in on your own precise road to your goals, you in a state of high-knee histrionics and you enjoying the unending bliss of burpees, you who, let’s face it, really are quite high-intensity when it comes right down to it, and why shouldn’t you be, you life-grabbers and perfect-word hunters, you and you, everywhere, bench-pressing all that the dictionary contains, in every magical permutation and pulse-pounding incarnation, you runners, lifters, thinkers, and purely perfect poem breathers, is the news in literary magazines.
Have a most inspired week, pals.
Fondly,
Becky
And now a word from one of our lovely sponsors:
Submit a poem or short story to Superlative's June monthly feature competition - £100 prize, deadline 30th June.
Superlative publishes quality, innovative work by emerging short story writers and poets. We take great pride in literary loyalty, and endeavour to give our authors the best possible experience, promoting them as widely and fully as we are able.
Good luck!
Website: https://www.superlativelitjournal.com
Each day I write & submit my writing to lit-mags AND daily I make time for "literary citizenship." EX: Pangyrus solicits nominations for "unappreciated writers" & nominees will get a special invite to submit. That's one way I help others. I've also launched a "pilot program" to boost other people's lit-mag work by doing erasure poetry from the source, then sharing it on social media. * * * * Becky, I'd love to see a column on good literary citizenship - - aside from your own superb example! Thanks for everything - - even for news on lit-mag roguery and villainy . :-)
Lemon Jelly Press: "If we read a submission that is wonderful, but it means we cannot take on a piece of work of equal talent from a marginalised writer, or a story that celebrates diversity in a unique and talented way, it may have to be passed on."
I fall into three, arguably four, "marginalised" demographics. Had I been thinking about sending work to Lemon Jelly Press, this statement from the editors would have kept me from wasting their time, and mine.