Thank you for this beautiful Thanksgiving note in which we learn more about you. I am also grateful for the message of community and the reminder that we are not alone. We are better when we are conscious that, whether as writers or as human beings, we are always part of a whole, and it is up to us to put in the necessary energy to keep our communities strong and healthy. Lit Mag News is one of the best newsletters around and possibly the best literary-themed newsletter in the United States. Why? No false promises. Actionable information. No woo-woo. Penetrating investigation and discussions about difficult issues that impact writers. The conscious inclusion of diverse communities and the warm welcome to literary translators also matter to me. Finally, your bright and lively mind adds enormous value to the newsletter and the interviews and events you organize. Your native intelligence and humor bring a special flavor to the table and make the Lit Mag News community a place where I am glad to be. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Becky. Thank you to all of the colleagues who comment here, as we exchange ideas, opinions, and complaints "Chez Becky."
May I have your opinion on a lit mag, whose treatment rubbed me the wrong way?
I'd like to hear from you about this situation. And thanks in advance.
* * * * * * LIT MAG SITUATION * * * * * *
On Submittable, Wingless Dreamer's EIC Ruchi Acharya often posts calls. My Hallowe'en-themed poem was accepted for "Midnight Masquerade" (released on Amazon on Nov. 20, 2024) -- 225 pages. Only 8 poets are credited as "contributing authors." Atypically, there is a general blurb that lists everyone -- but not here. The "preview" does not list the T of C. either. Therefore, there is no way I can prove to AMZ Customer Service I have a poem inside so they can add it to my book list. So I asked EIC Ruchi Acharya to add my name; I noted that she was also cheating dozens of contributors by not offering to name them in a big blurb.
Ruchi's reply: "Tell AMZ to add you."
However, no matter which way I approached it with AMZ, their position is that only eight authors have been listed by the publisher in this 225-page book.
OK. May I have your advice, please? Thank you one and all.
I had a similar dilemma with AMZ. I sent them a screenshot of my story which should the title of my story, my name and the header included the name of the book. Have you tried this? Worked for me.
Wingless Dreamer's EIC Ruchi Acharya never sent me a pdf.
That's very good advice, Anne, if a writer has proof such as a pdf or a screen capture. I do have my acceptance letter. Do you think a letter will suffice? Thank you, Anne.
Not sure that would work. If you go to AMZ, select the book & look at Read Sample, you'll see the table of contents. Take a screenshot of that which shows your name. Good luck!
That's true, Martine. But spending money on a 225-page book to benefit an editor who has shortchanged nearly all her authors by not naming them in the credits . . . well, it just rubs me the wrong way. (I have one poem in it.)
Please be cautious about Wingless Dreamer's submission calls, friends.
Thanks so much for your lovely note, Becky. I set a goal this year to participate in literary community and yours is my favorite. It has been particularly meaningful to me since going into medical lockdown in September where I remain for probably the next few months following infusions and coming up mega-dose steroids. Lit Mag News has been a lifeline for me. I've met old friends and new, learned about lit mags and resources to increase my acceptance rates and just my knowledge in general.
So grateful to have this community you created and maintain, Becky. Although I tend to live a bit on the periphery of it, with family commitments and more that keep me from most group mtgs, I read and respond as much as possible. There is rarely a topic that doesn't resonate! Thank you for this nourishing space!
Becky, when you were at Grub Street in Boston I took a Saturday class with you and it was inspiring. Next time I went to follow you I found out you had moved. So sad and disappointed. And then earlier this year I found you again. Grateful me! I’m happy to be a member of your thriving and pulsing community of writers. Cheers to you and to us!
Wonderful note and thanks so much Becky. Fyi, I was asked to make a presentation to the Central Coast branch of the California Writers Club last week in Monterey on how to get published in literary magazines (I'm on the board of the SF Peninsula Branch). I couldn't help but put in a major plug for you and Lit Mag News! (Also one for Erik Klass and Submitit, btw). You've been such a great resource over the past few years in so many different ways, feeling a part of a writing community among them, and I deeply appreciate it. Kudos on reaching 14,000 paid subscribers!
yes yes yes to all the above. I, too, moved away from a VERY literary area to a small town
without a book store.......sigh.....more sighs.....but 3 wonder libraries...vibrant public library, new community college library and a small private college library! So I, with the aid of zoom
am surviving. AND Lit Mag News!!!! What a treasure that keeps me in touch with this important world of literature. Thank you Becky!!!!!!ruth moose
Becky, I am one of 14,000 faithful readers and admirers of your work here, your beautiful words, your gentle humour, your insights. Thank you for investing your whole heart into this community space. I am grateful for you!
You and I (and probably others) live in parallel universes. I followed a peripatetic path during my payday years in small-town journalism. Freed from the corporate check, my wife and I found ourselves with the liberty to choose a town, and created a process to winnow the possibilities, and found our home of going-on 25 years in Hood River, Ore. It was always horribly sad for me to leave much-loved colleagues as I traipsed off after a new job opportunity hundreds of miles away. Those friendships do not survive. It's been great, finding community here. The one thing we lack, however, is a rich literary sub-community. We're an hour from Portland, close but still too far for regular engagement. But that's not regret, just acknowledgment that we can't have it all. We've still built rewarding literary careers here in our lovely small town. Thanks for providing us here what we can't find in person where we live. Blessings to you and yours this marvelous day.
Becky - We've traveled the same cities apparently although I went in reverse from Pittsburgh to Boston and now live in Chapel Hill. Finding your writing community takes time but your Lit Mag News has brought such amazing journals & writers into my orbit I think that now I could live anywhere. Thank you for all you do! I am one of many who are thankful for your contributions to the writing community, not the least of which has been creating one here.
I'm late to this discussion, Becky, but I want to thank you for bringing up the topic of creative communities. It's been on my mind a lot lately. Once I was able to blithely enjoy discussions amongst writers, artists, musicians, actors, based on the trusted similarities in our fundamental world views. But in 2020 I began to see our reality tunnels diverging, and as the world has grown more polarized, I wish for a camaraderie that may never return. For writers, it may be especially difficult to discuss our craft without letting slip some of our foundational assumptions, premises that others do not share. More than don't share: "them's fightin' words." My view may be skewed because I live in a town where my ideas are vastly outnumbered by "theirs." I'm grateful for a small group of kindred spirits who meet monthly for a meal and chat, half of whom are active writers, so I'm not entirely bereft. But I would like to experience such community on a wider scale, and some of that need is met here. I admire your ability to state your truth and warmly welcome all others, and at the same time keep the focus on our common literary pursuits.
What a great note and inspiring story about the quest for literary community and all the yearning and questions that arise. I'm glad to hear you have succeeded and heartened to learn of your persistence.
Thank you for this beautiful Thanksgiving note in which we learn more about you. I am also grateful for the message of community and the reminder that we are not alone. We are better when we are conscious that, whether as writers or as human beings, we are always part of a whole, and it is up to us to put in the necessary energy to keep our communities strong and healthy. Lit Mag News is one of the best newsletters around and possibly the best literary-themed newsletter in the United States. Why? No false promises. Actionable information. No woo-woo. Penetrating investigation and discussions about difficult issues that impact writers. The conscious inclusion of diverse communities and the warm welcome to literary translators also matter to me. Finally, your bright and lively mind adds enormous value to the newsletter and the interviews and events you organize. Your native intelligence and humor bring a special flavor to the table and make the Lit Mag News community a place where I am glad to be. Happy Thanksgiving!
well-done, AND THANYOU.
Thank you, Becky. Thank you to all of the colleagues who comment here, as we exchange ideas, opinions, and complaints "Chez Becky."
May I have your opinion on a lit mag, whose treatment rubbed me the wrong way?
I'd like to hear from you about this situation. And thanks in advance.
* * * * * * LIT MAG SITUATION * * * * * *
On Submittable, Wingless Dreamer's EIC Ruchi Acharya often posts calls. My Hallowe'en-themed poem was accepted for "Midnight Masquerade" (released on Amazon on Nov. 20, 2024) -- 225 pages. Only 8 poets are credited as "contributing authors." Atypically, there is a general blurb that lists everyone -- but not here. The "preview" does not list the T of C. either. Therefore, there is no way I can prove to AMZ Customer Service I have a poem inside so they can add it to my book list. So I asked EIC Ruchi Acharya to add my name; I noted that she was also cheating dozens of contributors by not offering to name them in a big blurb.
Ruchi's reply: "Tell AMZ to add you."
However, no matter which way I approached it with AMZ, their position is that only eight authors have been listed by the publisher in this 225-page book.
OK. May I have your advice, please? Thank you one and all.
I had a similar dilemma with AMZ. I sent them a screenshot of my story which should the title of my story, my name and the header included the name of the book. Have you tried this? Worked for me.
Wingless Dreamer's EIC Ruchi Acharya never sent me a pdf.
That's very good advice, Anne, if a writer has proof such as a pdf or a screen capture. I do have my acceptance letter. Do you think a letter will suffice? Thank you, Anne.
Not sure that would work. If you go to AMZ, select the book & look at Read Sample, you'll see the table of contents. Take a screenshot of that which shows your name. Good luck!
Anne, there is no T of C that shows up in the Amazon preview of "Midnight Masquerade."
Instead the EIC pasted in "testimonials" of people praising her!!
If you buy the book, you can take a photograph of your page and use that instead of a screen shot.
That's true, Martine. But spending money on a 225-page book to benefit an editor who has shortchanged nearly all her authors by not naming them in the credits . . . well, it just rubs me the wrong way. (I have one poem in it.)
Please be cautious about Wingless Dreamer's submission calls, friends.
It does surprise me that contributors didn't receive at least a softcopy of the book.
LINK https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Masquerade-Ruchi-Acharya/dp/B0DP2ZCDQ1/ref=sr_1_1
Yes. Very bad behavior, Anne. And numerous contributors are in a book of 225 pages.
That's it for me with Wingless Dreamer!
Thank you so much for all you do for the rest of us, Becky.
Thanks so much for your lovely note, Becky. I set a goal this year to participate in literary community and yours is my favorite. It has been particularly meaningful to me since going into medical lockdown in September where I remain for probably the next few months following infusions and coming up mega-dose steroids. Lit Mag News has been a lifeline for me. I've met old friends and new, learned about lit mags and resources to increase my acceptance rates and just my knowledge in general.
I truly appreciate all you do!
Wishing you good health and peace of mind, Barbara. We're always here for you. :-D
Becky, you are a treasure! (And a damn good writer, too!)
Happy Thanksgiving, Becky. The community here is a lot larger than any I could have built in real life... we have to thank the "ether", don't we?
So grateful to have this community you created and maintain, Becky. Although I tend to live a bit on the periphery of it, with family commitments and more that keep me from most group mtgs, I read and respond as much as possible. There is rarely a topic that doesn't resonate! Thank you for this nourishing space!
Becky, when you were at Grub Street in Boston I took a Saturday class with you and it was inspiring. Next time I went to follow you I found out you had moved. So sad and disappointed. And then earlier this year I found you again. Grateful me! I’m happy to be a member of your thriving and pulsing community of writers. Cheers to you and to us!
Grub Street is the best! Took several workshops there myself when I lived near Boston.
Wonderful note and thanks so much Becky. Fyi, I was asked to make a presentation to the Central Coast branch of the California Writers Club last week in Monterey on how to get published in literary magazines (I'm on the board of the SF Peninsula Branch). I couldn't help but put in a major plug for you and Lit Mag News! (Also one for Erik Klass and Submitit, btw). You've been such a great resource over the past few years in so many different ways, feeling a part of a writing community among them, and I deeply appreciate it. Kudos on reaching 14,000 paid subscribers!
Not 14k *paid* subscribers! But we can dream... :)
Having 14K followers is a milestone certainly, Becky! Applause!
yes yes yes to all the above. I, too, moved away from a VERY literary area to a small town
without a book store.......sigh.....more sighs.....but 3 wonder libraries...vibrant public library, new community college library and a small private college library! So I, with the aid of zoom
am surviving. AND Lit Mag News!!!! What a treasure that keeps me in touch with this important world of literature. Thank you Becky!!!!!!ruth moose
Happy thanksgiving and thanks for all you do for the rest of us.
Becky, I am one of 14,000 faithful readers and admirers of your work here, your beautiful words, your gentle humour, your insights. Thank you for investing your whole heart into this community space. I am grateful for you!
You and I (and probably others) live in parallel universes. I followed a peripatetic path during my payday years in small-town journalism. Freed from the corporate check, my wife and I found ourselves with the liberty to choose a town, and created a process to winnow the possibilities, and found our home of going-on 25 years in Hood River, Ore. It was always horribly sad for me to leave much-loved colleagues as I traipsed off after a new job opportunity hundreds of miles away. Those friendships do not survive. It's been great, finding community here. The one thing we lack, however, is a rich literary sub-community. We're an hour from Portland, close but still too far for regular engagement. But that's not regret, just acknowledgment that we can't have it all. We've still built rewarding literary careers here in our lovely small town. Thanks for providing us here what we can't find in person where we live. Blessings to you and yours this marvelous day.
Becky - We've traveled the same cities apparently although I went in reverse from Pittsburgh to Boston and now live in Chapel Hill. Finding your writing community takes time but your Lit Mag News has brought such amazing journals & writers into my orbit I think that now I could live anywhere. Thank you for all you do! I am one of many who are thankful for your contributions to the writing community, not the least of which has been creating one here.
I'm late to this discussion, Becky, but I want to thank you for bringing up the topic of creative communities. It's been on my mind a lot lately. Once I was able to blithely enjoy discussions amongst writers, artists, musicians, actors, based on the trusted similarities in our fundamental world views. But in 2020 I began to see our reality tunnels diverging, and as the world has grown more polarized, I wish for a camaraderie that may never return. For writers, it may be especially difficult to discuss our craft without letting slip some of our foundational assumptions, premises that others do not share. More than don't share: "them's fightin' words." My view may be skewed because I live in a town where my ideas are vastly outnumbered by "theirs." I'm grateful for a small group of kindred spirits who meet monthly for a meal and chat, half of whom are active writers, so I'm not entirely bereft. But I would like to experience such community on a wider scale, and some of that need is met here. I admire your ability to state your truth and warmly welcome all others, and at the same time keep the focus on our common literary pursuits.
What a great note and inspiring story about the quest for literary community and all the yearning and questions that arise. I'm glad to hear you have succeeded and heartened to learn of your persistence.