Friends, I write to you today from southern France, where I have been visiting relatives this past week. I won’t lie: It’s breathtakingly pretty. City dweller that I am, I have not seen so much open space, clear blue sky and felt such fresh air in a very long time.
But, that is not what I wish to discuss today.
Or, well, maybe I wish to discuss it a little bit. Here is a hippo, spotted at an animal park in Auvergne.
Wherever you are, I hope it’s peaceful, calming and restorative. Lord knows we all need some of that right now.
However, it can’t be all fun and games all the time. Come fall, there will be much going on around here. September and October are already booked full of editor interviews. Plus there will be the usual Submissions Info sessions. I will also be adding a new Special Topics series, in which I interview both writers and editors on issues germane to the literary world. My first interview will feature a journal editor and writer discussing Cancel Culture.
(As a side note, I’m actively looking for more people to participate in this series. Topics can be anything related to the craft of writing, publishing or aspects of literary culture at large. If you’ve got an idea for something you’d really like to have a conversation about, or something you’d like to teach others about, please get in touch!)
Meanwhile, as always, I want to hear from you.
As a subscriber, what else would benefit you in your efforts to write your strongest work and publish in literary magazines?
Would you like monthly speed-critique sessions, where people give feedback on the opening paragraphs of each other’s work?
Would you be interested in a lit mag reading club, where people read and discuss lit mags?
Would you benefit from a discussion forum where you can post work and get feedback on it?
Do you want more open discussion threads, where you can meet and greet one another, and talk about whatever lit-mag related thing is on your mind?
What do you need?
Or, are you happy as a clam with the way things currently are?
Hi there, I love your idea of a lit mag reading club, a group that is interested in discussing and analyzing what works and doesn't work in accepted pieces of writing to various publications. Thank you for asking!
A discussion forum where you can post work and get feedback on it. Big tick.
It would also be good to be able to get others' views on some taboo subjects in writing. I think it would be interesting to get your subscribers' views on a topic that seems to be taboo in writing circles. For example, who amongst writers is actually reading all the work that has been published by other writers in free publications?
Leaving aside the costs of paid subscription and purchasing books, which most cannot easily afford, how many writers are simply interested in having their work published and show little or no interest in the work of others?
Again, we all have limited time, but I do my best to return the favour and comment on fine pieces I've read but obviously I'm some sort of oddball judging by the scarcity of comments by others.
I get that some publishers do not provide contact details for their writers and/or comment fields, for reasons I don't understand, but there are many FB pages where writers can alert readers to the fact that their work has been published and provide a link. Rarely have I seen anyone comment on a linked story.
Finally, here's a scary thought. Maybe there is no actual audience/market for amateur writers and nobody's reading anything (other than publishers). :-)
Hi Becky. Glad you are enjoying France. I just thought to let you know The Summerset Review is celebrating its 20th Anniversary next month, Sept 15th. Twenty years of quarterly issues, mostly online, never an ad, never a submission fee, never an accessing fee. No slush pile, as we do not solicit. If you want to have an interview, just let me know. Or if you'd like to make an announcement and need an image, here is where the draft cover is for the Fall issue: https://www.summersetreview.org/22fall/splash.htm -- Joe
Aug 13, 2022·edited Aug 13, 2022Liked by Becky Tuch
Becky,
I like all of your above mentioned ideas! I would love to have a forum where we could post our work and get feedback. I would love to be able to discuss the various kinds of literary magazines and the kinds of works they would like. I love the idea of the speed critique sessions, also! Thanks for having us weigh in on these topics!
Hi, I’m pretty happy with how things are now. I wouldn’t want to post work Online for discussion, because then it might be considered published. The reading group idea is intriguing. One topic I would like to see discussed is how do you define success rate? I have about 400 submissions with 12 poems accepted, so I think of that as 3% success. But wait, some journals took more than one poem, so really only 8 acceptance letters, or 2%. Since my submissions average about 4 poems each, should I view it as 12/1600, or .75%? Or do I say 12 of the 60 poems I’ve been sending out (over and over) have been taken, for a whopping 20%? As of now, I’m going with 3%.
Becky, Lit Mag News Roundup is a living constantly emerging, ever evolving creature always looking to the future -- and you have such a solid grasp on the business, online and print. And you share so much. I like how it goes. Much obliged. Laisser les bontemps rouler!
Aug 17, 2022·edited Aug 17, 2022Liked by Becky Tuch
More interviews with editors, for sure. I love the many you've done already as well as your passion for this community (thank you!), though hearing from more editors would be extremely beneficial. For example, when you interviewed Gerald Maa from The Georgia Review, he said, ""When literature does not exceed your sense of your own taste, then you're dead in the water." I love and respect that for two reasons. First, it's great to know that an editor isn't judging a story purely based on his/her own aesthetic. Second, because the statement makes him human instead of some disembodied, ivory-tower "editor"; someone who wants to be challenged by different styles and points of view. And when you interviewed Christopher Linforth from Atticus review, he told us that he's looking for work that's "punchy" and "slightly off-kilter"—a statement that has real, tangible specificity. So yeah. more editor interviews, please!
The things I selfishly want to know more about in your interviews (though you usually cover most of these already) are:
• How long have you been editor of X and what brought you to it?
• What do you think separates X from other journals? What makes it unique?
• What are the specific things you look for in a short story, beyond the obvious criteria?
• Are people submitting to the slush competing with already well-established writers who are repped by their agents? If so, do the slush submitters have a real chance, if the story is truly good, of being published by you? What's that percentage? Or do the bulk of your accepted stories already come from the slush?
Clearly, we all want to publish in journals that have some gravitas. Because we want our stories to be read. But I always wonder: are any of us ever really "read" in the journals where we've been published? Or do we have to break into the Paris Reviews of the world to ever get anywhere with our writing?
I would find useful a discussion of just what they might mean when publishers define the genre's they are interested in. Literary and Romance and such are pretty straightforward, but, for example, some publishers seem to define Speculative as tending much toward sci-fi, horror, etc., while other publishers seem more interested in Literary with a Magic Realist tinge. And I never ever can figure out what a publisher is looking for when they say they want "Experimental" work.
Hi Becky, thanks for all the work you do and I hope you have a wonderful vacation.
I like the editor interviews a lot. Maybe you could have say, a monthly interview with a few editors about a particular work that they published in their journals. They could go into some detail about why they chose it, how much revision was needed etc
If the two or three pieces were planned in advance, the participants could read up beforehand. It may encourage some to read or purchase a copy of the journal.
You have done some of this during the interviews but this way, the editor can get into the specifics and the audience can grasp what it’s all about.
I'd like to see more opportunities for sharing work and critiquing other's work. It's hard to find good reviewers and I think there are a bunch out there who are dialed in to your newsletter. Through other venues, I've made a few good contacts in this manner and we still share our work. It's been super helpful, particularly if it's been difficult to join a formal writing group. The groups could be split into poets, novelists, short story writers, essayists, etc. Thanks for asking!
Thank you for asking Becky. I seem to do pretty well on the pitch I.e. I’m asked to submit—and then I miss the mark, it doesn’t fit, blah, blah. So I need help somewhere between—like sending what I’ve promised—if there’s a group/forum for my ailment 🫢
Love your passion and commitment to this newsletter, Becky. One of the topics in lit mag publishing that concerns me is the push to publish “marginalized” voices over all others. The result is that very good essays and short stories get rejected in favor of those that deal with hot political topics, or those written by minority writers. I’d love to see a return to the day when pieces were evaluated simply on the excellence of the writing. That’s a truly democratic way of selecting content for a journal.
Hi Becky, thanks for Lit Mag News. I appreciate everything you are already doing, and I would love to see a list (or more info & discussion) rating lit mags based on how well/how much they promote writers' work once they have published it.
I would certainly benefit from a discussion forum where you can post work and get feedback on it, provided such a post would not be considered publication. My beloved critique workshop collapsed with the pandemic and has not been revived, and I need feedback. Groups could be established for different genres, as prose writers face different challenges to getting published than poets. Besides feedback, some discussion about specific lit mags and their specific preferences would be helpful. Lately I've felt I have often been barking up the wrong tree.
Hi there, I love your idea of a lit mag reading club, a group that is interested in discussing and analyzing what works and doesn't work in accepted pieces of writing to various publications. Thank you for asking!
A discussion forum where you can post work and get feedback on it. Big tick.
It would also be good to be able to get others' views on some taboo subjects in writing. I think it would be interesting to get your subscribers' views on a topic that seems to be taboo in writing circles. For example, who amongst writers is actually reading all the work that has been published by other writers in free publications?
Leaving aside the costs of paid subscription and purchasing books, which most cannot easily afford, how many writers are simply interested in having their work published and show little or no interest in the work of others?
Again, we all have limited time, but I do my best to return the favour and comment on fine pieces I've read but obviously I'm some sort of oddball judging by the scarcity of comments by others.
I get that some publishers do not provide contact details for their writers and/or comment fields, for reasons I don't understand, but there are many FB pages where writers can alert readers to the fact that their work has been published and provide a link. Rarely have I seen anyone comment on a linked story.
Finally, here's a scary thought. Maybe there is no actual audience/market for amateur writers and nobody's reading anything (other than publishers). :-)
Hi Becky. Glad you are enjoying France. I just thought to let you know The Summerset Review is celebrating its 20th Anniversary next month, Sept 15th. Twenty years of quarterly issues, mostly online, never an ad, never a submission fee, never an accessing fee. No slush pile, as we do not solicit. If you want to have an interview, just let me know. Or if you'd like to make an announcement and need an image, here is where the draft cover is for the Fall issue: https://www.summersetreview.org/22fall/splash.htm -- Joe
Becky,
I like all of your above mentioned ideas! I would love to have a forum where we could post our work and get feedback. I would love to be able to discuss the various kinds of literary magazines and the kinds of works they would like. I love the idea of the speed critique sessions, also! Thanks for having us weigh in on these topics!
Best,
Sharon B. http://www.sharonoblumbergauthor.com
Hi, I’m pretty happy with how things are now. I wouldn’t want to post work Online for discussion, because then it might be considered published. The reading group idea is intriguing. One topic I would like to see discussed is how do you define success rate? I have about 400 submissions with 12 poems accepted, so I think of that as 3% success. But wait, some journals took more than one poem, so really only 8 acceptance letters, or 2%. Since my submissions average about 4 poems each, should I view it as 12/1600, or .75%? Or do I say 12 of the 60 poems I’ve been sending out (over and over) have been taken, for a whopping 20%? As of now, I’m going with 3%.
Becky, Lit Mag News Roundup is a living constantly emerging, ever evolving creature always looking to the future -- and you have such a solid grasp on the business, online and print. And you share so much. I like how it goes. Much obliged. Laisser les bontemps rouler!
Some of the interviews have really inspired me, but an hour is long to stick with. How about somewhat shorter editor interviews?
More interviews with editors, for sure. I love the many you've done already as well as your passion for this community (thank you!), though hearing from more editors would be extremely beneficial. For example, when you interviewed Gerald Maa from The Georgia Review, he said, ""When literature does not exceed your sense of your own taste, then you're dead in the water." I love and respect that for two reasons. First, it's great to know that an editor isn't judging a story purely based on his/her own aesthetic. Second, because the statement makes him human instead of some disembodied, ivory-tower "editor"; someone who wants to be challenged by different styles and points of view. And when you interviewed Christopher Linforth from Atticus review, he told us that he's looking for work that's "punchy" and "slightly off-kilter"—a statement that has real, tangible specificity. So yeah. more editor interviews, please!
The things I selfishly want to know more about in your interviews (though you usually cover most of these already) are:
• How long have you been editor of X and what brought you to it?
• What do you think separates X from other journals? What makes it unique?
• What are the specific things you look for in a short story, beyond the obvious criteria?
• Are people submitting to the slush competing with already well-established writers who are repped by their agents? If so, do the slush submitters have a real chance, if the story is truly good, of being published by you? What's that percentage? Or do the bulk of your accepted stories already come from the slush?
Clearly, we all want to publish in journals that have some gravitas. Because we want our stories to be read. But I always wonder: are any of us ever really "read" in the journals where we've been published? Or do we have to break into the Paris Reviews of the world to ever get anywhere with our writing?
Sorry for rambling. And thanks for all you do!
Thanks for all the work you do on this.
I would find useful a discussion of just what they might mean when publishers define the genre's they are interested in. Literary and Romance and such are pretty straightforward, but, for example, some publishers seem to define Speculative as tending much toward sci-fi, horror, etc., while other publishers seem more interested in Literary with a Magic Realist tinge. And I never ever can figure out what a publisher is looking for when they say they want "Experimental" work.
Would love a discussion forum where I could post work without it being considered published. I need critique from other poets.
These are good proposals, Becky. I'm just wondering if the works for critiquing could be sent without identification for a truly blind engagement.
Hi Becky, thanks for all the work you do and I hope you have a wonderful vacation.
I like the editor interviews a lot. Maybe you could have say, a monthly interview with a few editors about a particular work that they published in their journals. They could go into some detail about why they chose it, how much revision was needed etc
If the two or three pieces were planned in advance, the participants could read up beforehand. It may encourage some to read or purchase a copy of the journal.
You have done some of this during the interviews but this way, the editor can get into the specifics and the audience can grasp what it’s all about.
I'd like to see more opportunities for sharing work and critiquing other's work. It's hard to find good reviewers and I think there are a bunch out there who are dialed in to your newsletter. Through other venues, I've made a few good contacts in this manner and we still share our work. It's been super helpful, particularly if it's been difficult to join a formal writing group. The groups could be split into poets, novelists, short story writers, essayists, etc. Thanks for asking!
I would be especially excited about the speed critiques and lit mag clubs!
Yes to all of your suggestions!
I would love a discussion forum where you can post work and get feedback.
Thank you for asking Becky. I seem to do pretty well on the pitch I.e. I’m asked to submit—and then I miss the mark, it doesn’t fit, blah, blah. So I need help somewhere between—like sending what I’ve promised—if there’s a group/forum for my ailment 🫢
Love your passion and commitment to this newsletter, Becky. One of the topics in lit mag publishing that concerns me is the push to publish “marginalized” voices over all others. The result is that very good essays and short stories get rejected in favor of those that deal with hot political topics, or those written by minority writers. I’d love to see a return to the day when pieces were evaluated simply on the excellence of the writing. That’s a truly democratic way of selecting content for a journal.
Hi Becky, thanks for Lit Mag News. I appreciate everything you are already doing, and I would love to see a list (or more info & discussion) rating lit mags based on how well/how much they promote writers' work once they have published it.
Beautiful France!
I would love this: A discussion forum where you can post work and get feedback on it
I would certainly benefit from a discussion forum where you can post work and get feedback on it, provided such a post would not be considered publication. My beloved critique workshop collapsed with the pandemic and has not been revived, and I need feedback. Groups could be established for different genres, as prose writers face different challenges to getting published than poets. Besides feedback, some discussion about specific lit mags and their specific preferences would be helpful. Lately I've felt I have often been barking up the wrong tree.
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