When a Man Loves a Lit Mag!

Endangered lit mags; Chill Subs; jobs at Narrative and The Poetry Foundation; 80+ markets; lit mags with fast response times, and more

Greetings Lit Maglentines,

Lit mags are having a hard time these days. What is on the horizon for these vital but endangered resources? That’s the question posed by CNN in a recent article headlined, “Long-standing literary magazines are struggling to stay afloat. Where do they go from here?” Observes Leah Asmelash,

Literary magazines aren't exactly flashy -- they aren't covered in photos of beautiful people draped in designer clothing; they don't contain the latest celebrity tell-all.

But in the world of literary arts, they're essential. For early-career poets, essayists and fiction writers, these magazines are a way to get published, find an agent and get paid. They serve as a stepping stone -- no one, after all, just jumps into a book deal. Credits through literary magazines present a pathway.

Asmelash profiles the independent and university-affiliated lit mags that have struggled or been forced to close over the past few years.

Meanwhile, over at Identity Theory, Guinotte Wise has written about “The Half-Lives of Lit Mags.” Says Wise, “Of the roughly 150 literary journals that have allowed my words onto their printed and/or digital pages, I have counted fourteen that are no longer with us. About ten percent…They all start with a dream and an editor or two. The combination of magic, hard work, luck and editorial chemistry determine their path. And their staying power.”

In case you’re starting to feel a bit glum, Micah Mattix argues at The Spectator that, in fact, “We don’t need more literary magazines.” Argues Mattix, “There are some good college literary magazines. But there are also too many of them, and it is not a great cultural loss to see a few shut down.”

If, after all this, it’s some hard data that you crave, Pine Hills Review Editor Daniel Nester has actually done some digging. In “Here Today, Here Tomorrow: On the Lifespan of the Literary Magazine,” Nester writes,

The literary magazine has long had a reputation for its fleeting existence…But is that really true? And does the literary journal’s tiptoe along the precipice of failure differ from what other types of magazines face?

…A study conducted by the authors recently compared the lifespans of every periodical reviewed in Library Journal from 1980–1995. The data from this retrospective study of 2,000 journals of all kinds, the first of its kind, formed our basis for comparing the lifespans of literary journals to other kinds of periodicals.

How long did these literary journals last? How many are still around in 2010? Literary magazines, it seems, do just as well, or just as badly, surviving as long as so-called popular magazines for general readerships.

Perhaps you just want a place to publish your work, permanent, fleeting, or anywhere in between. In that case, let me introduce you to chillsubs.com, a site that describes itself as “more personable than Duotrope and more functional than a typical
’top 100 magazines’ article.” Say they,

There are too many magazines out there, and that's pretty damn overwhelming. You look at all those rules, response times, read thousands of issues to find the right fit for yourself, and you still have no idea how to choose which piece goes where (and when), so you end up not submitting anywhere at all 🤡

Which is stupid. You obviously want to be famous and accomplished and sexy, that’s why you have to submit at least something.

For those of you on the job market, Narrative Magazine is seeking a Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships. “The position presents a unique opportunity for an innovative, hands-on Director with a strong and proven entrepreneurial mindset who is looking for that unique role that invites them to bring their know-how, passion, and heart to work each day. In other words, are you our rainmaker?”

And The Poetry Foundation is seeking a Business and Circulation Manager. “This position will work with the Poetry Foundation’s finance team and marketing team to ensure smooth business operations and promotions strategy.”

For additional places to submit your work, Trish Hopkinson has recently updated her list of 50+ Feminist Literary Magazines & Journals.

Erica Verrillo has posted 80 Calls for Submissions in February 2022 - Paying markets. Authors Publish has a list of 18 Literary Journals with Fast Response Times.

As for us, the last of my February interviews will take place this week. I’ll be speaking with Hasanthika Sirisena, Editor of West Branch on Tuesday at 11am est. Learn more and register here. (If you can’t attend but have questions you’d like me to ask, do send them my way!)

And that you big-hearted sweetie pies, arms stretched wide and open to the candy-colored world, you cuddly cuddlebears staving off your inner curmudgeon with some yummy chocoloate crumbs, you who like but do not love, you who love but do not like, you who love and like and love and lose and who certainly think it’s better to have done it that way than never to have done it at all, you who are the last great romantic, you whose very life is a song, you out there, standing in the glory of a sunset, wordless before the shining face of all the warmth you feel inside your truest soft inner self, yet you who are a writer, and so find the words you must—you must!—for this day, and all others, Hallmarky and schmaltzy and nonetheless fluttery with red rose petals slipping down the shimmery soul of your pen, is the news in literary magazines.

Happy Valentine’s Day, pals.

Fondly,

Becky

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