Every journal that we read, love,
submit to today, whether it’s online or print, has an Editor in charge. In
addition to many other responsibilities, Editors are responsible for maintaining
the aesthetics of their journal. Their name is on it. If they have staff,
everyone needs to be on-board so issue after issue has a semblance of
consistency.
That consistency is something you
can rely on as a submitting writer. Nobody’s going to play “bait and switch”
with that aesthetic. You need to know what it is before you start submitting,
or you’re going to be very disappointed by rejections. You’re also going to
irritate a lot of Editors who don’t have time to be irritated.
If you ask the journal marketing
magicians, they’ll say the best way to learn about a journal is to buy a copy
of it, I don’t always agree. Some journals are $20 and there’s a lot you can
learn from the websites that will give you great ideas about whether you might
be a fit, and what you should submit.
Examples:
THAT Literary Review is
affiliated with the Department of English and Philosophy and the College of
Arts and Sciences at Auburn University at Montgomery. It is published annually.
They say “The poetry that we
prefer is alive and idiosyncratic and that opens new vistas to the reader. We
stay away from rhyming poetry, conventional forms, and love poetry unless
brilliantly revisited. Three poems may be submitted (as a single document) at a
time, with a total maximum of twenty pages.”
Okay, so they love to read wacky
poems, don’t much love rhyming or forms, and by saying they accept three poems
with a maximum of twenty pages, they’re saying they’ll read long poems. I don’t
write long poems myself, but I know that people who do have a hard time finding
places to submit.
Read the rest of the submission
guidelines too. Always. DON’T SEND THEM HAIKU! Don’t send them love poems that
sound like a cross between your 16-year-old diary and a Hallmark Card. They
don’t give you a LOT of information, but they give you some. Use it!!! I
submitted accordingly and I have been grateful to have been accepted.
Cholla Needles
“publishes a monthly literary magazine and books by local and visiting writers
who love the desert.”
“We suggest reading a sample
issue to help yourself become familiar with our format. Each issue consists of
ten chapbooks within two covers. Each month readers receive these 10 chapbooks
by current writers for $5.”
That’s pretty cool. If you get
accepted, you get a chapbook. It would be worth $5 to see what it’s all about.
How many journals publish more than one or two pieces of your work? If that’s
still too pricey, “See you at the monthly magazine release party and
reading!!!” Clearly if you live far away, you can’t go, but this is a journal
doing everything they can to connect with people. I wanted to be part of it! Thankfully
I am grateful to have been accepted.
You know that I follow Jeff
around. When he was accepted by Hobo Camp Review, I had to find out about it.
“Hobo Camp Review is a quiet, tucked-away place where any
writer, poet, artist, or storyteller can rest their weary feet and share their
story through poetry or prose over a crackling fire. Travelers and transients
of all backgrounds and styles are welcomed, but your story doesn't
have to be about the road, travel, or hobo life (although we enjoy that from
time to time). It can be about anything at all, so long as it has a sense of
vagrancy, a little sparkle and a little dust, shadows and angles, a hint
of nostalgia, a desire for something more, anything that sounds great by a
campfire with a train calling in the distance. Be original. Be honest. Be
from anywhere. Be going somewhere. Remember what happens in-between and tell us
all about it. “
Oh my goodness, this was so
different than anything I’d ever written. I read the guidelines, made a
submission, crossed my fingers, and was very thankful that on the freeway on
the way to a reading, I was accepted. I’ve actually posted that poem before,
but here’s a later poem that was accepted:
Homeless Pete Gets Robbed on Catalina Avenue
It was just a quick cat-nap.
The shady doorway in the alley
behind the stinking hair salon
on Catalina seemed harmless.
He never sleeps longer than 5 or
10,
never at night – bad things happen
with only the giant orange flame
of moon to light a man’s dreams.
They took everything -
his radio, his sneakers,
the jacket found in a dumpster
a year ago when some couple
relocating to even warmer
climates cleaned out
their closets. Left with only
the gray sweater tied around
a long-sleeved tee, two pairs
of pants worn one over the other
and a pair of sandals, he’s out
asking for a turkey sandwich,
that’s all he wants. Just
a little something to stop
the gnawing in his stomach.
He’s too empty for grief,
too dignified to smash glass.
(Previously
published in Hobo Camp Review)
With a bit of detective work and
a little research, you can increase your chances of acceptance. You know that
you are good writers. If you are submitting writers, don’t hijack your chances
by submitting to journals inappropriate for the work you write. I have a whole
list of journals I will never be in. Jeff does too. About every four years I
try, just to see if anything’s changed. No.
Lastly, a final note from James H. Duncan, the Editor of Hobo Camp Review. James is a beautiful writer who
faces the same submission challenges we do:
 |
| See here |
Thank you,
Every Editor Ever”
Have a great week. Stay cool. Be
safe. Write well!!!
- - - -
Tobi Alfier's most recent collection of poetry is Slices Of Alice. She is also co-editor with Jeff Alfier of the San Pedro River Review. Don't miss Tobi's columns on the craft of poetry: insert your email address in the "Follow By Email" box to the right of this article and you'll be notified every time a new article appears.
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