Tuesday, November 28, 2017

A Few More Publications

I'm happy to report that I've had a few more acceptances. I have been recuperating from knee surgery so it is nice to have something cheerful to brighten the days! Being stuck in a chair for two weeks sure gave me a ton of editing and revision time. I was able to use that time to work on some poems I wrote in a recent workshop.

I finished revising From the Nest, submitted it to Noble / Gas Quarterly, which is a magazine I love, and got an acceptance. It was definitely the highlight of last week.

This week's highlight is having 22 staples removed from my knee and graduating to walking with a cane.

Back to poetry and writing - additional November acceptances:

A lovely new journal that I enjoy, Ariel Chart, has accepted a piece of flash fiction entitled Death Is Not a Stranger Here.

Ginosko Literary Journal has accepted my poem Stranger Spots a Young Boy.


Sunday, November 12, 2017

Recent and Upcoming Publications

I've been submitting work recently and have had a few pieces published or accepted for future publication. I thought I'd update it in one post so it doesn't clog up the blog.

Califragile - This is a literary journal filled with beautiful poetry. I was very honored to have a piece accepted here! Not Even the Birds Can Be Trusted

One Sentence Poems - When I want to enjoy short poems, I turn to this site. This poem, about my dear little Scottie, found the perfect home with One Sentence Poems. Sophie

Origami Poems - These mini chapbooks are so lovely and simple. I found this site while I was obsessed with folding 1000 cranes for peace. (We folded 2000 and they are beautiful!) Origami Poems has accepted six of my poems to create a mini chapbook.

Halfway Down the Stairs - Feeling stale? Looking for a challenge? Halfway Down the Stairs has themed issues. The current theme of "spilt milk" inspired me to write a poem, which was accepted for publication in the December issue. Look for Que Sera, Kitchen next month.

Bones Journal - I have been experimenting with modern Haiku. Bones is a journal I devour and then go back and re-read a few more times as I await the next issue. I was incredibly pleased to have a piece accepted here. It will appear in an upcoming issue.

Failed Haiku - Another journal I really enjoy reading. You can find my Senryu in issue 22.

Manawaker Studio - This was a fun change of pace. I wrote a piece of flash fiction that was accepted for a podcast. The World Ended One Morning When I Was Almost Thirteen

I have a few more pieces scheduled to appear in upcoming journals. I will try to do another update soon.



A few notes on submitting to journals for aspiring poets and writers:


  1. Read the journal. Seriously. Before you submit, find at least a few sample pieces and read them. I don't know how many times I've thought a publication seemed perfect for a piece when I read the submission notes, only to read the actual published work and realize it is not right at all. 
  2. Polish your work. I once had a piece rejected because a team of readers couldn't get past the hyphen  that should have been a dash. I got a very nice rejection outlining what they loved, which was everything but the hyphen, and a request for more work without punctuation errors. A typo can kill a poem.
  3. Submit your stuff. Submit more. Rinse and repeat. I decided to do the collect 100 rejections challenge this year. I haven't gotten to 100 rejections yet, but I have received a number of acceptances from journals I admire. If you don't submit and you aren't willing to face rejection, you won't be published.
  4. Keep writing. Don't sit and refresh your email. Write new stuff. Write better stuff. Write. Write. Write. 
  5. Be open to improvement - Take a workshop. Take a class. Listen to editor feedback.
  6. Read more journals. Read chapbooks. The more you read, the better you'll become.
  7. Keep track of stuff. I use Submittable and Duotrope to stay organized. If you aren't submitting a ton of stuff, you can use a simple spreadsheet. I also use a folder system. Published work goes into the folder on my computer labeled Published Work. Poetry goes into Drafts and Finished Poetry folders. 


It sounds so simple, doesn't it? That's because it really is. Submitting your best work to journals that are the best fit leads to publication.