literary magazines – Page 15

‘Lower Strata’ nominated for Spillwords’ Publication of the Month

At the risk of turning this blog into one long series of brag posts, I’m happy to share that my short story “Lower Strata” is in the running for Spillwords‘ Publication of the Month. The story is one of sixteen nominees, each selected, according to the literary magazine, “100% based on the popularity within the last 30 days.”

Now, the decision to decide which publication earns this distinction falls to the readers, who can cast their votes here. (To vote, you’ll need to sign up for Spillwords. But it’s a fine little literary magazine, and unlike other publications, the Spillwords folks don’t pelt you with emails, so signing up won’t burden you much and will help the magazine grow its audience.)

Two bits of good news

About a recent short story publication and an online interview

We interrupt this month of writing-focused activity to bring you a couple of happy updates from my weekend:

My short story “Lower Strata” was published by the literary magazine Spillwords. This story, which went live Sunday (November 17, 2024), was something I’d written 25 years ago, probably, and shoved away after a few revisions. I reworked it over the summer a few times then sent it on to Spillwords, and last month they let me know they were going to publish it. This was one of those rare occasions in which the one and only litmag I’d submitted a story to accepted it. Like a lot of writers, especially unknowns like me, our stories encounter many rejections before they find a home. (It’s part of the gig. There are a lot of very good writers out there, and only so many places for our work.) So I guess this one hit a responsive chord with an editor or two there. I hope you also like it. I’d love for you to give it a read and share your thoughts. I’m always looking for ways to improve!
I was “spotlighted” by another literary magazine, Bulb Culture Collective. This litmag specializes in republishing pieces that have been published previously by magazines that are no longer in operation. Such was the case with my flash fiction piece, “Baseball 1971,” which I’ve discussed here previously. BCC also selects writers for their “Shine a Light” series of features, and they reached out to me a couple of months ago inviting me to be a part of it. Their e-interview with me went live also Sunday, November 17, 2024.

So that’s the news from these-here parts. If you’re interested in reading some good stuff, I recommend you add Spillwords and Bulb Culture Collective to your reading list.

Image via Spillwords.

What literary magazines are open for submission? That Book Chikka has the answer

Stop spending hours researching #litmags that are open for submissions! Here's a list of 95 publications that want your work. Follow me to get this list every week and check out the blog here 👇🏻https://t.co/GLjVTkHPJa #writingcommunity #writerslift
— Jessica Kusisto (@ThatBookChikka) October 13, 2024

Like a lot of writers who seek to get their work published in literary magazines, I go to several sources for intel, including Duosuma, Poets & Writers‘ list, Submittable, and of course my own, ever-expanding compilation of literary magazines on X/Twitter, Litmags, etc. (now up to 314 different litmags and litmag-adjacent accounts).

But my go-to source lately has become Jessica Kusisto’s weekly compilation of literary magazines that are open for submission.

Friday Five: Q&A with After Dinner Conversation founder Kolby Granville

‘Great books … (are) about helping me understand the human condition through story examples.’

To call After Dinner Conversation an atypical literary magazine would be an understatement as well as a disservice to this multi-faceted media operation. Founder and editor-in-chief Kolby Granville (@kolbyg on X/Twitter) set out to create a magazine that used the art of fiction to delve into weighty ethical and philosophical issues, and he’s accomplished just that.

After Dinner Conversation Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine is published monthly to offer, in the words of its website, “intriguing, thought-provoking conversations about ethics, philosophy, and social issues.” But After Dinner Conversation is more than a litmag. It includes podcasts, books, teaching aids, and more.

In addition to his busy work as a publisher, Kolby is also a practicing defense attorney. He took some time out of his hectic schedule to tell us a bit about After Dinner Conversation.

New flash fiction: ‘Narcissus on the Deck’

Grateful to the good folks at Roi Fainéant Press for publishing my flash fiction story, “Narcissus on the Deck,” in their fine literary magazine.

This entire issue, as usual, is chock full of outstanding writing. Please give it a perusal. Pick a story at random. You won’t be disappointed.

Follow Roi Fainéant Press on X/Twitter at @press_roi.