50+ WRITING CONTESTS TO ENTER RIGHT NOW

NOVEMBER 2019

O N S A R E D O W N .
SUBSC R I P T I
I S S I O N S A R E U P.
SU B M D E R N
W H AT D O M O
N E E D T O D O
JOURNALS ?
TO S U R V I V E
 SUBMIT ENTER NOW
your best fictional work at writermag.com/contests
in 2,000 words or less for
DEADLINE: December 2nd, 2019
your chance to win
GRAND PRIZE: $1,000 and publication in our magazine
Contents November 2019
Volume 132 Number 11

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
8 From the Front Lines
Crash and burn
Why recklessness is
good for your creativity.
BY YI SHUN LAI

10 Freelance Success
What the hell is free-
lance success, anyway?
You’re doing OK. Really.
BY PETE CROATTO

38 Literary Spotlight
Hidden Compass
BY MELISSA HART

40 Conference Insider
UW-Madison Writers’
Institute
BY MELISSA HART

IN EVERY ISSUE
2 From the Editor

24 4 Take Note
42 Markets
12 Celebrating 20 years of 22 He said, she said 47 Classified advertising
NaNoWriMo Eight ways to make dialogue
In its two decades of existence, matter. 48 How I Write
National Novel Writing Month has BY RYAN G. VAN CLEAVE
inspired millions of writers to fi-
nally put their stories on paper, re- 24 Resurrecting your
sulting in thousands of published darlings
novels over the years. Here’s a Why trash your deleted pages
look back at NaNoWriMo’s history, when you can publish them?
from humble coffeeshop begin- BY MELISSA HART
nings to the literal billions of
words it inspires today. 28 The future for literary
BY GRANT FAULKNER magazines
Six essential issues facing lit
20 How to be a good journals – and what’s being done
critique partner to address them.
Employ these best practices BY TONI FITZGERALD
when you don an editorial cap.
BY ANICA MROSE RISSI

Cover: Reddavebatcave/Shutterstock

writermag.com • The Writer | 1

FROM THE EDITOR
NICKI PORTER
Read it and reap
Every now and then, I meet a writer who doesn’t
read.
I’m not talking about writers who are too
busy, frazzled, or exhausted to pick up this year’s
Great American Novel; I’m talking about writers
who have the time, energy, and resources to read
and refuse, because – well, because of a number
of reasons:
1. They are too busy writing to read. (Fair
enough.)
2. They are not interested in what Other People
are doing.
3. They worry it will dull their own Unique
Voice and Thoughts.
4. They think it’s unnecessary because writing,
not reading, is the only way to improve.
There may be tiny kernels of truth or logic in
all of these points, but I admit I never quite know
what to say when I hear them. Personally, I learn
something new – more often, a thousand new
somethings – about the craft of writing whenever
I read another author’s work. But the lost oppor-
tunity to learn from a master isn’t the only reason
to pick up a book now and then.
Because when you finally finish a manuscript,
you have three options: Either let it languish on
your hard drive while you start something new,
self-publish, or start querying agents.
You cannot query without knowing the market.
You cannot know the market without reading.
2 | The Writer • November 2019
I am sorry, friends, but there’s really no way
around it: Your future agent will expect you to
name a few comparable titles that are similar to
your manuscript, and you will need to read those
titles and be prepared to discuss them. And any
professional agent is going to have a hard time
swallowing grandiose claims like “it’s Harry Pot-
ter meets Gone Girl.” Choosing lesser-known but
respectable titles in your genre is a much smarter
strategy – but it’s a strategy that comes with
plenty of reading attached to it.
Once published, you’ll be expected to talk spe-
cifically and intelligently about your genre. You
will be asked about your favorite books within
that genre. You will be asked how your writing
compares to Author X and Author Z, and if you
haven’t read Authors X and Z, how on Earth are
you to answer?
But the last reason to read is a simple gracious
kindness, to do unto authors as you would have
them do unto you. Because if you expect people
to read and pay for your work, you should read
and pay for the work of others.
Authors are nothing without readers. So be a
reader. If the entire population decided to forgo
reading in favor of Netflix binges or iPhone apps,
there would be no book sales to put food on your
table or gas in your car. Pay it forward now. Read
widely and generously, and encourage others to
do the same – and when your book hits shelves
for the first time, may it find legions of wide and
generous readers just like you.
Keep writing (and reading),
Nicki Porter
Senior Editor
@nickimporter
 This month on
Senior Editor
Nicki Porter
Accounts Receivable Associate
Wayne Tuggle
writermag.com
Contributing Editor
Melissa Hart DIGITAL OPERATIONS
Senior Director, Digital Products
Copy Editor
Renee Dextradeur
Toni Fitzgerald
WordPress Developer
EDITORIAL BOARD David Glassman
James Applewhite, Andre Becker, Eve Senior Digital Designer
Bunting, Mary Higgins Clark, Roy Peter Mike Decker
Clark, Lewis Burke Frumkes, Gail
Godwin, Eileen Goudge, Rachel Hadas, SALES & MARKETING
John Jakes, John Koethe, Lois Lowry, Media Solutions Director
Peter Meinke, Katherine Paterson, Scott Luksh
Arthur Plotnik
Senior Media Solutions Manager
ART & PRODUCTION Alexandra Piccirilli
Art Director PHONE: 617-279-0213
Carolyn V. Marsden EMAIL: apiccirilli@madavor.com
Graphic Designer Client Services
Jaron Cote clientservices@madavor.com
Marketing Director
OPERATIONS Andrew Yeum
VP, Circulation Strategy
Audience Development Analyst
Jason Pomerantz
Ryan Gillis
Operations Supervisor
Marketing Associates
Andrea Palli
Shawn Daniel, Tommy Goodale
Operations Coordinator
Social Media Manager
We’re just here for the FOOD
Toni Eunice
Human Resources Manager
Tim Doolan Join us in November for a month-long celebration
Content Marketing Associate
Alicia Roach
Anthony Buzzeo of food writing, where we count down the year’s
Client Services Supervisor
Cheyenne Corliss
best nonfiction books about food, sparklingly well-
EXECUTIVE
Senior Client Services Associate Chairman & Chief Executive Officer written cookbooks, foodie novels with a decidedly
Tou Zong Her Jeffrey C. Wolk
delicious bent, and more.
Client Services Chief Operating Officer
Aubrie Britto, Darren Cormier, Rachel Nee Peter Madden
Accounting Director
Amanda Joyce
SVP, Sales & Marketing
Robin Morse
On the hunt for the best fall fiction
Accounts Payable Associate VP, Business Operations Our fall short story contest ends on Dec. 2!
Tina McDermott Courtney Whitaker
Don’t miss your chance to win $1,000 and publi-
cation in our magazine – we can’t wait to read
In memory of Susan Fitzgerald, COO, 1966-2018
your best work.
Newsstand Distribution
Weekly Retail Service Find some NaNoWriMo inspiration
SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1 Year (12 Issues) US $32.95, Canada $42.95, Foreign $44.95
Stuck in your NaNo draft? We get it – writing a
CONTACT US: book in 30 days isn’t easy. Smash that bout of
The Writer writer’s block with the help of our writing prompt
Madavor Media, LLC
25 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 404 archives. With hundreds upon hundreds of exer-
Braintree, MA 02184
Please include your name, mailing and email addresses, and telephone number with cises and prompts to choose from, you’re bound
any correspondence. The Writer is not responsible for returning unsolicited manuscripts. to find something to get those creative juices
CUSTOMER SERVICE/SUBSCRIPTIONS: US: 877-252-8139 CAN/INT: 903-636-1120
EDITORIAL EMAIL: tweditorial@madavor.com
flowing again.
TO SELL THE WRITER MAGAZINE IN YOUR STORE:
Contact KPS
PHONE: 888-999-9839 FAX: 815-734-5240
EMAIL: RetailServices@kable.com
STAY IN TOUCH
Put our free e-mail newsletter to work: Check out our
The Writer (ISSN 0043-9517) is published monthly by Madavor Media, LLC, 25 Braintree Hill Office
Park, Suite 404 Braintree, MA 02184. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and at additional mailing weekly newsletter, which offers highlights from our
offices. Postmaster: Please send changes of address to The Writer, P.O. Box 4300, Big Sandy, TX website and the magazine and directs you to more
75755-4300. Subscribers allow 4-6 weeks for change of address to become effective. Subscriptions
ordered are non-cancelable and nonrefundable unless otherwise promoted. Return postage must articles about craft from The Writer ’s vast archive. Find
accompany all manuscripts, drawings and photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no the “Sign up for our free newsletter” link at the bottom
responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights in letters sent to The Writer will be
treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to unre- of our home page, enter your e-mail address, and
stricted right to edit and to comment editorially. Requests for permission to reprint should be sent to you’re in business.
the Permissions and Reprints Department. The title The Writer is registered in the U.S. Patent and
baza178/Shutterstock

Trademark Office. Contents copyright © 2019 by Madavor Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Nothing can
be reprinted in whole or in part without permission from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A.
twitter.com/ facebook.com/
GET SOCIAL thewritermag TheWriterMagazine

writermag.com • The Writer | 3


A the real thing.
IN
ORDER TO MAKE a living while
also pursuing the arts, I feel
it’s best to aim low. Being a
writer, I myself cobble together a liv-
ing from multiple, mostly unimpres-
sive sources.
One: I work part time at a commu-
nity center, where I’m paid a modest
wage to unlock the building on Satur-
days for toddler ballet, shred papers for
the office staff, read the newspaper,
and add up attendance numbers. I also
pass on comments from patrons to my
supervisor, such as: “There’s a bee’s
nest under that metal thingy that holds
the basketball hoop.” Or: “We don’t like
these toddler dance classes to start so
early. We like to sleep in on Saturdays.”
Two: I work a few hours a week for a
pair of old people, who honestly value
my ability to change their light bulbs,
pick up the screws or sticky notes or
puzzle pieces they’ve dropped on the
floor and can’t reach, find their missing
coffee cups, fix the wheels on their
walkers, and paint over the scuff marks
where their walkers bonk into their
walls. These bonk marks are especially
noticeable on outside corners.
Three: I married a guy who is willing
to work. I didn’t choose him consciously
for this quality – my memory is that I
was attracted to his wit, his kindness,
and his ability to perfectly impersonate
Momma from Throw Momma from the
Train. Unconsciously, however, I proba-
bly noticed his work ethic.
Four: I write. I’ve been paid for
writing exactly once, but this was so
exciting that I photocopied the check
and framed it. I have a couple of near
4 | The Writer • November 2019
relatives with whom I cannot share this
success because the piece of writing for
which I was paid will get me disowned,
but I secretly hope that one day they’ll
spot the framed check and grill me
about it. I will then be forced to confess
that yes, I am a published author. Yes, I
did get paid for it. No, you are not
allowed to read it. Yes, that check was
You will notice that none of these
sources of income are particularly
good for my ego – though every one of
them has turned out to be a first-rate
source of writing material.
YESTERDAY, A SUNDAY, I worked a shift
at the community center, “supervising”
a birthday party rental, which means
unlocking the door, disarming the
security, and helping the renters locate
a power strip – a task at which I failed.
Once the party realized I was of no use
to them, I got to work entering last sea-
son’s class evaluation questionnaires
into Survey Monkey. The questions:
What class did you take? Was your
experience very satisfactory, satisfac-
tory, neutral, unsatisfactory, or very
unsatisfactory? Would you recommend
your instructor? Please explain.
The answers to these questions are
helpful to the staff but are not terribly
interesting to a writer. For the question
What class did you take?, the answers
are things like Belly Dancing, Hip Hop
for Tots, or Urban Homesteading.
Mostly our respondents loved their
instructor, who was “very encouraging
to beginners,” and mostly their experi-
ence was very satisfactory, often with
stars and exclamation points.
Among this batch of not very inter-
esting questions, however, there is one
with potential: Are there other classes
you would like to see offered at our
community center? Sometimes our
patrons only want more Zumba or
believe they would enjoy Swing Dance
for Seniors. Some people want to learn
how to make cheese or homebrew.
Some tell us that everything is great
exactly how it is, in case we needed a
little reassurance. But sometimes a
patron will suggest something genu-
inely interesting. Like yesterday, when
I came across the suggestion that we
offer a class on how to fall down.

Now, that’s a good writing prompt,
or a fine opportunity to spin narrative
out of scant information. Noting that
our patron was evaluating Tai Chi for
Beginners, and that another student in
the same class had already remarked
upon his or her improved balance since
taking Tai Chi, I freely assumed that
some portion of the students in this
class were oldish, perhaps even “elderly,”
because, as everyone knows, the oldish
but especially the elderly are more likely
to have balance that could use improv-
ing. It seems fair to extrapolate that the
student who wants a class on how to fall
down might also be oldish or even
elderly and wants to learn, literally, how
to fall down. Presumably without injury.
The toddlers in Saturday ballet class
could teach a class on how to fall down.
They have falling down figured out.
According to toddlers, the first thing
you do is you trip up on something:
your neighbor’s feet or maybe your
own. You go down. You are startled for
a moment, until you realize you have
had an upsetting incident. You wail. You
might need a kiss, but the kiss might not
be enough. You feel you might as well
die now because life is so awful. You
wallow in this feeling for a bit, until
your ballet teacher, “Miss Amy,” plays a
Louis Prima tune, which you just can’t
resist. You get up and dance.
The toddlers recommend “Pennies
from Heaven.”
When my son was a toddler, one of
his grandmas lived in the town of
Klamath Falls. When we told him we
were going to visit Grammy in Klamath
Falls, he felt called upon to correct us.
“No,” he said. “It’s Klamath Falls Down.”
See? Toddlers know all about it.
“I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.”
—Sylvia Plath
FALLING DOWN IS very common. I
myself came close to falling off the
front porch last week. My husband
used to take judo, and he informs me
that learning how to fall down is a veri-
fiable judo skill. I imagine there’s an art
to it, all right. This same husband fell
off a ladder awhile back with no
greater damage than a couple of sore
places. Of course, he has that judo
background. If I had fallen off that lad-
der, I suspect I would not have come
out of it with such flying colors.
My grandma fell down a month ago.
She’s 93 and has been using a walker to
get around her assisted-living apart-
ment, down the hall to the dining
room, and to chase wild turkeys when
they show up at her patio door. She
was in her kitchenette making coffee
when she let go of her walker for a sec-
ond, lost her balance, and went down.
Previous to her fall, Grandma had not
taken a class on how to fall down, and
if she knew how to do it when she was
a toddler, she has evidently forgotten.
She broke an ankle. Her doctor put her
in a cast, but Grandma either can’t
walk with the cast or she won’t. She has
since taken to her bed, where she now
sleeps upward of 20 hours a day. In
addition, she has gone off her feed and
is wearing adult diapers for the first
time. She tells us she is waiting to die.
When a frail elderly person falls, it is
not unusual that they break something,
stereotypically a hip. This fall, accompa-
nied by the broken something, often
heralds the beginning of the end – or, as
we caregivers call it, “CTD,” which is
caregiver code for “circling the drain.”
Grandma fell and broke something, and
now it kinda looks like she’s CTD. If our
student from Tai Chi for Beginners is
somewhat younger and further out
from the drain than my grandma, you
can imagine that he or she would be
wary of getting any closer to it. It fol-
lows that if one can avoid the drain by
learning how to fall down without
breaking something, that looks like a
skill worth cultivating.
ON THE ONE hand, a class on how to fall
down is a pretty specific request. Our
student has not asked for a class on how
to jump, or how to simply fall. This is
not a request for Skydiving, Bungee
Jumping, or Rappelling; our student
does not appear to be seeking adventure.
It’s not even a request for how to land –
which implies landing on one’s feet.
On the other hand, our student
might have meant “how to fall down”
figuratively, rather than literally.
Myself, I prefer this interpretation.
Writers, after all, are notoriously
unhappy with or at least unconvinced
by reality and are therefore partial to
the metaphorical, the speculative, or
even the wackadoodle interpretation
over the literal one. Long ago, in high
school biology, the teacher asked us to
write a “definition of life.” I wrote a
brilliant philosophical exposition on
life – on the meaning of life, on value
fulfillment, on our possibly immortal
souls. This was a biology class, though,
right? The teacher read my response
out loud in a blatantly smirky tone and
then asked the class, “Who can give me
a literal definition of life?”
My response at the time was abject
humiliation – a type of falling down if
ever there was. My response now would
be: Who cares? We obviously exist. I
don’t need to define that. I’m more
interested in what our existence means;
what it implies. I’m more interested in
that drain. What’s down there, anyway?
If you are a human being, it seems to
me you should learn how to fall down
in both the literal and the figurative
senses. If toddlers are any measure, it
writermag.com • The Writer | 5
appears we are born with the correct
instincts, but by the time we’ve grown
up, we’ve forgotten how it’s done.
I myself am oldish (though not yet
elderly) and by now have had quite a
bit of experience falling down in both
the literal and figurative senses. Much
of this is just normal human falling
down, but I feel that being a writer
has given me more experience than
average. If you are considering
becoming a writer yourself, you
should know that writers are subject
to quite a lot of falling down. This can
be shocking at first. Your beloved,
amazing novel is rejected. It is
rejected again. By failing to pursue a
respectable career, you fall down in
someone’s expectations of you. This
someone is usually a parent, a teacher,
a spouse, or an older sibling – or all
four if your fall is really spectacular.
Your novel is rejected again. Your
poems are rejected. Your queries to
agents are rejected.
Or this: You had a respectable
career, but you relinquished it in order
to have more time to write, and your
income falls way, way down. You fall
down in your rent payments or in the
eyes of the credit bureaus. You take a
humble job to pay the bills and your
ego – which has been reminding you
with increasing anxiety that the win-
dow for respectable careers won’t stay
open forever – falls off a cliff.
Twenty years ago, I could have used
a refresher course on how to fall down.
Now I could teach one.
The first thing you do is you trip up
on something: your art doesn’t sell, the
audience snickers, you are turned down
by a publisher, a lender, a boyfriend, or
a dance partner. You go down. You’re
startled for a moment, until you realize
you have had an upsetting incident. You
wail. You find someone to give you a
kiss, which may or may not help. You
feel you might as well die now because
life is so awful. You wallow in this feel-
ing for awhile. There is no time limit on
this stage, but eventually you might
remember to play a Louis Prima tune,
which nobody can resist.
You can’t go wrong with “Pennies
from Heaven.”
—Annie Sheppard writes novels and speculative
nonfiction mostly, as she is not entirely convinced
by reality. Her work has appeared in Phoebe
Journal (winner, 2016 Nonfiction Contest),
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and Fourth
Genre (runner-up, 2018 Steinberg Essay Prize). She
lives in Oregon.

BOOKISH writing programs to both nurture minority voices and prepare

The Bloomsbury Introduction to Creative Writing
By Tara Mokhtari
“Learning how to shape your ideas into
well-crafted pieces of writing is essen-
tially learning how to think critically and
creatively at the same time,” Tara
Mokhtari writes in the introduction of
The Bloomsbury Introduction to Cre-
ative Writing, now in its second edition.
“Any good writing teacher will tell you
that learning how to write is tanta-
mount to learning how to think...The
key theme of this book is the relationship between knowl-
edge derived from experience and the pursuit of writing.”
Mokhtari asserts this approach is part of what makes her
text stand out from the rest in the industry: “I am interested
not only in craft, but also in how the creative process creates
new ways into knowledge, and how refining and practicing
craft can complicate our relationship to the world,” she says
in an interview with Bloomsbury about the latest edition.
But the second edition further helps Mokhtari achieve
another goal: To develop transferable skills that will lead to
fruitful careers for all students. “It is imperative for creative
students with critical thinking and practical transferable skills
for the job market,” she says.
“Perhaps forty years ago, if you undertook a creative writ-
ing degree, you could have expected to publish a novel or col-
lection of poems at the end of it. You also probably would not
have graduated with massive student debt. Things are radi-
cally different now,” she tells Bloomsbury. “It is imperative for
creative writing programs to both nurture minority voices and
prepare students with critical thinking and practical, transfer-
able skills for the job market.”
To that end, the book offers real honesty about pursuing a
career in creative writing (“it isn’t sufficient to want to be a
writer merely for the romance of it, for the ego, for the fame,
for the money: mostly because only a very small number of
writers achieve the career which affords them any or all of
these delicious benefits”) as well as information on writing
for video games, video scriptwriting, virtual reality, and other
forms of digital content.
It also includes a wealth of information, exercises, and
workshop suggestions for a variety of genres, including
screenwriting, playwriting, and hybrid forms.
“Over the course of this book, and then for decades to
come, your relationship with writing will grow and change the
same way every relationship does – and that is alright,” Mokh-
tari writes. “Be patient, keep working at it, give it whatever it
needs to develop, have faith, and honor your writing practice.”

6 | The Writer • November 2019

 “I love writing about monsters and food.”
—Nnedi Okorafor

COOKING the BOOKS

The weather outside may be cold, but our kitchens sure aren’t.
Show off your culinary and literary prowess at the same time with these
writerly kitchen accessories.
5

4
2

3
1

1. A SMART 2. WELL-READ 3. DEBONAIR 4. COASTER 5. LITERARY 6. A NOVEL

SET OF TEA TOWELS DINNERWARE TOASTS LIBATIONS COOKIE
CUTTING These Roostery Fact: Book club If your book club’s Tequila CUTTER
BOARDS kitchen towels snacks taste more into drinking Mockingbird: Decorate this
don’t play favor- best served on than eating, these Cocktails with a year’s batch of
Prep your move-
ites when it comes this bookish set coasters featuring Literary Twist of- holiday cookies
able feast in style
to literature: Every of plates and alcohol-themed fers recipes for a with your favorite
with these three
genre (including platters. quotes from bevy of bookish book recommen-
book-themed cut-
graphic novels, $13, library-of-congress- writers are sure beverages, includ- dations for a sweet
ting boards.
folklore, and hu- shop.myshopify.com to please (and ing “Vermouth the gift that keeps on
$60, nordstrom.com
mor) is featured preserve your Bell Tolls,” “Love giving.
in this quirky illus- coffee table). in the Time of $11, amazon.com
trated print. $11.99, Kahlua,” and “The
$39, amazon.com literarygiftcompany.com Pitcher of Dorian
Grey Goose.”
$13.50,
barnesandnoble.com

writermag.com • The Writer | 7

FROM THE FRONT LINES
BY YI SHUN LAI
Crash and burn
Why recklessness is good for your creativity.
A
fter a long time away,
I’ve rejoined the world of
indoor climbing. This is
that relatively tame sport in
which, in a semi-controlled environ-
ment, you strap on a bunch of gear and
pretend you are on a cliff face with the
eagles* and fresh air, when, really, it’s
Black Sabbath from the in-gym stereo
system and a bunch of chalk dust up
your nose.
I am lazy, and also impatient, with
the idea of having to strap on a bunch
of gear and communicate a bunch of
*The Eagles. Black Sabbath. Did you see what I
did there? Hunh? Oh, never mind.
8 | The Writer • November 2019
things to a partner – partner! more
gear – so I have opted to boulder
instead. This is an offshoot of climb-
ing in which you crawl around on a
bunch of holds in prescribed routes,
“solving problems.”
Do not get me wrong. I really like
this sport. As I age, I have begun to
appreciate the more contemplative
physical pursuits – cross country ski-
ing, say, over downhill. “Going for a
jog” over “out for a run.” Sleeping over
sitting upright.
Heh.
Anyway, as my husband and I were
waiting for the muscles in our forearms
to stop jumping after some particularly
challenging beginner’s routes, I
watched a skinny kid spider up the
wall. His dad watched from below,
arms crossed. The kid reached for a
hold that was out of his reach by a good
6 inches. The dad stepped forward a
half-step so he could spot, and the kid
sprung off of one foot and grabbed for
the hold. He made it, and Dad stepped
back into his original position.
I turned to my husband. “We don’t
do that anymore,” I said.
“What?”
GoodStudio/Shutterstock
“Opt for the possibility of a crash-
and-burn. You know, really go for it.”
On the wall, the kid had finished
the route and was down-climbing.
Halfway down, he got bored and leapt
off the wall. He high-fived his dad and
went off to look for another route.
i recently wrote an article about
“beginner’s brain,” where you approach
everything as if you’re seeing it for the
first time. This approach lets you see
things with no preconceptions, fewer
barriers to learning. At the rock gym
that day, I was reminded of another
facet of beginner’s brain: Not knowing,
and therefore not fearing, how hard
you might fall.
I talked to a writer friend of mine the
other day over the phone. She’s working
on a book of essays about the environ-
ment in her neck of the woods, and she
said she was trying her hand at experi-
mental essays for it. “Man,” she said,
“they are ripping my butt.” After I had
stopped laughing over the fact that this
phrase came out of my friend’s sweet
mouth, I told her I admired her for it. I
haven’t tried anything new, I don’t
think, in a really long time. I tread the
same old floorboards; I sing the same
old tired tunes in the shower and get
the same old songs stuck in my head. (If
you follow me on Twitter, you’ll see that
Paula Abdul, Pat Benatar, The Chip-
munks, and tunes from the Rodgers
and Hammerstein songbook show up
with alarming regularity.)
Worse, I write what I know.
The reasons we might “stay in our
lane” are myriad:
1. We have had a taste of success:
When you finally get good enough
at something that you feel actually
competent at it, why on earth
would you move on from it?
2. You don’t know anyone who does
anything different. Once you get
into a groove, start becoming
known for something, you find
your circle of acquaintances is
looking a little monochrome.
Write short stories? Suddenly you
are surrounded by short story
writers. Good at poetry? Your
Twitter feed is full of #poetry. It
can be hard to see beyond your
mini-grove of similar trees.
3. You have become lazy. Or, OK,
complacent. This is where I am.
This is us, going “Oh, I’ve exercised
and tried all the forms I really want
to try. I’m fine where I am.”
Of course, this is a giant load of
horse caca. I’ll wager that you have
some things you have always wanted to
try. Me? I would like to attempt:
• Picture books
• Young adult
• A humorous novel
• Poetry
(This last one is a lie. Poetry terri-
fies me.)
Setting aside your
tried-and-true and
grabbing for something
brand new will increase
your sense of where
your limits are.
so what’s the value of trying
something new and different, you ask?
Why on earth would you run the risk
of crashing and burning? For me, the
answer is sheer, free-wheeling joy,
akin to the sensation I think I recall
when I first learned to finger-paint. Or
when I bake or cook off-recipe. Sure,
chuck in an extra two handfuls of but-
terscotch chips. Put some zucchini in
that pasta puttanesca. Bacon on every-
thing. Why not?
Second: the stakes are really, really
low when you try something new to
you. If you reach for something and
you fail in colossal, spectacular fash-
ion, it’s OK! You can always say “I’m
new here” and blame it on the learning
curve. And then, when you go to try it
again, I think you inevitably become
more confident all around, and not just
in the thing you’re trying.
The last thing I’ll say about trying
something different is that I genuinely
believe it increases our skill levels. Set-
ting aside your tried-and-true and
grabbing for something brand new will
increase your sense of where your lim-
its are. And it will allow you to really
hone in on where your interests lie.
(When I left the piano after 11 years of
being forced to play it, I tried the saxo-
phone, the harmonica, and the guitar,
only to come back to the piano.)
And trying out a different form
might help you with the forms you
already think you know: In a class on
poetry recently, I learned about the
shape and sound of certain letters and
the emotions they evoke in readers. And
writing experimental essays has shown
me different ways to draw metaphors
and stretch and bend the meanings of
words to suit the purposes of my essays.
So go for that out-of-reach hold.
Try the thing you’ve always wanted to
try. And when you fall off the wall,
know that, just like at the climbing
gym, the landing probably won’t be too
awful – and that there’s always another
route to try.
Yi Shun Lai is the fiction editor and co-owner
of Tahoma Literary Review. Read about her
writing coaching and editing services; her
novel, Not a Self-Help Book: The Misadven-
tures of Marty Wu; and her daily adventures at
thegooddirt.org.
writermag.com • The Writer | 9
FREELANCE SUCCESS
BY PETE CROATTO
What the hell is freelance
success, anyway?
F
reelance success – the term,
not the column – is a murky
concept. Most 9-to-5 jobs fea-
ture easy-to-identify high-
lights: a glowing, life-affirming
performance review, a raise, maybe a
promotion. Your boss likes you, so she
lets you work from home or gets you
that sweet parking spot. Perhaps you
get a sizable gift card for your birthday.
I never got these perks. At my last
full-time job, birthdays were marked
with the same apple cake served on
plastic plates in the boss’s sad, sterile
office, the final scene in a Raymond
Carver story. It was fitting that the
office sat next to a cemetery.
10 | The Writer • November 2019
You’re doing OK. Really.
All those dizzying amenities made
it easy to go freelance in November
2006. I love what I do now, but I’m fre-
quently floating in space – in a dreamy
kind of way, not the terrified Sandra-
Bullock-in-Gravity way. That’s the per-
manent occupational hazard of this
set-up. You must provide the tether
office workers take for granted: finding
health insurance, paying taxes, setting
up an office schedule.
Recognizing accomplishments fall
under that category, and they’re just as
important to keep you grounded. Some
are obvious, like if you leave your
steady job to write full time or find a
publisher for your book idea. Here, I’m
more concerned with acts that get over-
looked in the daily slog toward legiti-
macy and away from insolvency.
Remember to take pride in these
small triumphs; no else will do that
for you.
A stranger praises your work.
Twitter is frequently awful if you’re a
realist, a grammar nerd, or not a
straight white man, but it allows the
stay-at-home writer to feel less alone.
(Fellow freelancer Jen A. Miller refers
TeraVector/Shutterstock
to it as her water cooler.) Anytime a
stranger shares your story or offers a
compliment, savor it. Someone who
isn’t a relative or a friend or a parent
read your words and was moved by
them. What we do can have an
impact, a concept more energizing
than any byline.
A stranger slams your work. The
flip side of writing for outlets with
larger audiences, and writing well, is
being increasingly prone to blowback
from readers. That’s the price of having
a higher profile, and I’m happy to pay
it, because editors are getting readers
and my work is eliciting a reaction
beyond indifference. It’s a good hurt.
Out of the blue, an editor invites
you to write for their publication.
This is a close relative of the previous
points, with two additional benefits.
First, this appreciation comes with
money. Second, you don’t have to
spend hours crafting a pitch or court-
ing editors; you head to the front of
the line.
An editor shuts down your pitch
but opens a window. A pitch can
be rejected for many reasons: the story
was done before, it doesn’t fit with the
magazine’s editorial mission, the edi-
tor hates the subject. But if that editor
gently lets you down and then offers
the chance to pitch her again, that’s a
tremendous consolation prize. You
have another ally, someone who
knows your name and will look for-
ward to your email. Plus, you know an
editor who responds to emails, the
Bigfoot of our profession.
You leave an inadequate client.
Knowing for the first time that you can
find more satisfying work is your bar
mitzvah. I fear new freelancers view
terrible pay or despotic editors as con-
ditions of the business, like invoicing
or W-9s. They are not. The same
tenacity that led you to this place can
be channeled into finding jobs that
don’t diminish your self-worth or your
savings account.
You get published in places peo- Other writers come to you for
ple know. It doesn’t matter how advice. People aspiring to succeed in
much talent or self-confidence you a field don’t seek counsel from the
possess, it’s hard to feel like a success incompetent, unless “teaching via
when the response to places you’ve cautionary tale” is corporate Ameri-
written for is either “I’ve never heard ca’s hot new mentorship trend. I don’t
of them” or “Do they even pay?” know. I’m not on LinkedIn much
These comments shouldn’t rankle a these days.
salty veteran like myself, but they do.
An identity crisis over a plate of pigs You will find other landmarks for suc-
in a blanket is a real thing. cess, ones that will cause you to sit back
These people are nitwits. Writing for and take pride in what you’ve done on
national publications is not the key to your own and the accomplishments that
happiness. It’s doing what you’re meant lie ahead. No parking space or apple
to do, and not talking about possibilities cake can replicate that feeling.
until they ferment into regret. As Ste-
phen King wrote, “If you wrote some- Ithaca-based Pete Croatto (Twitter: @Pete-
thing for which someone sent you a Croatto) is a veteran freelance writer who has
check, if you cashed the check and it written for The New York Times, The Christian
didn›t bounce, and if you then paid the Science Monitor, Publishers Weekly, Columbia
light bill with the money, I consider you Journalism Review, and many other publica-
talented.” That’s as useful a measure- tions. He is also working on his first book.
ment for success as I’ve encountered.
Finding work is no longer your
main priority. You have several steady
gigs. Editors know to hit you up when
they need a job done right. A quick note
to a familiar editor serves as an effective
pitch. A long-term project covers your
expenses for three months. The amount
of success you have is inversely propor-
tional to the time spent on job boards,
Indeed.com, and Sweet Baby Jesus expo-
sure is not a form of compensation! Why
is this still a thing?! It’s been years!
Getting gigs becomes an expecta-
tion, not a fluke. I am aware that
many factors – from editors I’ve met to
whom I married to my family’s patience
and benevolence – have put me in this
position. But I also know that I’m good
at this. Nobody can do anything for this
long because of luck alone. Besides, luck
becomes a shabby excuse if it’s not Creative Writing
flanked by talent and discipline.
Classes in NYC
And that work feeds your passion. & Online
If you’re writing just for money, you will GOTHAMWRITERS. COM
be more than a little bit disappointed.
writermag.com • The Writer | 11
 In its two decades of existence, National Novel
Writing Month has inspired millions of writers
to finally put their stories on paper, resulting in
thousands of published novels over the years.
Here’s a look back at NaNoWriMo’s history, from
humble coffeeshop beginnings to the literal
billions of words it inspires today.

By Grant Faulkner
Dominik Hladik/Shutterstock

12 | The Writer • November 2019

 NaNoWriMo started in July, 1999 (yes, July,
not November), when founder Chris Baty
invited 20 of his friends to join him on an
audacious creative venture: to write 50,000
words of a novel in one month.

Since then, those 20 friends have grown into

a global community of writers who write
together in various ways throughout the
year, and they’ve put up some big numbers:

00+ 7
3,000,0 CONTIN
HOST N
ENTS TH
ANOWR
AT
VE SIGNED
1,000+
IMO
PEOPLE HA E WRITER
S
UP TO WRIT (YES, IN
CLUDIN
ANTARC G
NOVELS EITHER TICA)

200+
TRADITIONALLY
PUBLISHED OR SELF-
PUBLISHED AFTER
NANOWRIMO COUNTRIES WITH
NA NOWRIMO
PARTICIPANTS

,635,218
24,806 BEE N R ECORD
ED

O RD S HAVE NOWRIMO
W E NA
ON T H ITE
WEBS We’re toasting
20 years of novel-writing
chutzpah, motivation,
1,589 and derring-do by going
down NaNoWriMo’s
AVERAGE NUMBER OF
YEARS IT WOULD TAKE memory lane.
YOU TO COUNT TO
24,806,635,218 Ê

writermag.com • The Writer | 13


1999
Chris Baty decided he
wanted to write a
novel and estimated
that the most slender
novels on his book-
shelf – think The Great
Gatsby – are approximately 50,000
words. He challenged 20 friends to
write a novel with him that July, and
they gathered together in coffee-
shops each night to write together.
“After the noveling ended on August 1,
my sense of what was possible for
myself, and those around me, was for-
2002
ever changed. If my friends and I could
write passable novels in a month, I
knew anyone could do it.” —Chris Baty
2000
NaNoWriMo’s original 21 participants swelled to
140 participants who learn this simple groundbreak-
ing formula: a goal + a deadline = a creative mid-
wife. They also decided to write in November, not
July, causing thousands of people to ask over the
years, “Why November?” (And there’s no one real
answer. But if you can write a novel in November,
you can write a novel in any month of the year.)
“A deadline is, simply put, optimism in its most
kick-ass form. It’s a potent force that, when
wielded with respect, will level any obstacle in its
path. This is especially true when it comes to cre-
ative pursuits.” —Chris Baty
14 | The Writer • November 2019
2001
In year three, participation exceeded the
expected 150 participants: After creat-
ing a rudimentary website, 5,000 peo-
ple volunteered to participate – and a
novel-writing phenomenon was born
“In its third year, NaNoWriMo had
become a new kind of writing group,
one where it was OK to laugh at your-
self and, more importantly, laugh at your
shortcomings as a writer. With every-
one aiming for completion rather than
perfection, energy levels soared to new
heights.” —Chris Baty
NaNoWriMo created the position of
“Municipal Liaison,” the title for the vol-
unteer NaNoWriMo chapter-heads in
towns across the nation – and beyond.
Municipal Liaisons, with their dedica-
tion, their smarts, and their tough-love
tactics, help thousands of participants
by hosting in-person writing gatherings
in their communities.
Today, nearly 1,000 municipal liai-
sons organize writing events in loca-
tions around the world.
“What’s nice about NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo logo: Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.
is that you are traveling with a
posse of thousands, all of you
making your way over the
mountains, through the valleys,
across the creeks. You are
fighting off the beasties.”
—Maureen Johnson
 2003
Rumors spread that Tony Danza
signed up to write. Was it the Tony
Danza? (NaNoWriMo is still seeking
confirmation.)
More importantly, the first known major
NaNoWriMo book deal occurs: Time Off
for Good Behavior by Lani Diane Rich.
“NaNoWriMo makes you work at such a
pace that you outrun that inner critic giv-
ing you crap about your craft, and you
start to just revel in the magic.”
—Lani Diane Rich
2004
NaNoWriMo part-
ners with Room
to Read, the inter-
national children’s literacy program, rais-
ing over $7,000 – enough to establish
and outfit children’s libraries in three
Cambodian villages.
No Plot? No Problem!, the NaNoWriMo
“Bible” written by founder Chris Baty, is
published by Chronicle Books.
“All of us harbor secret hopes that a
magnificent novel will tumble out of the
sky and appear on our screens, but
almost universally, writing is hard, slow,
and totally unglamorous. So why finish
what you’ve started? Because in two
weeks, when you are done, you will be
grateful for the experience. Also, you
will have learned a lot about writing and

2005 humanness and the inestimable value

of tilting at windmills.” —John Green

NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers “I like to think of NaNo-ing as

Program is born. Each year,
more than 100,000 kids and
teens participate, and
NaNoWriMo supports
approximately 10,000 class-
rooms with free novel-writing
resources, workbooks, and
curriculum aligned to the
Common Core.
NaNoWriMo trivia:
Erin Morgen-
stern’s beloved
bestselling novel
The Night Circus
Tony Danza photo: DFree / Shutterstock.com
excavating. You uncover dif-
ferent things at the 30K mark
than you do at 10K. Things
that felt like desperate, ran-
dom nonsense on page 72
(the abandoned broken
2006
pocket watch, a partially NaNoWriMo officially
obscured tattoo, that taxider- becomes a 501(c)(3)
mied marmot on the mantel- nonprofit.
piece) are suddenly important
and meaningful on page 187. Sara Gruen’s
Everything could hinge on NaNoWriMo novel
the fate of that marmot. Or Water for Elephants
the marmot may be a red is published.
herring. Or perhaps the mar-

begins as a sur-
prise tangent to
Morgenstern’s
2005 NaNoWriMo novel, and
then is “sprawlingly drafted”
during NaNoWriMo 2006
and 2007.
mot is just a marmot. You
have to keep writing to find
out.” —Erin Morgenstern
“I can do this. WE can do this. However
far behind you are, take comfort in
knowing that there is somebody else
out there in the same boat, and look for
that next fun scene. And then the next.
And if that doesn’t work, set someone
on fire. In your book, of course.”
—Sara Gruen

writermag.com • The Writer | 15

 2007
More than 100,000 writers sign up for
NaNoWriMo for the first time.
“You write on the good days, and you
write on the lousy days. Like a shark,
you have to keep moving forward or you
die. Writing may or may not be your sal-
vation; it might or might not be your
destiny. But that does not matter. What
matters right now are the words, one
after another. Find the next word. Write
it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.”
—Neil Gaiman, NaNoWriMo pep talk,
2007
2008
NaNoWriMo had 21,683 winners in
2008 – an 18.2% “win rate” of writers
who wrote 50,000 words, the highest
percentage since 1999.
“When in doubt, make trouble for your
character. Don’t let her stand on the
edge of the pool, dipping her toe. Come
up behind her, and give her a good hard
shove. That’s my advice to you now.
Make trouble for your character. In life,
we try to avoid trouble. We chew on our
choices endlessly. We go to shrinks, we
talk to our friends. In fiction, this is
deadly. Protagonists need to screw up,
act impulsively, have enemies, get into
TROUBLE.” —Janet Fitch, 2008
NaNoWriMo pep talk.
16 | The Writer • November 2019
Come Write In, NaNoWriMo’s program to support
writing groups in libraries, is born. Now, more than
1,200 libraries and community spaces take part
each year.
NaNoWriMo launches 30 Covers, 30 Days, an
annual challenge that features a professional book
cover design for a randomly chosen NaNoWriMo
work-in-progress every day in November.
The NaNo Rebels forum is formed in 2009 as a
space for participants who were bending (and
breaking) the rules of NaNoWriMo by writing non-
fiction, revising, or who knows what.
“Forget the book you think you need to write to get
recognition, respectability, or praise. These things –
if they happen at all – don’t come if you look for
them. I want to encourage you to seek answers to
your big, specific, personal questions in the form of
fiction. If you want to write about finances, being
brokenhearted, or simple loneliness – things you
aren’t sure are important topics – let me give you
permission to go ahead.” —Min Jin
2010
NaNoWriMo crosses the 200,000-participant line: 200,530
participants write 2,872,682,109 words, with 37,479 winners
blowing through the 50,000-word goal.
“And that’s why I love NaNoWriMo. It gets you started. It
gives you the impetus to finally start and/or finally finish.
Knowing there are thousands of others out there trying to do
the same, who are using this ridiculous deadline as cattle-
prod and shame deterrent, means goddamnit, you better do it
now because you know how to write, and you have fingers,
and you have this one life, and during this one life, you should
put your words down and make your voice heard, and then
let others hear your voice.” —Dave Eggers, 2010 pep talk
 2012 2013
Marissa Meyer’s NaNoWriMo Rainbow Rowell’s
novel Cinder is published. NaNoWriMo
novel Fangirl is
“Anyone who has ever written published.
‘The End’ on a manuscript
knows that, sometimes, inspira- Elizabeth Acevedo
tion eludes us. No one looks writes a rough
forward to those lulls in the draft of With the
writing process, but they are Fire on High, which is pub-
natural, and they can be overcome. These are the lished in 2019 to great
times when we must proceed on willpower and acclaim.
caffeine and the unflappable confidence that each
word we write is one word closer to a finished NaNoWriMo launches its
novel. I can promise that, tough as those times revision and publishing initia-
may be, they often lead to some of our most proud tive – “I wrote a novel, now
and beautiful writing moments.” —Marissa Meyer what?” – to help people
with the revising and pub-
lishing stages of the novel-
writing journey.

“When you reach the place

on Manuscript Mountain that
makes you consider admit-

2011 ting defeat, and the tools you

Camp NaNoWriMo, a virtual
writing retreat for those who
can’t write in November,
launches. In the ensuing
years, it grows to 75,000 par-
ticipants, with sessions in
both April and July, and writers
write any format, revise, and mea-
sure their goals by words, pages,
or time.
NaNoWriMo’s novel-writing
Camp NaNoWriMo poster designed by Nancy Smith.
“The festival of carpal tunnel that
is NaNoWriMo has been the great-
est thing to happen to me as a
writer. Gentle pressure applied
constantly is an incredible force. If
you work on your writing every
have used to get as far as
you have are no longer work-
ing for you, consider using
someone else’s tools. Pant-
ser? Try plotting. Plotter? Try
literally burning your outline
(safely! In a trash can or
something!). Perfectionist?
Try writing the worst scene
you can possibly muster.
Strict beginning-to-end-er?
Write whatever scene is
burning a hole in your brain
and fill in the gap later. What-

workbook, Ready, Set, Novel, is
published.
Hugh Howey’s NaNoWriMo novel
Wool is published.
single day, you can accomplish
great things. It’s like climbing a
mountain one step at a time; the
key is never to stop.”
—Hugh Howey
ever you do, don’t hold so
tightly to whatever writer
identity you have formed for
yourself that you can’t inno-
vate, change, and grow.”
—Veronica Roth

writermag.com • The Writer | 17

 2014
More than 300,000 people sign up for NaNoWriMo
for the first time.
“You could be writing the
book that changes your life.
You could have already
submitted it or self-published
it. The spark could be starting
a fire for you as well. You don’t
know, and you can’t know.
That is the thrill of being an
artist, of working for yourself,
and of telling the stories you
want to tell.”
—Brandon Sanderson,
2014 NaNoWriMo pep talk
2015
NaNoWriMo appears as a
clue in The New York Times
crossword puzzle.
Afterworlds by
Scott Westerfeld
is published. The
novel within the
novel in After-
worlds was writ-
ten by main
character Darcy
Patel during a writing event
that challenged writers to
write a novel in 30 days. It’s
the first known published
NaNoWriMo novel by a fic-
tional character.
18 | The Writer • November 2019
2016
Do you know which character may be
responsible for the most individual fic-
tional deaths in the history of the
world? It’s known as the “Traveling
Shovel of Death.” After Al Stegall used
a shovel to kill a
character in his
2005 NaNoWriMo
novel, he posted
about it in the
NaNoWriMo
forums, and the
shovel went viral,
traveling from
novel to novel
around the globe.
The Traveling
Shovel of Death
has brought death
to countless millions – entire universes,
even – across time and dimensions,
says Al.
“What makes a writer a writer? Writing.
A lot of people would say ‘talent’, but
talent is really just the ability to do
something well that most people have
to work hard at. If you don’t think you
“When you write a novel,
have ‘talent’, just work hard instead –
you’re not just working on
the talent often comes with a cost, any-
the novel itself. You’re also
way: a lack of good work habits. The
working on the novel-building
talented ones often never had to learn
factory: your life. You have to
to work hard; so many of them don’t fin-
create a life that is conducive
ish their work because they never had
to writing. That means sched-
to – it was enough to be talented, to
uling regular time to write.
offer people a glimpse of what you
Weekly is OK, daily is better.
could be. So don’t be that person – don’t
Writing must become a
be the person that everyone believes
habit. If something gets in
could have done something. Be the per-
the way of your writing habit,
son who tried.” —Alexander Chee, 2016
seriously consider cutting it
NaNoWriMo pep talk
out of your life. You have to
write even when you don’t
feel like it simply because it’s
what the factory does.”
—Gene Luen Yang,
NaNoWriMo pep talk
 2017
More than 400,000 writers sign on to
participate – the highest number of par-
ticipants yet.

“In order to write your novel, you must

get rid of this sadist. Do whatever it
takes to shut him up. Chloroform him;
drag him by his white Reebox [sic]
behind the dugout; bury his shrill, cen-
sorious whistle. Then return to your
green, blank, mercifully silent playing
field, and write.” —Karen Russell,
NaNoWriMo pep talk

2018 NaNoWriMo’s mantra? Everyone has a story to

Hank Green’s novel, An Abso-
lutely Remarkable Thing,
which he wrote in NaNoWriMo
2015, is published. And…it men-
tions NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo writers record
2,791,454,312 words in Novem-
ber – more than three times as many words as the
average person speaks in their lifetime.
tell, and everyone’s story matters. Consider writ-
ing your story with us this November.
NaNoWriMo’s writing guide for teens, Brave the
Page, is published.
“Storytelling is a powerful act. Stories have the
mysterious power to widen hearts and change
minds. The human psyche is never quite the same
after receiving a story.” —Mitali Perkins,
NaNoWriMo pep talk

“This is what makes you a writer … the sick feel-

ing in your stomach, the weariness you feel, the
utter conviction that you are the Worst and your
novel is the Worst and everything is awful. This is
how writers feel sometimes. (This is how every-
one feels sometimes.) But writers do not let this
20th anniversary poster designed by Lizzy Dee Studio.
Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel
Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100
Word Story. He’s published two books on writing: Brave the
Page and Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to
Boost Your Creative Mojo. He’s also published Fissures, a col-
lection of 100-word stories, and Nothing Short of 100:

feeling overwhelm them.” —N.K. Jemisin,

NaNoWriMo pep talk Selected Tales from 100 Word Story. His stories have
appeared in dozens of literary magazines, including Tin
House, The Southwest Review, and The Gettysburg Review, as
well as in anthologies such as Best Small Fictions and
Norton’s New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction. His essays
on creativity have been published in The New York Times, The
Writer, Poets & Writers, and Writer’s Digest. He also co-hosts
Write-minded, a weekly podcast on writing and publishing.

writermag.com • The Writer | 19

+2:72%($*2ǰ' Be discerning about what you sign on to read
An ideal editor or critique partner understands

CRITIQUE
what the best version of a project might be and
asks questions and gives feedback that will help
the writer get it there. But the wrong critique
partner, however smart or well-intentioned, can
be frustratingly unhelpful or even cause the

PARTNER
writer damage.
Before you agree to read someone else’s work
in progress, ask yourself if you:
1. Respect the person and her work
2. Like and respect the kind of project she’s
writing
3. Truly want to read the draft.
If the answer to any of those is “Well, not
exactly,” say no.
If you don’t usually enjoy the other person’s

Employ these best

writing, or don’t care for the category or genre in
which she’s working, you are not the right person
to read her draft, and you wouldn’t be doing her

practices when you don any favors by forcing yourself through the exercise.
“I’m flattered to be asked, but I don’t think I’d be

an editorial cap.
the best reader for this one,” or “Sorry, but there’s
too much else on my plate right now,” or simply
“Nope! Can’t,” are all legitimate ways to decline a
request for critique.

%<$1,&$0526(5,6Ǵ, Saying no might feel bad in the moment, but it

will be better for you both in the long run.

T
hinking critically and deeply about
another writer’s work-in-progress and
articulating feedback not only benefits
the other writer – it also develops your
revision skills and helps you better understand
your own writing process. Whether you do a
manuscript swap or agree to read someone else’s
work without reciprocation, it can be a win-win
experience. But critique-partner relationships
involve real vulnerability on the part of both the
writer whose draft is to be dissected and the per-
son wielding the scalpel. That vulnerability can
lead to great insights and revisions…and great
hurt. Before you dive metaphor-first into a cri-
tique of a friend or acquaintance’s draft, pause
LanKogal/Shutterstock

and ask that other writer – and yourself – a few

basic questions, and take note of these strategies
and approaches that will improve how the feed-
back is delivered and received.
20 | The Writer • November 2019
Ask questions first
Before you read a single word, ask the writer what
stage of development she believes her work to be in
and what kind of feedback she’s hoping for. Is she
sharing the early start of an idea, for which she
mainly wants encouragement or someone with
whom to brainstorm? Is this a rough first draft for
which she’d like honest feedback on a specific plot-
line or character? Or is it a finely cut gem she’s
hoping you’ll help polish – but is open to smashing
and reassembling? Her answer will tell you a lot
about what kind of critique will be most useful and
how much criticism she’s open to at that stage.
Respect those boundaries while also being honest.
If you’ve got something to say, say it –
nicely and professionally, but without
apology or too many layers of cushioning.
Similarly, if you start reading a draft and find
it isn’t ready yet for thorough, detailed feedback,
give yourself permission to step back, read faster,
and comment more generally. Don’t waste your
time on premature in-depth editorial notes that
will only overwhelm the writer – and possibly
strain your relationship.
React with your head, heart, and pen
(or comment button)
A huge part of your job as critique partner is to
help the writer answer a crucial question, which
even the most talented author cannot answer
alone: What is the experience of reading this like
for someone who did not write it?
It’s a generous gift for a critique partner to give
reactions – from a smiley face or heart in the mar-
gins to a more detailed note or question that lets
the writer know what a reader might be thinking,
feeling, wondering, chuckling over, confused by,
reminded of, or excited about as she goes along.
Don’t be afraid to treat the draft like a conversa-
tion, and interject your responses as you read.
Don’t hold back on the compliments
Yes, a spoonful of sugar helps the other, less-posi-
tive comments go down. But it also lets the writer
know what’s working well in her manuscript, and
that’s important feedback to have. It can be just as valuable
for the writer to hear what a draft’s strengths are as it is to
hear where there’s room for improvement. The more spe-
cific you can be with your positive feedback, the more useful
it will be for helping her structure her revision around fixing
the draft’s weakness while building on its strengths.
Be kind but straightforward
When it comes to the draft’s shortcomings: If you’ve got
something to say, say it – nicely and professionally, but with-
out apology or too many layers of cushioning. Don’t force
the writer to read between the lines or go through miles of
loop-dee-loops to get at what you’re trying to tell her. Keep
your criticism honest, warm, respectful, and direct. (And
deliver it in writing, rather than in person, so the writer isn’t
forced to react in front of you. Even a mild critique of one’s
creative work can sting sharply on landing. Give her time
and space to get over that in private, and any back-and-forth
that follows will be far more productive and less charged.)
Remember, it’s not your work
One of the most common pitfalls of the novice editor or cri-
tique partner is to push the writer toward revisions that
don’t fit what she wants the work to be. Although you will be
identifying problems and even suggesting possible solutions
the writer might incorporate to strengthen her draft, it is
not your job to fix it – nor, more importantly, is the goal for
it to become the manuscript you would write. (Though, of
course, thinking critically about what you would do differ-
ently if it were your work is one significant way being a
good critique partner can make you a better writer.)
Similarly, the goal of your feedback is not to help the draft
become the best book (or essay or short story) ever. You’re
trying to help it become the best version of itself it can be.
In a good critique, the writer’s goals and vision for the
project take precedence. To do your job well, you need to
identify and understand what the writer is hoping to achieve.
Ask yourself these questions as you read: What is this
piece of writing (and/or this chapter, scene, paragraph, or
sentence) trying to accomplish? In what ways does it suc-
ceed? In what ways does it fall short? In what ways could it
be pushed further? How might it need to pull back to be
most effective?
Keeping those questions and their answers actively in
mind as you evaluate the work will make your comments,
questions, and suggestions on-point, and therefore more
valuable to the writer.
Anica Mrose Rissi is the author of the Anna, Banana chapter-book
series; the picture books Watch Out for Wolf! and The Teacher’s Pet; and a
young adult novel, Always Forever Maybe. Follow her on Twitter and Insta-
gram at @anicarissi.
writermag.com • The Writer | 21
 HE S A I D ,
D 1
SH E SA I
Eight
ways to
make
By dialogue
Ryan G. matter.
an Cl eave
V suggests, keeping it within the realm of
Y
ears ago, a professor told me
that there were two types of
writers: those who could write
dialogue, and those who couldn’t.
Kind of a reductive, jerky thing to
say to an aspiring writer, but over the
years, I discovered that it had a kernel
of truth to it. Some writers DID create
dialogue that sizzled on the page. Oth-
ers settled for pedestrian, functional-
but-not-WOW dialogue.
So, how does a writer join the ranks
of that first group – those who make
dialogue matter?
The answer: Observe what tal-
ented writers of dialogue do, and
then follow suit. To that end, here are
some of their most useful tips, tricks,
and ideas.
22 | The Writer • November 2019
KEEP IT REAL…
The first step in creating authentic
language is to acknowledge that
real people often speak in frag-
ments. They use the wrong words.
They talk over each other. They’re
asked a question and don’t answer it.
Real-world dialogue can be messy.
So, too, can story dialogue.
2
…BUT DON’T MAKE IT BORING
“The two main problems with
dialogue are making it sound real
and keeping it interesting. These
two are related, though sometimes
opposed, problems,” novelist David
Galef explains. “One solution is to take
authentic exchanges and tweak them.”
Add metaphor or other figurative
expressions or just lively language, he
what they could have said.
For example, consider how, under
pressure from his wife to throw out a
drunk from their restaurant, Biff from
Carson McCullers’ The Heart is a
Lonely Hunter doesn’t say “Why don’t
you do it?” Instead, he says “Wake up
and go down yourself. Call the cop and
let him get soused on the chain gang
with cornbread and peas.”
And here’s another real-world exam-
ple of how this works. In Daisy Jones
and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – a
book told entirely in dialogue – Daisy
compares her voice to another singer’s
by saying “I sounded like the cool new
pair of jeans and Billy sounded like the
pair you had for years.”
3
AVOID SMALL TALK
In an effort to make story dia-
logue seem/feel/look real, some
lumyai l sweet/Shutterstock
authors include all the fluffy-
nothings we say to each other to fill the
awkward silences. It may happen in
real life, but small talk waters down the
power of a scene. Worse, it subtly sig-

“The two main problems with
dialogue are making it sound real
and keeping it interesting.”
nals to readers that dialogue isn’t all
that important in your story. That’s a
bad message to send.
Saying “Great weather, huh?” is
most likely a waste of space on the
page, right along with a “What’s up?” +
“Not much! You?” + “Same old, same
old!” exchange.
In short, only include dialogue that
reveals character or advances the plot.
Preferably both.
4
TAG EFFECTIVELY
Most how-to articles and books
advise writers to stick with “said”
as the all-purpose dialogue tag.
Great advice, but only 90% of the time.
A rare but well-placed “shouted,” “whis-
pered,” or “whined” can help make an
important moment more potent.
Warning: Don’t get overly cute
with descriptive dialogue tags. People
rarely – if ever – “breathe,” “spit,” or
“moan” their words.
Bonus tip: If you’re using “said” a
lot, try implying a dialogue tag.
Bob sighed. “I can’t find my car keys
anywhere.”
“I can’t stand those cats.” Jerry cov-
ered his ears with his hands. “All that
mewing!”
5
BE DISTINCT
“Not all your characters should
speak the same way,” notes Galef,
“just as they shouldn’t all look or
behave similarly. Consider young vs.
old, articulate vs. tongue-tied, and so
on.” He’s exactly right. Far too many
otherwise meticulous writers neglect
to find and utilize their characters’ dis-
tinct voices.
For example, instead of saying, “She
couldn’t shoot fish in a barrel,” my
Arkansas friend would say, “She couldn’t
whack a pig in the butt with a banjo.”
Same concept but very differently told.
6
USE SILENCE
A Japanese friend once remarked
to Galef, “You Americans think
that no reply means no answer.”
Consider how the power of silence –
used sparingly – might impact a con-
versation.
7
SUMMARIZE
Most writers stick to direct dia-
logue, meaning the reader “hears”
it all as the characters say it. All the
dialogue is in quotes. Don’t forget about
summary dialogue, though, which can
speed things up in a useful way.
“This job sucks,” Martha said. “I quit!”
She never wanted to see his boss’s
weaselly face again, she said. He was a
low-down liar who screwed employees
on bonuses, and his breath could peel
paint off the wall. She’d brewed his coffee
with water from the aquarium, she
declared. More than once.
He glared at her. “You through?”
“Absolutely.”
See how this delivered the power of
her ranting without having to see/hear
every single word, which might’ve
taken far longer to render on the page?
This is an efficient way to get things
moving and still give a solid sense of
what a character said.
8
LISTEN TO THE PROS
You’re not alone. See what pros
have to offer in terms of creating
effective dialogue.
“It’s dialogue that gives your
cast their voices and is crucial
in defining their characters.”
—Stephen King
“Never use an adverb to mod-
ify the verb ‘said’…he admon-
ished gravely.”
—Elmore Leonard
“Dialogue in fiction should be
reserved for the culminating
moments and regarded as the
spray into which the great
wave of narrative breaks in
curving toward the watcher on
the shore.”
—Edith Wharton
“Don’t forget; human beings
talk because they want some-
thing. They want to tell you
something, they want to get
some information, they want
to express something. Dia-
logue is ALWAYS driven by
your character’s agenda.”
—Dan Brown
“Nothing teaches you as much
about writing dialogue as lis-
tening to it.”
—Judy Blume
Bring it all together, and instead of
your dialogue being the parts readers
skim, it’ll become the very thing that
keeps your story roaring forward.
Ryan G. Van Cleave is the author of 20
books and a frequent contributor to The Writer.
Visit him at RyanGVanCleave.com and
OnlyPictureBooks.com.
writermag.com • The Writer | 23
24 | The Writer • November 2019
Stokkete/Shutterstock (trash can)
É

writermag.com • The Writer | 25

I
wasn’t thrilled to delete a favorite chap-
ter from my latest book – a story about
how several kids’ books my neighbor
placed in my family’s Little Free Library
helped my young daughter to overcome
anxiety and depression. But I cut it any-
way because I agreed with my editor
that the tone and content didn’t mesh
with the rest of the chapters. Still, trash-
ing the piece I’d labored on and loved hurt. And
so, on a whim, I revised it as a stand-alone essay
and sent it to Real Simple.
The magazine accepted it. Editors published it
along with a photo and my bio. I earned a hefty
paycheck and a top-notch venue in which to
showcase an essay directly related to my nonfic-
tion work Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to
Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in
Tweens and Teens (Sasquatch, 2019).
Savvy authors know that even if they find them-
selves “killing their darlings” during the revision
process, those beloved chapters and essays and
paragraphs can find new life in magazines and
newspapers, in blog posts and online giveaways
that build an enthusiastic audience for longer work.
Burn it – but save the ashes
Oregon author and publisher Kim Cooper Find-
ling never published her memoir about the birth
and death of her first baby. She wrote and rewrote
it for five years, trying to find a central theme in
the story…then gave up and literally lit the manu-
script on fire in a sort of farewell ceremony. Still,
pieces of the book have made their way into her
published essays for years.
Hip Mama published the first excerpt, “Just a
Few Hours,” in the early 2000s. Editors at the
magazine published another excerpt, “Baking
Cupcakes for the Dead,” in 2019. “That felt very
bookendish,” Findling says. “The first piece was
immediate and in the moment, while the second
piece was much more reflective.” Another piece,
“Roots and Flowers: Loss, Grief, and Growth,”
appeared in True North Parenting.
“Sometimes you have to walk away from a
manuscript. Sometimes you literally have to start
a fire,” Findling says. “But publishing as many
pieces as possible in as many places as possible
helps to build your audience. The goal is to get
your voice out there. Even if it’s not in a book,
readers develop a taste for your style and subject
matter, and they begin to seek you out.”
26 | The Writer • November 2019
Having learned from her first manuscript,
when Findling found herself cutting a chapter
from her memoir, Chance of Sun (Nestucca Spit
Press, 2011), she submitted it to High Desert Jour-
nal, where it was accepted for publication. “It was
one of my faves. I was determined to place it
somewhere,” she says.
Keep a ‘cut file’
Connecticut author and actress Amy Oestreicher
published her memoir, My Beautiful Detour: An
Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful (Amy
Oestreicher, 2019). In it, she describes her experi-
ences of sexual abuse, organ failure in her senior
year of high school, a coma and 28 surgeries, and
six years of being unable to eat or drink. Oest-
reicher cut several chapters in the revision process.
“It’s hard work,” she says. “No one wants to kill
their baby, but once I did cut chapters, I could see
a clear narrative flow in the story. As painful as it
was, deleting chapters was liberating, as well.”
One of the sections she cut became the essay
“Why I Didn’t Testify Against the Man Who
Abused Me Before My Coma,” published on vari-
ous sites, including Huffington Post, The Mighty,
Elite Daily, and Sammiches & Psych Meds. “Ulti-
mately, I did not include this essay because the
532-page memoir covered an expansive amount
of trauma, and it came to a point where I had to
be selective,” she explains.
Oestreicher keeps a “cut file” for pieces she
deleted from her memoir. “You’ve got to study
what publications are looking for and how you
might fashion a cut piece into an article,” she says.
Like Findling, she stays current on the needs of
print and online magazines that might be a good
fit for work that didn’t make it into her book.
Build a bigger audience
Illinois author Rebecca Johns Trissler subscribes
to literary magazines and submits pieces from her
cut file when she finds a good fit. When she real-
ized a chapter of her novel Icebergs (Bloomsbury,
2007) was taking her story in the wrong direc-
tion, she reworked it to stand alone and searched
for a suitable editor. The piece appeared in Chi-
cago Tribune’s literary magazine, Printers Row.
Trissler notes that while novel chapters can have
more open endings to continue a story along, a
shorter piece needs finality in order to satisfy read-
ers. “The arc had to be a little different for my
stand-alone piece,” she explains. “It had to come to
 Interested in repurposing deleted sections of your book-length
manuscript? Check out the following resources, as well as the
“Markets” department at the back of The Writer.

Duotrope.com – Includes a NewPages.com – The “Calls TheReviewReview.net –

searchable database of fiction
and nonfiction markets, along
with a calendar of upcoming
deadlines. Also offers a per-
sonal submission tracker.
for Submissions” page lists
literary magazines and
anthologies with editors
interested in stand-alone
pieces and excerpts.
Allows writers to access calls
for submissions from anthol-
ogy and collections editors, as
well as offering them informa-
tion about literary magazines.

a more complete character conclusion by the end.”
She agrees that publishing cut pieces helps to
build an audience for longer work and points out
that writers who publish short stories in literary
journals sometimes receive emails from agents
interested in representing their book-length work.
“When you’re working on a long book, it can take
years and years to finish,” she says. “Publishing cut
pieces or excerpts allows you to get your work out
into more places and build a bigger audience.”
Mari Christie, a Colorado author, keeps a file
of material she’s cut from her historical and
romance fiction to repurpose in myriad ways.
“There’s good stuff in there – kernels of informa-
tion that can become scenes or short stories or
novellas,” she says.
Christie often uses cut material for anthology
submissions, blogs posts, and chapter giveaways
for subscribers to her newsletter. “Part of my
marketing strategy is to use those extra pieces
that fell out when I shook the machine before I
ever published the book,” she explains.
One of these pieces is a party scene from her
first historical romance novel, Royal Regard, which
was written under the pen name Mariana Gabrielle
(CreateSpace, 2014). In her newsletter, she wrote to
subscribers: “Remember that party scene the char-
acters referenced in a chapter? Here’s a story about
it!” Then, she gave them a special code that
enabled them to read it on her website.
When she found that her Civil War novel Blind
Tribute (CreateSpace, 2017) was simply too long,
she looked for sections to delete. One of these
sections was an editorial about Sherman’s March,
which became a post on her blog.
“It’s an interesting and fun way to market and
give added value to readers,” she notes. “The writ-
ing ends up in someone’s hands, and they say,
‘This is really cool. I like this character, and I can
go buy a whole book about them.’”
Make deletions work for you
I admit, my filing system isn’t as tidy as that of my
colleagues. I print out paragraphs I’ve cut and
thumbtack them to a bulletin board. Entire
deleted chapters of my nonfiction and fiction
books sit on my computer’s desktop as well as on
top of my actual desk. Some would view these
discarded pieces as failures. I see them as rich
with possibility for publication and a paycheck. I
spend an hour each week reading up on new
magazines and what editors are looking for and
then spruce up my darlings and send them off
into the world.
A chapter deleted from my new middle-grade
novel will make a terrific short story for a chil-
dren’s magazine. A section cut from Better with
Books is perfect for an op-ed submitted to news-
papers across the country.
As my fellow authors point out, it’s wise to save
deleted pages and paragraphs, no matter how
short. “When the time comes and I want to pub-
lish another book,” says Oestreicher, “I have
plenty of material.”
Contributing editor Melissa Hart is the author of Better
with Books (Sasquatch, 2019) and Avenging the Owl (Sky
Pony, 2016). Twitter/Instagram @WildMelissaHart.

writermag.com • The Writer | 27

 BY TONI FITZGERALD
28 | The Writer • November 2019
Ask two dozen editors what the future
holds for literary magazines, and you get
two dozen answers (beautifully rendered,
of course – the editors are also talented
writers themselves). After noting the
recent closures of a number of literary
titles, we contacted people in the literary
community to discuss the genre’s future,
its biggest challenges, and what inspires
them at a time when they report receiving
more submissions than ever.
One thing the two dozen editors we
surveyed agreed upon: Literary magazines
are changing – evolving to match the
times. Here are six things editors are
thinking about as 2020 looms.
1 
MAKE THAT MONEY:
MAGAZINES MUST INNOVATE
The late, great literary maga-
zine Glimmer Train long dis-
played this message on its
website: “There is no such thing as a
profitable literary journal. To the best
of our knowledge, all surviving literary
journals are supported by universities
and/or by individuals who love short
fiction and are willing to put their own
time and money into them.”
Simply put: Literary magazines
aren’t money-makers. Most struggle to
make enough to survive. “A lot of mag-
azines have had to reinvent them-
selves,” says Beth Staples, editor of
Shenandoah at Washington and Lee
University. “There have been a lot of
sad stories of great magazines going
out of business.”
The biggest issue? A sharp decline in
subscriptions, which fund many liter-
ary magazines. It’s not just lit mags, of
course – circulation is down for news-
papers and magazines, too. Digital subs
simply aren’t making up the difference.
“Regular subscriptions aren’t how
people are paying the bills anymore,”
observes Emily Everett, managing edi-
tor of The Common at Amherst Col-
lege. Adds Patricia Colleen Murphy,
editor of Superstition Review (Arizona
State University): “The problem is that
more people want to get published
than want to read.”
Financial instability displays differ-
ently with different types of lit mags.
Ones associated with colleges may
seem steadier, but they still have con-
cerns. Editors mention a number of
academic publications that recently
shut down or lost faculty advisors
through budget cuts.
Independent magazines, with no
foundation or school behind them,
often face an even tougher go. Many
have become more niche to survive,
targeting a narrower audience than the
writermag.com • The Writer | 29
THE HISTORY
OF LITERARY
MAGAZINES
Magazines have existed for
roughly 400 years, says Travis
Kurowski, Ph.D., editor of
Paper Dreams: Writers and
Editors on the American Lit-
erary Magazine. Literary
magazines began publishing
in the 19th century in the
United States.
Early publications were
“genteel male white affairs,”
he says, showcasing authors
such as Henry James, James
Joyce, and Thomas Harding.
In the mid-20th century, this
changed a bit. The advent of
mimeograph presses made
magazine printing more
accessible. Universities
started publishing literary
magazines, most notably
LSU and Kenyon College.
These magazines ran sub-
missions from women and
people of color.
The late ‘90s brought lit-
erary magazines into the
digital age and saw a further
expansion of the genre.
Kurowski estimates there
are 6,000 online and print
publications today.
30 | The Writer • November 2019
broad-interest successes of the past.
“I’ve heard editors say they want to
Independent magazines often rely on
their owners or founders for funding
be the next Paris Review. The problem
with that is not even the Paris Review
when they go into the red. “We went
through those years of not really being
could be the next Paris Review – there’s sure we’d exist from one issue to the
no longer a climate for that type of lit- next. We’d have to pool our money –
erary magazine or model,” says David ‘OK, we all owe $275 to have it printed.’
Olimpio, editor-in-chief and owner of There was really no other way to get the
the Atticus Review. money,” says Barrelhouse’s Dave Hous-
Magazines have to get creative to ley. He’s been with the title in various
make money. For instance, EVENT roles since its founding in 2004 and
offers a reading service for writers, now organizes the conferences, which
assessing the strengths and weak- Barrelhouse initiated to get a new
nesses of a work for $100. Editor stream of income.
Shashi Bat says EVENT also generates Charging for submissions and con-
revenue by holding workshops and tests has become a way to balance sub-
multi-day festivals. scription losses for many magazines. Yet
R.I.P.: Lessons from two
high-profile closures
Karen Russell. Colson Whitehead. Stephen King. Ursula K. Le
Guin. Tin House magazine published so many luminaries dur-
ing its 20-year run, which wrapped with this year’s summer
issue. When Tin House publisher and editor Win McCormack
announced the shutdown in December, the literary commu-
nity groaned and mourned. But a number of high-profile titles
have closed in recent years, including Glimmer Train, which
also published its final issue this year. Here are four things we
can glean from these closures.
1. Big names don’t trans- emails from writers upon
late into big profits. Even announcing its final issue.
with it high-profile author- Lots of them had never
ship, Tin House cited been published in the
financial pressures for its magazine.
closure.
4. Sometimes you just need
2. Taking chances can work. a break. The two-sister
Tin House gained literary team behind Glimmer Train
stardom while publishing did all the work them-
many marginalized voices – selves, reading thousands
and occasionally rejecting of submissions each year
well-established authors for almost three decades.
like Günter Grass. Linda Swanson-Davies
says while it sounds like a
3. People notice and grieve cliché, she and her sister
these closures. Glimmer simply wanted to spend
Train received many, many time with their families.
the ethics involved in that can be tricky.
“For journals to make any money,
we need to rely on the writers who
submit to us, NOT the readers of the
publication,” says Tara Laskowski, co-
editor of SmokeLong Quarterly. “In an
ideal world, that would be flipped:
Readers would pay for the content, not
expect it for free, and writers would
not only not have to pay for the chance
to possibly get published, but might
also get (wait...this is a shocking idea)
PAID FOR THEIR WORK.”
The future of literary magazines will
require even more innovation to make
money. But there is hope: Conferences
and other money-makers allowed Bar-
relhouse to begin paying writers in
2014, 10 years after its founding. “I
think if we were only relying on print
products, I don’t think we could keep
going,” notes Housley.
2
DIGITAL VS. PRINT: CAN
LITERARY MAGAZINES
THRIVE ONLINE?
The results of the 2016
election sparked soul
searching among many people, Tammy
Lynne Stoner among them. She decided
to resurrect Gertrude, a literary maga-
zine dedicated to queer voices where
she served as publisher before the jour-
nal went on hiatus pre-November 2016.
As she began reaching out to former
staffers, Stoner realized that her old
business model no longer made sense.
“I decided to start back up again as
a way to hold space for queer voices,”
Stoner says. “That meant re-staffing
entirely and changing our model from
print to online in order to save time
and money while extending our reach.”
Gertrude has a lot of company in
this transition. A number of maga-
zines have shifted to digital publish-
ing or reduced the number of print
issues while accepting more online-
only content.
The reason, of course, is money. It
costs less to publish content on the web
than to create a print edition of a liter-
ary magazine, which requires a printer
and distribution capabilities – getting The three
the magazine to subscribers. With a
website, editors pay the hosting fee and types of
little else. literary
Bodega, a 6-year-old literary maga-
zine, began as a digital publication.
magazines
The editors envisioned a lit mag for the
digital age. University
“We love print, we really do, but we Affiliated with and supported
by a university or college,
exist in a world where most of our
which often provides a fac-
reading is happening on the subway
ulty advisor.
over lunch breaks,” says Bodega edi- Examples: Ploughshares,
tor-in-chief Cat Richardson. “The The Missouri Review.
idea of carrying around a literary
magazine and reading 300 pages
didn’t feel realistic.” Independent
There also are aesthetics to print Owned by a single person or
group of people.
and web to weigh before a transition.
Examples: Zoetrope, Granta.
“I don’t think all print journals need
to go online,” says Patricia Colleen
Murphy, editor of Superstition Review Foundation- or
at Arizona State University. “A person institution-backed
who has the skills it takes to curate Affiliated with a non-aca-
excellent creative writing doesn’t demic funding source.
Examples: The Believer
always correspond with having the
skills it takes to build a website and (Black Mountain Institute),
The Paris Review (The Paris
online platform.” She says smart jour-
Review Foundation).
nals pay someone to take a website that
“looks like a freshman project” to
become more polished.
Of course, shifting online also begs
another question of literary maga-
zines: To charge or not to charge?
They need to answer quickly or risk
alienating their audience. As their
newspaper brethren have discovered,
readers get annoyed when you wall off
content and request payment for
something they could previously
access for free.
“I’m guilty of this online too,”
admits Jim Gearhart, managing editor
of Tahoma Literary Review. “I feel like
things should be available and you
shouldn’t have to pay. That’s a hard
impression to overcome, it’s hard when
you’re trying to price a product and
you have to compete with something
that’s free. That makes our pricing
really a challenge.”
Apogee Journal, which is dedicated
to publishing underrepresented
voices, offers three tiers of digital sub-
scription ranging from $3 to $10 per
writermag.com • The Writer | 31
WHAT ABOUT
ADVERTISING?
With the financial concerns
facing literary journals, you
might think a few full-page
ads for a writing conference
or new novel-writing soft-
ware might pay the bills.
But the majority of literary
magazines don’t accept or
pursue advertising. To some
degree, this is a practical
consideration; lit mags are
small operations, often volun-
teer-run. They don’t have the
luxury of an advertising sales
staff. As it is, editors are
strapped for time.
“I’m not against advertis-
ing,” says David Olimpio, edi-
tor-in-chief and owner of
Atticus Review. “I’d just like it
to be more focused toward
what this community would
want to see, be more taste-
ful. And I haven’t figured out
a way or had the time and
energy to put into doing that.”
It’s also a matter of per-
ception. Lit mags don’t want
to become commercialized.
There’s a prestige factor to
being accepted in a literary
journal, where a writer’s
work might be discovered by
an agent seeking new talent.
Ads jar that perception.
32 | The Writer • November 2019
month. “It’s our primary source of
income and has replaced the sale of
print journals,” says Executive Editor
Alexandra Watson.
Jennifer Baker, a contributing edi-
tor to Electric Literature, sees digital
bringing more opportunities for mag-
azines that prioritize and amplify
BIPOC authors (those who are black,
indigenous, and people of color),
including Kweli Journal, The Offing,
Aster(ix), and Hyphen Magazine.
Other online magazines have arrived
on the scene with great promise, such
as The Establishment, but, alas, dis-
covered even a digital model is diffi-
cult to sustain.
Practical concerns prompt journals
to go online as well, notes the staff of
Submittable has been the biggest
game-changer in literary magazines
during the past two decades.
It’s also been the biggest headache.
the Kenyon Review, who answered
questions collaboratively via email for
this story.
“We’re slowly losing institutional
print subscribers, as the libraries who
have historically subscribed have tight-
ened their budgets and begun to move
to online databases for print content,”
the Review staff says. “Bookstores have
limited shelf space, so newsstand sales
have taken more time and effort.”
It doesn’t have to be either/or.
Online can complement print. Kenyon
Review launched Kenyon Review Online
a decade ago, and it functions as a sepa-
rate magazine, publishing every two
weeks. “We’ve expanded what and how
much we publish in KRO significantly
since its early days, and we have the
ability to reach readers all over the
world,” the Review staff says.
3
SUBMITTABLE: PART
SALVATION, PART
TRIBULATION
Editors will tell you Sub-
mittable has been the big-
gest game-changer in literary magazines
during the past two decades. It’s also
been the biggest headache.
Submittable, if you aren’t familiar, is
a cloud-based system where you sub-
mit work to magazines. You register
for a Submittable account and then use
your login to submit to any publica-
tions that use the platform.
For magazines that once received
submissions via email, Submittable has
been a godsend. Editors still have night-
mares about losing stories in over-
stuffed inboxes. Submittable tracks
submissions and allows editors to assign
each one to an initial reader, making
acceptances and rejections way easier.
“Submissions at EVENT have
increased dramatically in the past few
years as a result of our beginning to
accept work online through Submitta-
ble,” says Shashi Bhat, editor of
EVENT. “Prior to that, we accepted
only snail-mail submissions.”
But there’s a tradeoff for this ser-
vice – money, of course, and as we’ve
already established, most lit mags
don’t have much of it. A number of
editors told us, on background,
they’re reeling from recent Submitta-
ble fee bumps.
For many magazines, Submittable
charges an overall fee, then takes a slice
of submission fees as well. Not all maga-
zines charge one (see: “The great

ON THE UP AND UP:
Submission numbers
at a glance
Why have submission num-
bers risen? Editors say it’s a
mix of many things. Submit-
table, certainly, has been a
big factor – it’s easier to sub-
mit through a digital man-
ager than via snail or even
email. Longer open submis-
sion periods, more outreach
to writers through confer-
ences and social media, and,
yes, frustrations with the
current presidential adminis-
tration that manifest in cre-
ative output have all
increased submissions.
Several editors say the
number of publications
objecting to simultaneous
submissions has also
decreased, so writers can
send the same stories to
multiple magazines. (Side-
note: One editor whose
magazine accepts simulta-
neous submissions said she
saw a story she’d recently
rejected published in
another literary magazine.
The author apparently didn’t
submission fee debate” on page 35), and
Submittable limits unpaid submissions,
which it doesn’t earn anything for.
Yet walking away from Submittable
is a double-edged sword. While maga-
zines could save money, they also lose
the orderliness and ease of the submis-
sion process, which would demand
more time from editors – who are
often volunteers.
Editors frequently discuss the issue at
conferences, throwing out alternatives
read the simultaneous sub-
mission policy. The story
was identical, except in the
published story, a character
was a skunk; the one sub-
mitted to the editor, it was a
raccoon. Writers sure are
creative.)
How much have submis-
sions risen? A few maga-
zines shared their numbers:
SmokeLong Quarterly
2016: 60-75 submissions
per week
2019: 100 submissions
per week
Tahoma Literary Review
2014 (first year):
4 submissions per day
Most recent 12-week
reading period:
13 submissions per day
Kenyon Review
2016-’17 six-week reading
period: Just over 6,000
2018-’19 six-week reading
period: 7,200
and new ideas. Some magazines have
experimented with submission software
that works only on their site and find it
less user-friendly for both writers and
editors. Nothing has emerged to take
Submittable’s place.
“They’ve made a wonderful prod-
uct,” one editor says. “Many of the
things it lets us do, we could never do
by email. We’re lucky enough to be able
to afford those services, but most mag-
azines can’t.”
writermag.com • The Writer | 33
THINKING OF
SUBMITTING?
Heed these
four tips from
literary
magazine
editors
“Read the type of work you
want to submit and ask your-
self what gets you excited
about reading it. Apply that to
your own work.”
—BETH STAPLES, SHENANDOAH
“If you’re responding to a
specific current political real-
ity, think about something
that has been overlooked and
has urgency.”
—ALEXANDRA WATSON,
APOGEE JOURNAL
“If you’re out there submit-
ting and don’t hear back,
please understand it is being
read – read carefully by peo-
ple who love to do it. We
want to respect your piece,
but it might take time.”
—CARRIE MUEHLE,
TRIQUARTERLY
“[We look for] honest work
that feels as if it has far more
purpose than a writer want-
ing to write a story.”
—TARA LASKOWSKI,
SMOKELONG QUARTERLY
 FIVE THINGS LITERARY MAGAZINE EDITORS
WANT YOU TO KNOW
1
Many of them are
2 3 4
You can submit
5 They don’t want Some pay A rejection
volunteers. “I speculative to make edits… through Venmo doesn’t mean
don’t think folks fiction even at though they will. or PayPal – but you’re a bad
realize that a lot of journals that “We have some they’ll give you a writer. “If I’m not
the time literary haven’t pieces that are paper check if interested in this,
magazine staff – traditionally almost ready to you want one. don’t take it per-
unless they have published the publish when they “Sometimes we sonally,” says Beth
some serious genre. “We have come in, and we hear from writers, Staples, editor of
backing from a received and limit the amount ‘Oh, this is the Shenandoah. “I
wealthy funder or published more of pieces we do first story I’ve liken it to dating.
from a corporation literary science intense work to a been paid for. Can If I don’t fall in
(like Medium) or a fiction, fantasy, few per issue,” I have a paper love with you, it’s
university – may fabulism, and so says Alexandra check? I kind of not because
be working for on over the past Watson, executive want to keep it.’ I there’s something
FREE (or very low few years, and we editor of Apogee love it when that wrong with you.
costs) because we anticipate this Journal. “We do happens,” says We’re just not a
believe in the mis- trend continuing,” work closely with Bodega editor-in- right match.”
sion and others’ says Shashi Bhat, writers, we use chief Cat
work and giving editor of EVENT. ‘suggested edits’ Richardson.
visibility,” says Jen- in Google Docs,
nifer Baker, a con- and we’ve had
tributing editor at good experiences
Electric Literature. working closely.”

For the short term, Submittable
will remain indispensable. For the
long term – well, it’s just another one
of the unknowns in the literary maga-
zine world.
“We actively court diverse voices
through solicitation. I’m reaching out
to writers I admire and making sure
each issue that comes out is diverse so
it becomes known that’s what we’re
looking for,” says Beth Staples, editor
of Shenandoah at Washington and
Barrelhouse began, admittedly with
a masthead of “four middle-aged,
white, straight guys,” says Dave Hous-
ley, conference organizer for the maga-
zine. “It took a while to push past the
perception that we’re just a bunch of
dudes.” That only happened after the

4
SEEKING THE VOICES Lee University. magazine began consciously reaching
OF THE FUTURE: She says this open door is critical out to non-white, non-male, non-
DIVERSITY IN PAGES to increasing submissions from straight writers.
AND ON MASTHEADS underrepresented voices. Another It’s not just publishing these
White men (usually journal she worked at, she says, was authors, though. Adding people of
straight and cis) dominated the pages known for “white guy in a rowboat” color and LGBTQ editors as well as
of literary journals for decades. stories, but through consistent broad- editors with disabilities is the only way
That finally has begun to change. ening of its author list, that image to ensure a lasting diversification of
Every editor surveyed for this article changed: “It’s hard to break, but even- voices, Housley believes. “It matters
said they seek submissions from a tually other people felt more comfort- what your masthead looks like,” he
more inclusive group. able submitting.” says. “The best thing we’ve done is to
34 | The Writer • November 2019
start diversifying our masthead. We
have people inside making decisions
who hopefully lean toward more
inclusion and diversity, which is really
good for us. But we’re continuing to
work on it.”
Barrelhouse has produced special
issues, too, dedicated to giving under-
represented writers more opportunities,
such as a Latin-themed holiday issue
and an edition featuring Desi fiction.
The other part of the diversity issue
is determining what stories should be
told by which groups. Should maga-
zines publish a story about the Stone-
wall Riots told from the perspective of
a gay Hispanic man that’s written by a
straight white woman?
“As humans, we have to respect the
boundaries of one another’s history,
and that’s tricky territory as an editor,”
says Carrie Muehle, outgoing manag-
ing editor of TriQuarterly at North-
western University. “It’s important for
a writer to start thinking about,
‘Should I really be telling this story? If
it is someone else’s story, would it
come across more authentic to let
them tell it?’”
Conversations involving race, gen-
der, and identity are delicate. Alexandra
Watson, executive editor of Apogee Jour-
nal, says editors may have good inten-
tions, but “I’ve seen those conversations
where editors are trying to figure out
how to get more work from writers of
color when, if those editors aren’t tuned
into some of those communities per-
sonally, the effort can come across as
contrived and tokenizing.”
There’s only one way to change that,
she says. “We have to try to recruit
more diversity in editorial leadership.
That has to be it.”
5
THE GREAT SUBMISSION
FEE DEBATE
The debate erupts every
few weeks on Twitter, at
literary conferences, dur-
ing drinks with writerly friends.
Should literary magazines charge sub-
mission fees?
Six ideas for the future of
literary magazines
1. Curation: Netflix for liter-
ary magazines, anyone?
It’s something David
Olimpio, editor-in-chief and
owner of Atticus Review,
thinks could work. For a
monthly fee, readers could
access a slew of journal
content. “It would involve
more collaborating or shar-
ing among writers them-
selves and users of literary
magazines, and thinking of
the lit mag as more of a
platform than a magazine,”
he says.
2. Conferences: Barrelhouse
runs two yearly writing
conferences, which serve
a dual purpose. They’re
revenue streams, but they
also provide a welcome
service to the literary com-
munity, uniting writers and
editors for a $75 fee.
3. Affiliate links: Hey, it
works for bloggers! Retail-
ers pay websites that post
links to their products
when someone who clicks
on that link makes a pur-
chase. For instance, a
There’s no easy answer. Editors will
argue against the concept in the same
breath they justify their own need to
charge them.
Jennifer Baker can see both sides of
the debate. A contributing editor to
Electric Literature and active submitter
to other literary magazines, she has
worked in publishing for 16 years.
“I don’t necessarily agree with sub-
mission fees for literary magazines
and, at the same time, I understand
magazine could link to a
book on Amazon, and
Amazon would pay the
magazine if someone
clicks on that link and then
buys the book.
4. Mixed media: Think vid-
eos of poetry read by the
author or stories that incor-
porate sound.
5. Patreon: Artists of all
stripes have used the
crowdfunding platform to
create subscription ser-
vices since 2013. For a
monthly fee, sometimes at
whatever level “patrons”
can afford, magazines
share their content with
their supporters. McSwee-
ney’s Internet Tendency
launched a Patreon page a
couple years ago.
6. Podcasts: EVENT and Ken-
yon Review, among oth-
ers, have introduced
podcasts that explore craft
and interview authors,
reaching listeners they
hope will become readers
or submitters.
why they exist,” she says. “I pay sub-
mission fees regularly when I submit
applications for residencies, and I can
afford to when I budget for what I feel
is suitable for my work. But a literary
magazine is different in that many may
think donations and subscriptions pay
for everything, or they should. But
that’s not the reality.”
Submission fees often cover pay-
ments for staff and guest editors,
administrative tasks and overhead,
writermag.com • The Writer | 35
promotion, and more, Baker notes.
Paying expenses is a sound argu-
ment for charging fees. But …
The downside to submission fees
has become a greater concern as liter-
ary magazines work to expand their
contributor lists.
“Submission fees with lit mags are
prohibitive, full stop, and adds a bar-
rier for those who (a) cannot afford
fees (especially if it means they may
not get compensated if they are pub-
lished) and (b) if the literary magazine
isn’t very representative,” Baker says.
“Why should I as a Black woman pro-
vide money for you to, potentially, be
less inclusive or continue not being
inclusive? Submission fees, to me, are
an accessibility issue, which is a long-
standing one in the publishing arena.”
For many of those reasons, Apogee
Journal has never charged submission
fees. “We’re hoping to make it more
accessible to publish,” explains Execu-
tive Editor Alexandra Watson.
Shashi Bhat, editor of EVENT, says
the magazine briefly instituted a sub-
mission fee to address the twin costs of
rising submissions and the adoption of
Submittable, the cloud-based submis-
sions manager. However: “We removed
[the fee] out of concern that it would
be too much of a barrier and would
skew the population of writers pub-
lished towards those who could afford
it,” she says.
Some magazines waive reading fees
for subscribers (and, bonus, you get a
better feel for what the editors want
when you read what they publish).
Occasionally, workarounds can be
found. Tahoma Literary Review
recently partnered with an instructor
in New Mexico who runs a creative
lab for inmates. Many of them lack
internet access and, further, can’t
afford submission fees. TLR waived
the fees and will review hard copies of
their work.
“We’re really excited about this
chance to hear these voices. This is a
group we haven’t heard from,” says Jim
Gearhart, the magazine’s managing
editor. At press time, the TLR staff
36 | The Writer • November 2019
eagerly awaited the first batch arriving doesn’t pay hopes to be able to pay
in the mail. If the New Mexico part- writers one day.
nership works out, editors hope to Some magazines offer little more
implement similar programs with pris- than an honorarium, though they see it
ons in Michigan and California. as a critical distinction between paid
and unpaid work.
Since SmokeLong Quarterly, a jour-
6
EVERYONE AGREES: nal devoted to flash fiction, began in
IT’S ESSENTIAL TO PAY 2003, it has been largely in the hole
WRITERS (BUT NOT financially. The magazine didn’t pay
EVERYONE CAN) writers; it could barely cover online
Emily Everett, managing hosting and other essential costs.
editor of Amherst College’s The Com- But editors always listed paying
mon, sighs when the topic of paying writers as their top priority. A 15th
writers comes up. “There’s such a big anniversary contest helped generate
gap between how much we appreciate the funds to begin doing so.
and love our writers, and how much we “It’s always been our goal to be able
can pay to support them,” she laments. to pay writers for their work, but it’s
Every magazine that pays wishes it sad that it took so long to get there,”
could pay more. Every magazine that says SmokeLong Quarterly co-editor
HOW COOL: INNOVATIONS AT
LITERARY MAGAZINES
We all know the “innovate or perish” philosophy has both up-
and downsides (look no further than the whole catalog of DC
Comics movies for evidence). Often trying something new
paves the way for another innovation you can implement
down the road. Here are a few ideas literary magazines have
tried out in the past few years that appear promising:
• Kenyon Review: Expanded organization encouraging
its translation offerings by young girls who write in
adding a translation work- Pittsburgh and Fiyah,
shop and hiring two trans- which publishes specula-
lation editors. tive fiction and horror by
• EVENT: Hosts an annual black writers.
event called “Aboriginal • Apogee Journal: Runs
Voices: An Evening of community workshops
Poetry and Prose” to pro- that cost $20 per class,
mote local Indigenous underwritten by groups
writers’ work and broaden like the New York State
engagement with the Council on the Arts and
community. Brooklyn Arts Council.
• Barrelhouse: Offers a Workshop teachers often
yearly grant to emerging encourage participants to
literary organizations to submit their work to Apo-
encourage new voices. gee, getting new voices
Past recipients include an into the magazine.
 SEVEN WAYS
to support
Love literary magazines? Dive
literary
into our essential reading list:
magazines
• Jane Friedman (janefriedman.com) has written extensively
on the format. She has a great blog post (“The Business
Model of Literary Journals (or Lack Thereof)”) on lit mag
economics.
1 Subscribe to one.
Or two or three.

• Lincoln Michael penned “The Ultimate Guide To Getting

Published In A Literary Magazine.” He would know; he
used to be editor-in-chief of Electric Literature. Find the
2 Share pieces you read
on literary magazine
sites via social media.
piece here: buzzfeed.com/lincolnmichel/the-ultimate-
guide-to-getting-published-in-a-literary-magazi.
• The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses
posted a farewell interview with the sisters who ran
3 Follow literary magazine
social media accounts.

Glimmer Train (clmp.org/blog-post/glimmer-train-leaves-

the-station).
• The book Literary Publishing in the Twenty-First Cen-
4 Engage in social media
discussions about the
medium.
tury, edited by Travis Kurowski, explores the ongoing trans-
formation of the industry.
• Lit Mag Lunch (litmaglunch.com) is Patricia Colleen Mur-
phy’s delightfully upbeat site that features pictures of her
5 Follow submission
guidelines carefully –
don’t waste editors’ (or
lunch alongside the latest lit mag she’s devouring. Come
your own) time by sub-
for the literary insights. Stay for the Mediterranean Chick-
mitting a piece that
pea Orzo (yum).
doesn’t meet the maga-
• Want a precise financial breakdown of what it costs to run
zine’s requirements or is
a literary magazine? See Tahoma Literary Review’s Trans-
formatted incorrectly.
parency Index (tahomaliteraryreview.com/pages/what-we-
pay-and-how-we-do-it).
6 Enter a lit mag
contest.

7 Volunteer as a reader
for a magazine.

Tara Laskowski. “Still, I’m so thrilled Writers submit to unpaid markets

that we are finally a paying market. It’s
been long overdue.”
SmokeLong isn’t alone. Atticus
Review recently offered all contributors
to an issue $25 apiece, a first since
David Olimpio purchased the journal.
Most editors are writers themselves
in their off time. They understand the
labor involved in producing a piece
worthy of publication. At the same
time, editors face financial pressure.
Gertrude, a free digital magazine
celebrating queer voices, doesn’t cur-
rently pay writers, “but that is a huge
goal for us this year,” says publisher
Tammy Lynne Stoner. She does pay for
cover art. “Our hope is to grow Gertie,
[our] book club, and use those funds
to support our contributors.”
for many reasons. Some see them as a
potential stepping stone to bigger jour-
nals – a way to bolster their resume.
Others perceive, rightly or wrongly,
unpaid markets as less selective, offer-
ing a better chance to get published.
Either way, says Carrie Muehle, out-
going managing editor of Northwest-
ern’s TriQuarterly, if you harbor
dreams of getting rich off literary mag-
azine submissions, it’s not going to
happen. “From the artists to the people
working on the journal, this is a love,
not a money, profession,” she says.
Toni Fitzgerald is the copy editor for The Writer.
She is currently writing her first children’s book
while working out her complicated feelings
about the serial comma. Web: tonifitz76.com.

writermag.com • The Writer | 37

LITERARY SPOTLIGHT
BY MELISSA HART
INSIDE LITERARY MAGAZINES

Hidden Compass
’Our publication sees travel as exploration rather than vacation,’
say the editors of this in-depth travel magazine.

Sabine Bergmann and Sivani Babu, co-editors/co-founders of Hidden Compass.

T
he website homepage for
the travel magazine Hid-
den Compass features a
manifesto of sorts. Editors
Sabine Bergmann and Sivani Babu
explain, in a piece titled “The Age of
want to live in a world where the names
of astronauts, explorers, scientists and
inventors roll off our tongues as easily
as the names of the Kardashians. We’re
willing to bet that we’re not alone.”
When Bergmann and Babu founded
and art,” Bergmann explains. “We pub-
lish historical pieces that take place in
different eras, stories that include anal-
ysis of a particular painting. Our writ-
ers and photographers geek out on
very specific and scientific things.”
Photo by In Her Image Photography

Audacity,” how they grew up pretend-
ing to be astronauts at space camp
and launching rockets in their back-
yards, thrilled by possibility in the
wake of the Space Race.
“We want it back,” they write. “We
38 | The Writer • November 2019
Hidden Compass in 2017, they wanted
to create a travel magazine different
from those that report on perfect vaca-
tion spots and how to take a cruise.
“We’re not afraid to bring in other
genres and topics like science, history,
Tone, editorial content
The editors gravitate toward first-per-
son journalistic travel stories that
blend reportage with personal experi-
ence – stories like “You Should Be
Dancing” (8/3/17), which appears in
the inaugural issue of the quarterly
magazine. It’s an essay by marine biol-
ogist Russell Bradley about his time
spent on Laysan Atoll in the North-
western Hawaiian Islands studying
albatross. “It’s very much a travel story,
but there’s a lot of science in there as
well,” Babu explains.
Bergmann has worked as an editor
at other publications that separate
journalistic pieces from first-person
travel narrative, and she’s eager to
“We want to live in a
world where the names
of astronauts, explorers,
scientists and inventors
roll off our tongues as
easily as the names of
the Kardashians.”
showcase stories that include both –
pieces like Annelise Jolley’s “Trick of
the Light” (11/8/18), about sex workers
in Thailand.
“She describes the state of sex work
in Thailand but also how she meets a
lot of the girls and lady boys and goes
out clubbing with them,” Bergmann
explains. “Travel journalism is at the
frontlines and frontiers of human
exploration, and this really comes
through when you have a narrator tak-
ing you by the hand and leading you to
these great places.”
Contributors
Photographer Kim F. Stone has a photo
essay titled “The Great Basin Bucka-
roos” in Hidden Compass (2/1/19),
which explores the lives of cowboys in
Oregon’s Alvord Desert. Originally
from Maine, Stone has spent the past
decade handling and doctoring cattle
in the desert.
She writes: “Even on the hardest
days – when the swirling, roaring
wind stole the warmth of the sun,
and we found calves sick with pneu-
monia, in desperate need of atten-
tion, fighting for their lives and for
that of the ranch – I felt at home
among the buckaroos.”
The editors love how the photo essay
explored a region close to their Califor-
nia homes – an area and culture that
people know little about. “This is a cul-
ture steeped in history, a culture that’s
disappearing,” Babu explains.
They also appreciate Yas-
aswini Sampathkumar’s
piece about turtle conserva-
tion in India (Autumn,
2019), which describes the
volunteers who patrol
beaches and dig up turtle
nests, transporting the eggs
to a hatchery and then
releasing the babies into the
ocean. “What’s really fasci-
nating about this story is
that volunteers from all over
India have no idea if what they’re
doing is making a difference, but they
do it anyway,” Babu says.
“The writer draws a parallel
between the volunteers’ efforts and
the turtles laying eggs without know-
ing what will happen to the little
hatchlings,” Bergmann adds. “It’s an
act of faith that’s been going on for
hundreds of millions of years, repli-
cated now by humans.”
The Autumn 2019 issue also
includes “Vacant Lot Vineyard” by
Barbara Barrielle, about a man who
plants vineyards in abandoned vacant
lots in Detroit. “It’s a story about going
home and working to rebuild in the
face of economic catastrophe,” Berg-
mann says. “It’s such a weird juxtapo-
sition, with all the hope and
excitement around the wine industry
and Detroit’s economic collapse. It’s
exciting to see how these subjects
mesh in the same place.”
“Deep exploration of
a destination through
powerful storytelling.”
ONLINE, QUARTERLY.
Genres: Nonfiction stories, pro-
files, features, and photo essays.
Reading period: Year-round.
Length: 500-3,000 words.
Submission format: Via email.
Payment: $200-$300.
Contact: Editors Sabine Berg-
mann and Sivani Babu,
hello@hiddencompass.net,
hiddencompass.net.
Advice for potential contributors
Bergmann and Babu look for submis-
sions that contribute to a global con-
versation and include a well-developed
story arc. “When we evaluate a piece,
we ask ourselves, ‘Is this interesting?
Why do we want to call for everyone’s
attention and tell them to stop what-
ever they’re doing to read this piece
now?’” Babu explains. “When we get a
piece that feels important, that’s really
exciting.”
The editors urge potential contribu-
tors to read archived stories on the Hid-
den Compass website and to study the
writers’ guidelines to better understand
the magazine’s aesthetic. “Our publica-
tion sees travel as exploration rather
than vacation,” Babu says. “Other maga-
zines will help you to take your best
vacation. Ours examines how to go out
into the world and explore.”
“We’re a literary travel magazine
that loves first-person travel journal-
ism,” Bergmann concludes. “We get to
publish the weird stories.”
Contributing editor Melissa Hart is the
author of Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books
to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Accep-
tance in Tweens and Teens (Sasquatch, 2019).
Twitter/Instagram: @WildMelissaHart.
writermag.com • The Writer | 39
CONFERENCE INSIDER
BY MELISSA HART
UW-Madison Writers’ Institute
Attendees can find craft advice, camaraderie, and commercial
success at this welcoming four-day event.
R
etired Milwaukee firefighter
Gregory Lee Renz attended
the UW-Madison Writers’
Institute with an idea for a
novel based on his work experience,
taking first place in both fiction and
nonfiction in the Institute’s 2015 writ-
ing contest. And then, after years of
writing and revision, he sold his debut
novel, Beneath the Flames (Henschel-
HAUS, 2019).
Renz represents one of many pub-
lishing success stories that have
emerged from the Institute, now in its
30th year. The four-day event in Madi-
son, Wisconsin, attracts people from
all over the U.S. with workshops and
40 | The Writer • November 2019
Conference: UW-Madison
Writers’ Institute
Dates: March 26-29, 2020
Cost: $265-$345
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Contact: Event Director Laurie
Scheer, laurie.scheer@wisc.edu,
uwwritersinstitute.wisc.edu
discussions on craft, revision, market-
ing and publication, and promotion.
“We have aspiring, emerging, and
established writers,” says event director
Laurie Scheer. “Even if you haven’t
written a page yet – even if you just have
an idea – you’re most welcome. There
are so many opportunities to meet other
writers, speakers, and agents or to sim-
ply attend and absorb information.”
What you’ll learn
Featured presenters at the institute
include industry professionals such as
author/blogger Jane Friedman and
author/book coach Jennie Nash,
author/diversity educator Donna Hart-
youngryand / Shutterstock.com
Tervalon, and author/former New York
City police officer Nick Chiarkas.
Multi-genre author Jessica Lourey will
deliver the keynote address on Friday.
The Institute offers two tracks for
attendees – one that concentrates on
the craft of writing and one that
explores the various methods of publi-
cation. In 2019, instructors taught
workshops in scene setting, outlining,
plot development, podcasting, writing
a book proposal, and navigating book
festivals as a published author.
Writers can take workshops on how
to navigate racial and cultural differ-
ences in fiction and how to develop your
voice, create suspense, and built worlds
in a novel. They can learn the art of
interviewing subjects for a book, how to
write humor, and how to craft a series.
The Institute also offers “Pathway to
Publication,” a six-month or yearlong
program that allows participants to
sign up for a mentorship with the goal
of editing and polishing a manuscript
to submit to literary agents and editors.
“We’ve found that when people
Advertise to our readers
in print and online at:
writermag.com/authors-marketplace
CALL FOR DETAILS:
Alexandra Piccirilli, (617) 279-0213,
apiccirilli@madavor.com
leave the Institute, they’re excited, and
they have a goal to keep writing, but
two months later, all that enthusiasm
drops off,” Scheer says. “Pathway to
Publication allows writers to work with
a mentor to set up goals. Maybe they
haven’t written one page yet. Maybe
they have 30,000 words written. Men-
tors work with them wherever they are
to complete a project.”
Advice for first-time attendees
Writers return again and again to the
UW-Madison Writers’ Institute, com-
pelled by both educational opportunity
and camaraderie with fellow attendees.
“You work by yourself, and you don’t
think other people are going through
what you are,” Scheer explains. “But then
you attend this event, and you meet all
these other people with the same fears
and hesitations, and you realize every-
THE AUTHOR’S
MARKETPLACE
EVERYTHING THAT’S NEW & NOTABLE
FOR WRITERS THIS SEASON
Do you have a book that you would
like to promote? Want to get your
work in front of more readers?
We’ve created a platform designed specifically for
authors who wish to promote their work, be it a
book, website, or special project. Target The Writer ’s
book-loving audience today!
one’s in the same boat. It’s enlightening
to experience that awareness.”
So enlightening, in fact, that writers
at the institute find themselves form-
ing long-term friendships with one
another. “People become writing bud-
dies,” Scheer says. “It’s a sort of ‘I’ll
check on you, and you check on me’
situation, a camaraderie focused on
writers helping writers.”
Renz says that attending the Insti-
tute each year feels like “going home
where everyone gets you.” He’ll present
a session at the 2020 conference about
his journey to publication. The title: “If
I Can Do It, So Can You.”
Contributing editor Melissa Hart is the
author of Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books
to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Accep-
tance in Tweens and Teens (Sasquatch, 2019).
Twitter/Instagram: @WildMelissaHart
writermag.com • The Writer | 41
MARKETS
COMPILED BY TONI FITZGERALD
Take a chance
Writing contests keep your mind fresh, your writing skills sharp, and your
creativity pumping. And winning could score you new readers, notoriety,
and even some extra cash. The following contests are a small sampling
of what the industry has to offer. Find more listings at writermag.com.
Information in this section is provided to
The Writer by the individual markets and
events; for more information, contact
those entities directly.
F = Fiction N = Nonfiction P = Poetry
C = Children’s Y = Young adult O = Other
» CONTESTS
P AUTUMN HOUSE CHAPBOOK CON-
TEST Formerly the Coal Hill Review Chap-
book Contest. Submit 15-30 pages of poetry
by email or regular mail. Final judge of the
competition is Gerry LaFemina. Deadline:
Nov. 1. Entry fee: $20. Prizes: Publication
and $1,000. Contact: Autumn House Press,
5530 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Email
from website.
autumnhouse.org/submissions/chapbook
F THE BIG MOOSE PRIZE Submit unpub-
lished novel through online submission man-
ager only. Manuscripts should be 90-1,000
pages in length. Open to new, emerging, and
established writers. Entry through Submitta-
ble. Deadline: Jan. 31. Entry fee: $25. Prizes:
$1,000 and publication. Contact: Black Law-
rence Press. editors@blacklawrencepress.com
blacklawrence.com
F N P THE BRIAR CLIFF REVIEW
ANNUAL CONTEST Submit one short
story or creative nonfiction piece, max 5,000
words, or up to three poems. All entrants
receive a copy of the next edition of The Briar
Cliff Review. Deadline: Nov. 1. Entry fee:
$20. Prizes: $1,000 in each of the three cate-
gories and publication in the next issue of The
Briar Cliff Review. Contact: Tricia Currans-
Sheehan, editor, The Briar Cliff Review, 3303
42 | The Writer • November 2019
Rebecca St., Sioux City, IA 51104. 712-279-
1651. Email from website. bcreview.org
F BRISTOL SHORT STORY PRIZE Inter-
national short story competition for publica-
tion in an annual anthology. Open to all
writers over the age of 16. Maximum 4,000
words. Stories can be on any theme, subject,
or style, including graphic, verse, or genre-
based (crime, science fiction, fantasy, histori-
cal, romance, children’s, etc.). Enter via online
form or regular mail. Deadline: See website.
Entry fee: £9 per story. Prizes: See website.
Contact: Bristol Short Story Prize, Unit 5.16,
Paintworks, Bath Rd., Bristol BS4 3EH, UK.
enquiries@bristolprize.co.uk bristolprize.co.uk
F THE CALEDONIA NOVEL AWARD
International competition for unpublished
and self-published debut novels. Submit the
first 20 pages of a novel (at least 50,000 words)
with a 200-word synopsis. Shortlist judge is
Jenny Hewson, literary agent at Rogers,
Coleridge & White Literary Agency. Dead-
line: Nov. 1. Entry fee: £25. Prizes: £1,500
and trophy. Contact: The Caledonia Novel
Award. entries@thecaledonianovelaward.com
thecaledonianovelaward.com
F CATHERINE DOCTOROW INNOVA-
TIVE FICTION PRIZE Open to any U.S.
writer in English with at least three books of
fiction published who has not published with
Fiction Collective Two. Seeks “fiction consid-
ered by America’s largest publishers too chal-
lenging, innovative, or heterodox for the
commercial milieu.” Submissions may include
a collection of short stories, one or more
novellas, or a novel of any length. Transla-
tions and previously published or self-pub-
lished novels and collections are ineligible.
Electronic submissions only. Deadline: See
website. Entry fee: $25. Prizes: $15,000 and
publication by FC2. Contact: University of
Alabama Press. Email from website. fc2.org
F CHRIS O’MALLEY PRIZE IN FICTION
Submit one short story, max 30 pages,
through online submission manager. Dead-
line: Dec. 1. Entry fee: $2. Prizes: $1,000 and
publication in The Madison Review. Contact:
The Madison Review. Email from website.
themadisonrevw.com
F THE CLARION SHORT STORY PRIZE
Submit unpublished works of fiction no lon-
ger than 2,400 words. Writers should be under
the age of 30 or enrolled in an undergraduate
or graduate program or have completed such a
program within the last two years. Submit
through online submission manager or regu-
lar mail. Deadline: See website. Entry fee:
$15. Prizes: At least $150 and publishing con-
sultation. Contact: Clarion, c/o Pen & Anvil
Press, P.O. Box 15274, Boston, MA 02215.
clarion@penandanvil.com bu.edu/clarion 
F N P CRAZYHORSE LITERARY PRIZES
Submit up to three poems or a short story or
essay (maximum 25 pages) during the month
of January. Submit through online submission
manager. Deadline: Jan. 31. Entry fee: $20
(includes subscription to Crazyhorse). Prizes:
Publication and $2,000 awarded in each
genre. Contact: Crazyhorse, Department of
English, College of Charleston, 66 George St.,
Charleston, SC 29424. 843-953-4470.
crazyhorse@cofc.edu crazyhorse.cofc.edu
F THE DANAHY FICTION PRIZE Prefers
manuscripts between 500 and 5,000 words, but
stories falling slightly outside this range will
also be considered. Submit by online submis-
sions manager or regular mail. Deadline: Dec.
31. Entry fee: $20. Prizes: $1,000 and publica-
tion in Tampa Review. Contact: Tampa
Review, Danahy Fiction Prize, The University
of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL
33606. 813-253-6266. ut.edu/tampareview
F N P DECEMBER AWARDS Submit one
short story or essay, maximum 8,000 words,
or up to three poems. Send through online
submission manager or regular mail. Prizes:
$1,500 first place and $500 honorable men-
tion in each category. Winners will also
receive publication. Deadline: See website.
Entry fee: $20. Contact: December, P.O. Box
16130, St. Louis, MO 63105. Email from web-
site. decembermag.org/december-awards
F DORIS BETTS FICTION PRIZE Submit
unpublished story up to 6,000 words via online
submission manager or regular mail. Open to
legal residents of North Carolina or members
of the North Carolina Writers’ Network and
North Carolina Literary Review subscribers
with North Carolina connections. Deadline:
Feb. 15. Entry fee: $20; $10 for subscribers or
members of the North Carolina Writers’ Net-
work. Prizes: $250 and publication in North
Carolina Literary Review. Contact: Ed South-
ern, NCLR, ECU Mailstop, 555 English,
Greenville, NC 27858-4353. Margaret Bauer,
editor. bauerm@ecu.edu ncwriters.org
P DORSET PRIZE Submit a previously
unpublished, full-length poetry manuscript.
No mandatory page count; 48 to 88 pages sug-
gested. Submit by online submission manager
or regular mail. Deadline: Dec. 31. Entry fee:
$30 per submission. Prizes: $3,000 plus publi-
cation by Tupelo Press, 20 copies of the win-
ning title, a week-long residency at MASS
MoCA, a book launch, and national distribu-
tion. Contact: Tupelo Press Dorset Prize, P.O.
Box 1767, North Adams, MA 01247. 413-664-
9611. contact@tupelopress.org
tupelopress.org/dorset-prize
P DRINKING GOURD CHAPBOOK
POETRY PRIZE Awarded to poets of color
who have not previously published a book-
length volume of poetry. Submit 25-35 page
manuscript through regular mail. Deadline:
Dec. 31. Entry fee: $15. Prizes: $350, publica-
tion by Northwestern University Press, 15
copies of the book, and a featured reading.
Contact: Poetry and Poetics Colloquium,
Northwestern University Department of Eng-
lish, University Hall 215, 1897 Sheridan Rd.,
Evanston, IL 60208.
poetrypoeticscolloquium@gmail.com
poetry.northwestern.edu/drinking-gourd-
chapbook-contest
P THE EDNA MEUDT MEMORIAL
AWARD AND FLORENCE KAHN
MEMORIAL AWARD Open to college
undergraduates only. Submit manuscript of
10 original, unpublished poems. Submit via
online submission portal; special requests for
alternative submission methods will be deter-
mined on a case-by-case basis. Deadline: Jan.
31. Entry fee: None. Prizes: Both winners
will receive $500, a $300 travel stipend for the
NFSPS Convention, chapbook publication,
and 75 copies of chapbook. Contact: College
Undergraduate Poetry Competition.
paperlesspoets@gmail.com nfsps.com/CUP.html  POETRY CONTEST Submit maximum
F ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD Offers
one grand prize for general excellence in addi-
tion to awards for thought-provoking books
and debut authors. Books must be from an
academic, small, or micro press or self-pub-
lished. Deadline: Jan. 21. Entry fee: $62.50.
Prizes: $2,000 grand prize. Contact: Hopewell
Publications, P.O. Box 11, Titusville, NJ 08560.
info@hofferaward.com hofferaward.com
F THE FC2 RONALD SUKENICK INNO-
VATIVE FICTION CONTEST Seeks “fiction
considered by America’s largest publishers
too challenging, innovative, or heterodox for
the commercial milieu.” Submit a collection
of short stories, one or more novellas, or a
novel of any length. Works that have previ-
ously appeared in magazines or in antholo-
gies may be included. Translations and
previously published or self-published novels
and collections are not eligible. Electronic
submissions only. Deadline: See website.
Entry fee: $25. Prizes: $1,500 and publication
by FC2. Contact: University of Alabama
Press. Email from website. fc2.org
C FIRST EDITION CHILDREN’S BOOK
WRITING CONTEST Seeking submissions
of original, unpublished manuscripts appropri-
ate for infants through 5 year olds. Works must
be 600 words or less. Deadline: See website for
details. Entry fee: See website for details.
Prizes: The author of the winning manuscript
will have his or her book professionally illus-
trated, published, and promoted by Southwest
Human Development. $1,000 advance and 8%
royalties on book sales. Contact: Southwest
Human Development, 2850 N. 24th St., Phoe-
nix, AZ 85008. 602- 808-4483. give@swhd.org
firsteditionproject.com
N FOURTH GENRE STEINBERG ESSAY
PRIZE Seeks the best creative nonfiction essay
for annual prize. Max 6,000 words. Submit by
online submission portal. Deadline: March 15.
Entry fee: $20. Prizes: $1,000 and publication
in Fourth Genre. Contact: Fourth Genre Stein-
berg Essay Prize. msupress.org/journals/fg
F P FREEFALL ANNUAL PROSE &
3,000 words of prose or five poems per entry.
Electronic and mailed entries accepted.
Deadline: April 30. Entry fee: $25 poems and
$10/page for prose (includes one year sub-
scription). Prizes: Publication in Freefall and
$500/$250/$75/$25 in both poetry and fiction
categories. Contact: FreeFall, 250 Maunsell
Close, NE Calgary, AB T2E 7C2.
editors@freefallmagazine.ca
freefallmagazine.ca
F N GEIST LITERAL LITERARY POST-
CARD STORY CONTEST Submit a post-
card with an original story up to 500 words
that relates to the image. Fiction or nonfiction
accepted. Submit by mail or online submis-
sion manager. Deadline: See website. Entry
fee: $20 for first entry; $5 each additional
entry. Includes 1-year subscription to Geist.
Prizes: $500/$250/$150 and publication in
Geist and online. Contact: Geist Literal Liter-
ary Postcard Story Contest, Suite 210, 111 W.
Hastings St., Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4, Can-
ada. 604-681-9161. geist@geist.com
geist.com/contests/postcard-contest
F N P IOWA REVIEW AWARDS Submit
up to 25 pages of prose or 10 pages of poetry.
All manuscripts are considered for publica-
tion. Submit through online submission man-
ager only during the month of January.
Deadline: Jan. 31. Entry fee: $20. Prizes:
Winners receive $1,500. First runners-up
receive $750. Also includes publication. Con-
tact: The Iowa Review, 308 English-Philoso-
phy Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City,
IA 52242. 319-335-0462.
iowa-review@uiowa.edu iowareview.org
writermag.com • The Writer | 43
MARKETS
F JAMES JONES FIRST NOVEL FEL-
LOWSHIP Awarded annually to an American
author of a first novel in progress. Submit via
regular mail or online submission form. Sub-
mit a two-page (maximum) outline of the
entire novel and the first 50 pages. Deadline:
See website. Entry fee: $30 check or money
order, payable to Wilkes University. Add $3
processing fee for online submissions. Prizes:
$10,000 first place, $1,000 for second place,
one honorable mention. Contact: James Jones
First Novel Fellowship, c/o MA/MFA in Cre-
ative Writing, Wilkes University, 84 W. South
St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766.
jamesjonesfirstnovel@wilkes.edu wilkes.edu
P THE JAMES WRIGHT POETRY PRIZE
Submit up to three unpublished poems online
or by regular mail. Deadline: Dec. 15. Entry
fee: $10. All entrants receive a copy of Mid-
American Review. Prizes: $1,000 and publica-
tion in Mid-American Review. Contact:
Mid-American Review, Department of Eng-
lish, Bowling Green State University, Bowling
Green, OH 43403. mar@bgsu.edu
casit.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview
F K. MARGARET GROSSMAN FICTION
AWARDS Submit an unpublished story, max
10,000 words, by regular mail or online sub-
mission manager. All subjects and styles wel-
come. Deadline: Jan. 15. Entry fee: $10 per
story or $15 for two stories. Prizes: $1,000 for
first prize, $300 for second, $200 for third. All
entries considered for publication. Contact:
Literal Latté Awards, 200 E. 10th St., Suite
240, New York, NY 10003. 212-260-5532.
Email from website literal-latte.com
F L. RON HUBBARD WRITERS OF THE
FUTURE CONTEST Awards short fiction up
to 17,000 words written by emerging sci-fi,
fantasy, and dark fantasy writers. The contest
is open only to those who have not profession-
ally published a novel or short novel, or more
than one novelette, or more than three short
stories, in any medium. Submit by regular mail
or online. Deadline: Quarterly. Entry fee:
None. Prizes: $1,000 first prize awarded each
quarter; one of these winners also receives the
$5,000 annual “Gold Award” grand prize. Each
quarter, second place receives $750 and third
44 | The Writer • November 2019
place receives $500. Contact: L. Ron Hub-
bard’s Writers of the Future Contest, 7051 Hol-
lywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. Joni
Labaqui, contest director. 323-466-3310
contests@authorservicesinc.com
writersofthefuture.com
F N THE LAMAR YORK PRIZES FOR
FICTION AND NONFICTION Submit sto-
ries or essays of up to 6,000 words via online
submission manager. Deadline: Jan. 31. Entry
fee: $18 (includes one-year subscription).
Prizes: $1,000 in each category and publica-
tion in The Chattahoochee Review. Contact:
The Chattahoochee Review. tcr@gpc.edu
chattahoocheereview.gsu.edu/lamar-york-prizes
P LITERAL LATTÉ FOOD VERSE CON-
TEST Submit 1-10 unpublished poems up to
2,000 words total, with food as an ingredient.
All styles welcome. Submit via regular mail or
online submission manager. Deadline: March
15. Entry fee: $10 for 1-6 poems; $15 for 10
poems. Prizes: $500. All entries considered
for publication. Contact: Literal Latté Food
Verse Contest, 200 E. 10th St., Suite 240, New
York, NY 10003. 212-260-5532. Email from
website. literal-latte.com
P LONG POEM PRIZE Submit a single
poem or cycle of poems, 10-20 pages. A page
is up to 36 lines (or fewer), including breaks
between stanzas. Submit by email or regular
mail. This contest runs every other year, and
the next deadline will be in 2021. Deadline:
Feb. 1. Entry fee: $35 CAD for Canadian
entries, $40 U.S. for American entries.
Includes one-year subscription to The Mala-
hat Review. Prizes: Two awards of $1,000
CAD and publication. Contact: The Malahat
Review, McPherson Library, University of
Victoria, PO Box 1800, Stn CSC, Victoria,
BC, V8W 3H5, Canada. 250-721-8524.
malahat@uvic.ca malahatreview.ca
F P THE MISSISSIPPI REVIEW PRIZE
Submit fiction, 1,000 to 8,000 words, or 3-5
poems totaling 10 pages or fewer by regular
mail or online submission manager. Deadline:
Jan. 1. Entry fee: $15 or $16 for online (includes
a copy of the prize issue). Prizes: $1,000 in both
categories and publication in The Mississippi
Review. Contact: Mississippi Review Prize
2018, 118 College Dr. #5144, Hattiesburg, Mis-
sissippi 39406. usm.edu/mississippi-review
P NEW ISSUES POETRY PRIZE Submit a
poetry manuscript of at least 40 pages by reg-
ular mail or submission manager. Open to
poets writing in English who have not previ-
ously published or self-published a full-length
collection (40+ pages) of poems. Deadline:
Dec. 30. Entry fee: $25. Prizes: $1,000 and
publication. Contact: The New Issues Poetry
Prize, New Issues Poetry & Prose, Western
Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave.,
Kalamazoo, MI 49008. 269-387-8185.
new-issues@wmich.edu wmich.edu/newissues
F N P NEW MILLENNIUM WRITING
AWARDS Submit entries to the writing con-
tests in fiction, flash fiction, poetry, and non-
fiction. Fiction and nonfiction: submit up to
6,000 words; flash fiction up to 1,000 words.
Poetry: submit one to three poems, up to a
total of five pages. Submit from website or
post mail. Deadline: Check website. Entry
fee: $20 per submission, with a discount after
two. Prizes: $1,000 in each category and pub-
lication. Contact: New Millennium Writings,
4021 Garden Dr., Knoxville, TN 37918. Email
from website. newmillenniumwritings.com
P THE NICK BLATCHFORD OCCA-
SIONAL VERSE CONTEST Submit previ-
ously unpublished poems of any length “that
make an occasion of something or simply
mark one.” Open to Canadians or current res-
idents of Canada. Submit from website.
Deadline: Feb. 28. Entry fee: $40 for three
poems (includes subscription to The New
Quarterly). Prizes: $1,000 first prize; an addi-
tional $1,000 will be distributed at the judges’
discretion. All submissions considered for
paid publication. Contact: The Nick Blatch-
ford Occasional Verse Contest, The New
Quarterly, c/o St. Jerome’s, 290 Westmount
Rd. N., Waterloo, ON N2L 3G3. 519-884-
8111 x28290. info@tnq.ca tnq.ca/contests
F NILSEN LITERARY PRIZE FOR A
FIRST NOVEL Submit previously unpub-
lished novel, novella, or collection of closely
linked short stories. Open to English-writing,
U.S. residents who have not yet published a
novel. No self-published manuscripts. Dead-
line: Nov. 1. Entry fee: $30. Prizes: $2,000
and publication by Southeast Missouri State
University Press. Contact: Southeast Mis-
souri State University Press, Nilsen Literary
Prize for a First Novel, One University Plaza,
MS 2650, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.
upress@semo.edu semopress.com
P OMNIDAWN OPEN (POETRY BOOK
CONTEST) Open for all writers with no limi-
tations on the amount of poetry a writer has
published. Minimum 40, maximum 120 pages.
Most manuscripts are 40-80 pages long. Dead-
line: Aug. 15. Entry fee: Check website for
details. Prizes: $3,000 and publication. Con-
tact: Omnidawn Open (Poetry Book Contest),
Omnidawn Publishing, 2200 Adeline St., Suite
150, Oakland, CA 94607. 510-237-5472.
submissions@omnidawn.com omnidawn.com
F N P OPEN SEASON AWARDS Submit
up to three poems (100 lines max for each
poem), or short fiction or creative nonfiction
(max 2,500 words). Send entries by email or
regular mail. Deadline: Nov. 1. Entry fee: $40
for U.S. entries, $35 CAD for Canadian
entries. Entrants receive a one-year subscrip-
tion to The Malahat Review. Prizes: $2,000 in
each category and publication in The Malahat
Review. Contact: The Malahat Review,
McPherson Library, University of Victoria,
PO Box 1800, Stn CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W
3H5, Canada. 250-721-8524.
malahat@uvic.ca malahatreview.ca
P PHYLLIS SMART-YOUNG PRIZE IN
POETRY Submit three previously unpublished
poems, max 15 pages total, through online sub-
mission manager. Deadline: Dec. 1. Entry fee:
$2. Prizes: $1,000 and publication in The Mad-
ison Review. Contact: The Madison Review.
Email from website. themadisonrevw.com
F N P PLOUGHSHARES EMERGING
WRITER’S CONTEST Open to writers who
have yet to publish a book, including chap-
books, eBooks, and self-published works. Fic-
tion or nonfiction under 6,000 words or
between 3-5 pages of poetry accepted. Submit
via online submission form starting March 1.
Deadline: Check website. Entry fee: $24,
includes a year’s subscription to Ploughshares.
Current subscribers may submit for free.
Prizes: The winner of each category will
receive $2,000, review from Aevitas Creative
Management, a 1-year subscription, and pub-
lication in the winter issue of Ploughshares.
Contact: Ploughshares, Emerson College, 120
Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116. 617-824-
3757. pshares@pshares.org pshares.org
F N P PRAIRIE FIRE CONTESTS Submit
short fiction up to 10,000 words, creative
nonfiction up to 5,000 words, or 1-3 poems
up to a maximum of 150 lines. Submit by
postal mail only. Deadline: Nov. 30. Entry
fee: $32 per submission. Includes one-year
subscription. Prizes: $1,250/$500/$250 in
each genre and publication. Contact: Prairie
Fire Contests, 423-100 Arthur St., Winnipeg,
MB R3B 1H3, Canada. 204-943-9066.
prfire@prairiefire.ca prairiefire.ca
N PRISM INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE
NON-FICTION CONTEST Submit one piece
of creative nonfiction up to 6,000 words
through online submission manager or by reg-
ular mail. Deadline: Check website. Entry fee:
$40 U.S. entries, $35 Canadian entries. $5 each
additional entry. Entry fee includes a one-year
subscription to PRISM international. Free
entry to self-identifying indigenous writers.
Prizes: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up,
$400 second runner-up and possible publica-
tion. Contact: Kate Black, PRISM interna-
tional, Creative Writing Program, UBC, Buch.
E462 – 1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T
1Z1, Canada. promotions@prismmagazine.ca
prismmagazine.ca
F PRISM INTERNATIONAL JACOB ZIL-
BER PRIZE FOR SHORT FICTION Submit
one piece of fiction up to 6,000 words. Send
through online submission manager or by
regular mail. Deadline: Jan. 15. Entry fee: $40
U.S. entries, $35 Canadian entries. $5 each
additional entry. Entry fee includes a one-year
subscription to PRISM international. Free
entry to self-identifying indigenous writers.
Prizes: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up,
$400 second runner-up and possible publica-
tion. Contact: Kate Black, PRISM interna-
tional, Creative Writing Program, UBC, Buch.
E462 – 1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T
1Z1, Canada. promotions@prismmagazine.ca
prismmagazine.ca
N ROSE POST CREATIVE NONFICTION
CONTEST Seeks nonfiction outside realm of
conventional journalism and relevant to
North Carolinians. Open to legal residents of
North Carolina or members of the NC Writ-
ers’ Network. Subjects may include reviews,
travel articles, profiles, interviews, historical
pieces, or culture criticism. Submit by regular
mail or through online submission manager.
Deadline: Jan. 15. Entry fee: $10 for NC
Writers’ Network members, $12 for nonmem-
bers. Prizes: $1,000/$300/$200. The winning
entry will be considered for publication by
Ecotone magazine. Contact: North Carolina
Writers’ Network, ATTN: Rose Post, P.O. Box
21591, Winston-Salem, NC 27120. 336-293-
8844. mail@ncwriters.org ncwriters.org
F N SANTA FE WRITERS PROJECT LIT-
ERARY AWARDS PROGRAM An annual
contest looking for works of fiction and non-
fiction of any genre that may be flying under
the radar. Deadline: See website. Entry fee:
$30. Prizes: 1st prize: $1,500; $500 to second
and third places. Top three receive no-obliga-
tion book contract offer with SFWP. Contact:
SFWP, 369 Montezuma Ave. #350, Santa Fe,
NM 87501. Email from website. sfwp.com
F N P SEQUESTRUM NEW WRITER
AWARDS Over $500 will be awarded to up-
and-coming writers and poets. The contest
will accept both prose (fiction and creative
nonfiction up to 12,000 words) and poetry
(up to 50 lines) submissions. Up to three
poems per submission. Submit via online sub-
mission manager. Deadline: Oct. 15, depen-
dent on submission volume. Entry fee: $15.
Prizes: One first-prize winners (one prose,
one poetry) will win $400 each. Runners-up
will get $25-$100. Contact: Sequestrum.
sequr.info@gmail.com sequestrum.org/contests
F THE SHERWOOD ANDERSON FIC-
TION AWARD Submit one fiction story up
to 6,000 words online or by regular mail.
Deadline: Dec. 15. Entry fee: $10. All
writermag.com • The Writer | 45
MARKETS
entrants receive a copy of Mid-American
Review. Prizes: $1,000 and publication in
Mid-American Review. Contact: Mid-Ameri-
can Review, Department of English, Bowling
Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
43403. mar@bgsu.edu
casit.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview
F SHORT FICTION CONTEST FOR
EMERGING WRITERS Open to writers
who have not yet published a book of fiction,
poetry, or creative nonfiction with a nation-
ally distributed press. Submit fiction story up
to 8,000 words through online submission
manager or regular mail. Deadline: Dec. 31.
Entry fee: $16 and includes a one-year sub-
scription to Boulevard. Prizes: $1,500 and
publication in Boulevard. Contact: Boulevard
Emerging Writers Contest, PMB 325, 6614
Clayton Rd., Richmond Heights, MO 63117.
editors@boulevardmagazine.org
boulevardmagazine.org
P SONIA SANCHEZ-LANGSTON
HUGHES POETRY CONTEST Seeks
poems at the intersection of poetry and social
justice. Submit up to three previously unpub-
lished poems, no more than six pages total,
through online submission manager. Judged
by Franny Choi. Submit online only. Deadline:
Nov. 1. Entry fee: $20. Prizes: First place $500;
second and third place, $250 each. Winning
poems will be published on Split This Rock’s
website and in The Quarry: A Social Justice
Poetry Database.  Winners will receive free fes-
tival registration, and the first place winner
will be invited to read the winning poem at the
Split This Rock Poetry Festival. Contact: Split
This Rock, 202-787-5210. splitthisrock.org
F O P TENNESSEE WILLIAMS/NEW
ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL FIC-
TION CONTEST Fiction, short fiction,
poetry, and one-act play contests. Online sub-
missions preferred. Deadline: See website.
Entry fee: $10-$25 depending on contest.
Prizes: Grand prize is $500-$1,500, depend-
ing on contest. Contact: Tennessee Williams/
New Orleans Literary Festival, 938 Lafayette
St., Suite 514, New Orleans, LA 70113. 504-
581-1144. info@tennesseewilliams.net
tennesseewilliams.net/contests
46 | The Writer • November 2019
O TENNESSEE WILLIAMS/NEW
ORLEANS LITERARY FESTIVAL ONE-
ACT PLAY CONTEST Submit a one-act play
that runs no more than one hour in length (one
act). Plays must not have been previously pro-
duced, published, performed, or patronized in
any way. Online submissions preferred. Dead-
line: Oct. 1. Entry fee: $25. Prizes: Grand prize
is $1,500, professional staged reading at the
next festival, VIP all-access festival pass for two
years, and publication in Bayou. The top nine
finalists will receive a panel pass to the festival.
Contact: One-Act Play Contest, Tennessee
Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, 938
Lafayette St., Suite 514, New Orleans, LA 70113.
504-581-1144. info@tennesseewilliams.net
contests.tennesseewilliams.net
F P THIRD COAST POETRY AND FIC-
TION CONTEST Send up to three poems in
one file or a short story of up to 9,000 words.
Submit previously unpublished work through
online submission manager. Deadline: See
website for deadline. Entry fee: $18 (includes
subscription to Third Coast). Prizes: $1,000
in each genre and publication. Contact:
Third Coast Contests, Western Michigan
University, English Department, Kalamazoo,
MI 49008. editors@thirdcoastmagazine.com
thirdcoastmagazine.com
F THOMAS WOLFE FICTION PRIZE Open
to all writers. Submit two copies of an unpub-
lished fiction manuscript up to 3,000 words.
Deadline: Jan. 30. Entry fee: $25; $15 for
North Carolina Writers’ Network members.
Prizes: $1,000 and possible publication in The
Thomas Wolfe Review. Contact: Thomas
Wolfe Fiction Prize, Great Smokies Writing
Program, Attn: Nancy Williams, UNC Ashe-
ville, 1 University Heights - CPO 1915, NC
28804. thays@unca.edu ncwriters.org
F VCU CABELL FIRST NOVELIST
AWARD Recognizes a rising talent who has
published a first novel in in the U.S. Self-pub-
lished novels and books available in e-formats
only are not eligible. Submit five copies by
regular mail only. Deadline: Books published
in 2019: Dec. 31, 2019. Prizes: $5,000 and
travel to Virginia Commonwealth University
for a reading and reception. Contact: VCU
Cabell First Novelist Award, Department of
English, 900 Park Ave., Hibbs Hall, Room
306, P.O. Box 842005, Richmond, VA 23284.
cabellfn@vcu.edu firstnovelist.vcu.edu
P WALT WHITMAN AWARD Given to a
poet who has not published a book-length
collection of poems. Submit 48-100 pages of
poems. Online submissions only. Deadline:
Nov. 1. Entry fee: $35. Prizes: $5,000, publi-
cation by Graywolf Press and an all-expenses-
paid six-week residency at the Civitella
Ranieri Center in the Umbrian region of Italy.
Contact: Academy of American Poets, 75
Maiden Ln., Suite 901, New York, NY 10038.
awards@poets.org
poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes
P WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY
CONTEST Submit published or unpublished
humor poem with a maximum of 250 lines
through online submission manager. Judged
by Jendi Reiter and Lauren Singer. Deadline:
April 1. Entry fee: None. Prizes: $1,000 for
first prize, $250 for second prize and 10 hon-
orable mention awards of $100 each. Con-
tact: Winning Writers, 351 Pleasant St., PMB
222, Northampton, MA 01060. 866-946-9748.
Adam Cohen, president.
adam@winningwriters.com winningwriters.com
F N P C WRITERS-EDITORS NETWORK
AWARD FOR POETRY Submit three to five
pages of poetry. Enter by postal mail or email.
Deadline: April 30. Entry fee: $10 for mem-
bers and $15 for nonmembers. Prizes: $200
and a one-year membership to the network
for first place. Contact: WrEN Award for
Poetry, CNW Publishing, P.O. Box A, North
Stratford, NH 03590. 603-922-8338.
info@writers-editors.com writers-editors.com
P YALE SERIES OF YOUNGER POETS
Open to poets who have not published a book
of poetry. Submit a poetry manuscript, 48-64
pages. Electronic submissions preferred.
Deadline: Nov. 15. Entry fee: $25. Prizes:
Publication with royalties. Contact: Yale
Series of Younger Poets, P.O. Box 209040,
New Haven, CT 06520. ysyp@yale.edu
youngerpoets.yupnet.org/submission-
instructions
Classifieds
READERS should use caution when entering into any
legal contract with a literary service offering agenting-
EDITING/CRITIQUING
type assistance; publishers who charge, rather than
pay, an author for publication; publishers who require PROFESSIONAL EDITOR, Award-winning Author
a purchase before publication and contests that charge (Bantam, Berkley/Ace, others) offers extensive
high entrance fees. The Writer also recommends critiques, respectful in-depth editing. Fiction, non-
requesting a list of references and submission fiction, juvenile/YA. Carol Gaskin 941-377-7640.
guidelines before submitting a manuscript. If you have Email: Carol@EditorialAlchemy.com or website:
any concerns regarding the advertiser’s commitment www.EditorialAlchemy.com
or claims, please contact the advertiser and make
certain all questions are answered to your satisfaction.
ADVERTISERS We do not accept ads from agents

BUT
or businesses that charge a reading or marketing &%*503*"-
"/%
$0"$)*/(
4&37*$&4

'SPN
B

fee; Subsidy Publishers: Copy of contract. In OVSUVSJOH
CVU
XIJQDSBDLJOH
XFMMDPOOFDUFE
BVUIPS

order to effectively handle questions from our #BOH
UIF
,FZT
5IF
(SFBU
#SBWVSB

XIP
XJMM
IFMQ
ZPV

readers regarding the products and services of our VOMFBTI
UIF
USVF
GBCVMPTJUZ
JO
ZPVS
QSPKFDUT
BOE
CSJOH

WAIT,
advertisers, the staff of The Writer asks that you UIFN
UP
GSVJUJPO
JO
UIF
SFBM
XPSME
CFGPSF
EFQSFTTJPO
PS

provide us with some supplemental information, ESJOL
EFTUSPZ
ZPVS
OFSWF
'JDUJPO
OPOGJDUJPO
TDSJQUT

especially for first time advertisers. Examples QPFUSZ
UIFTFT
5FO
QFSDFOU
EJTDPVOU
JG
ZPV
NFOUJPO

THERE’S
include—Contests: Fee requirements, prizes and if 8SJUFS
BE
&NBJM
KJMMEFBSNBO!HNBJMDPN

purchase is necessary to qualify; Correspondence XXXKJMMEFBSNBODPN
Schools: Copy of student’s contract, copy of
critiqued assignment, documentation if course

MORE
is accredited; Editing Services: Resumes showing
qualifications of service providers, a sample critique, HIGH-QUALITY EDITING FOR WRITERS of Fiction.
general cost of services; Literary Services: General Can be especially helpful to unpublished or first-
cost of services, resume of service providers, time writers. Honest, constructive, meticulous
verification that at least 50% of business income feedback. Free sample edit. New Leaf Editing.
is from commission on sales. For our private www.newleafediting.com or e-mail
records, please provide us with a street address martikanna@comcast.net
and contact telephone number. The Writer reserves
the right to reject or cancel any advertising
which at its discretion is deemed objectionable,
misleading or not in the best interest of the reader.
26"-*5:
&%*5*/(

ZFBST
FYQFSJFODF
&&*

Send Your Ad To: The Writer, Sales Account $FSUJGJFE
$PBDIJOH
*OEFYJOH
$.04.-"

1
Manager 25 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 404 1VCMJTIFE
LBUIFPD!FBSUIMJOLOFU
Braintree, MA 02184 or call (617) 279-0213 E-mail:
apiccirilli@madavor.com Major credit cards accepted.

Unlock the potential of your manuscript!

Want to write a good book? I can help.

CONFERENCES Helga Schier, PhD,
published author and former
publishing executive, offers
6ʃʐ)ʔʃʐʅʋʕʅʑ powerful, comprehensive,
personalized and effective
:ʔʋʖʇʔʕ&ʑʐʈʇʔʇʐʅʇ editorial services.
WK&HOHEUDWLRQRI&UDIW&RPPHUFH &RPPXQLW\

“When Helga entered the picture, my manuscript
)HEWKWK

went from promising to a published and critically
acclaimed book.” For bonus
6):ULWHUVRUJ – Ed Driscoll, award-winning comedian and writer

articles,
:::
withpenandpaper.com 310.828.8421
helga@withpenandpaper.com
contest alerts,
writing
PROFESSIONAL WRITER prompts,
& industry
+0)/
%&$)"/$*&
1SPGFTTJPOBM
GJDUJPO
BOE
OPOGJDUJPO
XSJUFSFEJUPS
XJMM

IFMQ
FWBMVBUF
BOEPS
FEJU
ZPVS
CPPL
4FBSDI
NZ

DSFEFOUJBMT
POMJOF
(PPHMF

"NB[PO

FUD

$POUBDU

KEFDIBO!ZBIPPDPN news,
RETREATS
subscribe to
5)
"//6"-
8JOUFS
1PFUSZ

1SPTF
(FUBXBZ


our free
+BOVBSZ




"UMBOUJD
$JUZ

/+
BSFB

'FBUVSJOH
1VMJU[FS
1SJ[F
8JOOFS
:VTFG
,PNVOZBLBB

BOE
%FOJTF
%VIBNFM
+PJO
VT
GPS
TNBMM

JOUFOTJWF

newsletter!
XPSLTIPQT
JO
OPWFM
XSJUJOH

NFNPJS

OPOGJDUJPO


CONTESTS QPFUSZ

BOE
NPSF
&OKPZ
DIBMMFOHJOH
BOE
TVQQPSUJWF

TFTTJPOT

JOTJHIUGVM
GFFECBDL

BOE
BO
FODPVSBHJOH

DPNNVOJUZ
4DIPMBSTIJQT
BWBJMBCMF
3FHJTUFS
FBSMZ

$"--
'03
&/53*&4

$PMPSBEP
1SJ[F
GPS
BOE
TBWF
XXXTUPDLUPOFEVXJOUFSHFUBXBZ
1PFUSZ


IPOPSBSJVN
BOE
CPPL
QVCMJDBUJPO

4VCNJU
CPPLMFOHUI
DPMMFDUJPO
PG
QPFNT
CZ
+BOVBSZ




5IF

FOUSZ
GFF
JODMVEFT
POFZFBS

TVCTDSJQUJPO
UP
$PMPSBEP
3FWJFX
0CUBJO
DPNQMFUF
SERVICES
HVJEFMJOFT
CZ
TFOEJOH
4"4&
PS
WJTJUJOH
XFCTJUF

$PMPSBEP
1SJ[F
GPS
1PFUSZ

$FOUFS
GPS
-JUFSBSZ

1VCMJTIJOH


$BNQVT
%FMJWFSZ

$PMPSBEP
4UBUF

."/64$3*154
50
(0
#00,

."/64$3*15

4&37*$&4
#PPL

$PWFS
%FTJHO
]
&EJUJOH
]
8PSE

Bit.ly/thewriternl
6OJWFSTJUZ

'PSU
$PMMJOT

$0

IUUQT 1SPDFTTJOH
]
"VUIPS
4FSWJDFT
$SJT
8BO[FS

DPMPSBEPQSJ[FDPMPTUBUFFEV XXX.BOVTDSJQUT5P(PDPN
HOW I WRITE
BY ALLISON FUTTERMAN
Elinor Lipman
E
linor Lipman’s novels are
filled with interesting char-
acters, observational wit,
sharp dialogue, and story-
lines that keep the reader curious
about where the plot is going. They
share certain elements, such as roman-
tic relationships, family issues, and
unforgettable female protagonists, yet
each book feels wholly unique. Her lat-
est novel, Good
Riddance, follows
Daphne Maritch,
a woman who
can’t understand
why her mother
left her a 1968
high school year-
book with myste-
rious notes
written in it. In a cleaning binge,
Maritch tosses it – only to have it
quickly recovered by her aspiring film-
maker neighbor, who vows to turn the
yearbook into a documentary.
Lipman is also a talented writer of
essays, two of which have appeared in
the “Modern Love” section of the New
York Times. Her first novel, Then She
Found Me, was turned into a movie in
2008 starring Bette Midler, Helen Hunt,
Colin Firth, and Matthew Broderick.
Self-editing
I tweak as I go and don’t move forward
until I polish the current chapter, prob-
ably a dozen times. Because I rarely out-
line, I’m constantly figuring out what’s
next, what’s next; what’s my character
going to do today? I’ve learned to recog-
nize when it’s working and when it’s
not. When it’s not, I back up a page or a
scene or chapter. When I’m done with
the entire novel, it’s pretty clean, but I’ll
go back and look for inconsistencies.
48 | The Writer • November 2019
I’ve even made changes once a book is
done. If I’m doing a reading, I might
change a sentence by a phrase or a
word. And then I might make that
change for the paperback.
Staying original
If there’s any similarity in my novels,
it’s probably just my sensibility coming
through and my way of looking at life.
I hope there’s not a similarity in the
characters’ voices. I don’t set out to do
quirky characters, but if that’s how
they’re seen, great, because who wants
normal and dull? I don’t know where
things are going and don’t know much
about the characters. I construct it as I
go along. If a situation feels familiar, I
change it. I don’t want another set of
divorced parents, missing father, etc. It
has to be something different or new.
Dialogue
Dialogue comes easily to me, but I do
work on paring it down, removing
attributions and repetition. I follow
playwright David Mamet’s advice
(who’s quoting the screenwriter Wil-
liam Goldman) – “Get into the scene
as late as possible, and out as early as
possible.” Therefore, I cut the nice-
ties, the hellos, how-are-yous, and
good-byes. You can also dispense
with direct address as much as possi-
ble. A sample “don’t” would be: “I’m
very upset with you, Mary,” and two
lines later, “Don’t say that, Mary.”
Tedious and unnatural. There’s no
need for it.
Endings
With my first three novels, I got feed-
back that the ending was too fast. I
needed a new penultimate chapter –
so I wrote a new next-to-the-last
chapter to slow things down. By the
time I got to The Ladies’ Man, I was
able to be my own critic and tell
myself not to rush the ending. I try to
be like an outside set of eyes, to see if
it’s too fast, too slow, or if I need to cut
or lengthen it.
Essays vs. fiction
With essays, I usually know what I
want to say and the desired word count.
With my two “Modern Love” essays –
one was about my husband’s decline
and death, and the other was about
meeting Jonathan [Lipman’s significant
other] on Match.com – they were told
in linear fashion, with a beginning, a
middle, and an end. That’s easier than
imagining the story.
Michael Benabib
Allison Futterman is a freelance writer based
in Charlotte, North Carolina.
YOUR
GUIDE TO
FINDING
AN AGENT
FREE
DOWNLOAD!

Get your free

guide to finding
a literary agent,
which includes
the contact
information
and submission
preferences for
more than 80
agencies!
DOWNLOAD
IT TODAY!
bit.ly/twmguides
 Exclusively at 48 Hr Books:

Diamond 3D Foilt !
makes your books stand ou
With our new 3-dimensional raised foil, we add
a luxury and elegance to your books that was never
available before. Diamond 3D Foil will make your
book a work of art!
You can add a textured background, too. You’ll just
LOVE the look, and feel, of your books!

and FREE Help, too!

Getting your books printed can be confusing and
frustrating. We’re here to help.
Our exceptional Customer Service team will answer all of your questions,
and help you through every step. They’ll even make money-saving
suggestions where appropriate.
We’re the fastest book printers in the world. We offer bookstore-
quality binding, low prices, and many unique options. “FAST” and
“EASY” are just two reasons to call or email us today! We answer our
phones, and return emails within minutes. (unbelievable, right?)
y o u r FREE
Get t oday.
bo o k
guide emai
l, o r
3 Reasons to use ly cal
l,
(simp ur websit
visit o
e)

48 Hour Books:
1. Fastest Book Printers in the World
• Perfect Bound books printed in 2 days
• Same Day service available!
• Hard Cover and Coil books printed in 5 days
2. Great Customer Service
• Easy ordering
• We’ll help you all through the process
• We answer our phones, and return emails within minutes!
• Read our independent reviews -- they’re incredible!
(see the link on our homepage, www.48HrBooks.com)
3. Diamond 3D Foil Book Covers 800-231-0521
• The photo above just doesn’t do it justice. info@48HrBooks.com
You’ve really got to see it to believe it. 2249 14th St. SW • Akron, Ohio 44314
 YOU CAN’T FIND THIS IN PRINT.
EXCERPT From Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman.
The Grateful Class
of ’68
FOR A FEW
WEEKS after my
mother’s death, I
was in possession
of the painstak-
ingly annotated
high school year-
book that had been dedicated to her
by the grateful class of 1968.
Yes, she’d been their English
teacher and yearbook advisor, but that
didn’t explain her obsessive collecting
of signatures and tributes next to
every senior’s photo. I could picture
her — age twenty-three, her first job
after college, roaming the corridors of
Pickering High School, pen and book
in hand, coaxing the shyest, least
engaged boy or girl to sign — Write
anything. I want to remember every
one of you. Could you personalize it,
just a few words?
But there would be more— her
own embellishments, her judgments
and opinions, written next to those
photos in her small legible hand, a
different color ink (red, green, blue)
for several milestone reunions, which
she attended compulsively, starting
with the fifth and continuing until her
last, their forty-fifth.
Her margin notes were coded but
easily deciphered: “M” for married.
“S” for single. “D” for dead; “DIV” for
divorced. “DWI,” said a few. “AIDS?”
suggested one notation. “Same dress
she wore at 15th” my mother
recorded. “Very plump” was one of
her milder put-downs. “Braces.”
“Pregnant.” Occasionally, “Still pretty.”
“Looks older than I do” was one of her
favorite notes. “Still holds PHS record
for 100-yd. dash,” said one. And
“danced w. him” appeared often.
Had I known about this project as
it was happening? I hadn’t. Several
reunions were held before I was born,
and later ones, attended even after she
retired, weren’t discussed with her two
daughters. After all, we might know
some of these graduates as the parents
of our friends or our own teachers or
custodians or police officers or pan-
handlers, townspeople still.
A handwritten codicil on the last
page of my mother’s will said, “My
daughter Daphne will take possession
of the Pickering High School’s year-
book, The Monadnockian.” And noth-
ing more.
I took it back with me to Manhat-
tan, where it stayed on my shelf for a
month until I read a magazine article
about decluttering.
The test? Would I ever reread this
novel, these college textbooks, these
magazines? Did I really need a Portu-
guese-English dictionary? What about
the panini press and my dead Black-
Berry? The expert recommended this:
Hold the item in question, be it book
or sweater or socks or muffin tin, to
your chest, over your heart, and ask
yourself, Does this thing inspire joy?
I hugged the yearbook. Nothing.
Well, not nothing; worse than that: an
aversion. Apparently, I didn’t want,
nor would I miss, this testimony to
the unsympathetic, snarky side of my
mother’s character.
The best-selling decluttering wiz-
ard said the property owner had to be
tough, even ruthless. I certainly was
that. Good-bye, ugly white-vinyl, ink-
stained yearbook with your put-
downs and your faint smell of mildew!
Maybe it was my mother’s legacy and
a time capsule, but it had failed to stir
emotion in my bosom. Possessing too
much stuff anyway, in a cramped
apartment, bookshelves overflowing, I
threw it out. Or rather, being a good
citizen, I walked it down the hall to
my building’s trash closet, straight
into the recycling bin.
Excerpted from Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman. Copyright
© 2019 by Elinor Lipman. Reprinted by permission of
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights
reserved.