I suppose “literary” is aspirational until someone publishes the story. Why does the word aspirational make me think of Yeti coolers?
Here’s a redacted cover letter I just sent out with a short piece I’m particularly fond/proud of. (Proud/fond of the story; the cover letter is functional, honest, and sincere, and I’m just sharing it here in case anyone finds it helpful OR if anyone has suggestions.)
Dear Editors,
Please consider my story, [Title]for publication in [Journal]. At just under [Word Count], it [Brief Description].
My work has appeared in Appalachian Review, The Shore, Hobart, Brevity, Belt Magazine, and VIA: Voices in Italian Americana, among others, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School.
Thank you for considering this submission. I have long admired [Something Meaningful, and, most importantly, Something True].
Thank you to the editors who have published my work this year, and to the readers who have read it!
Taken together, there are some very clear themes to this year’s published work. I am honored to have been published at every one of these journals, and I’m grateful to The Shore for their Pushcart nomination and to have been selected for print anthologies by Nick Virgilio Haiku Association/Nick Virgilio Writers House and Hippocampus Books.
Here’s the list of published works for 2021, again, with my profound thanks and appreciation.
Last Standing the Closing Country, which first appeared at Brevity, was selected for publication in “Main: An Anthology” by Hippocampus Books. Here’s the description from Hippocampus: “Main: An Anthology, part of The Way Things Were Series from Books by Hippocampus, celebrates small town America. The collection features stories about family-owned businesses, such as the stores and specialty shops that used to rule Main Street America. Our contributors share how these businesses define themselves and their family members, how the efforts evolved over time, through the generations.” Read more here.
Wage Slave was selected for publication in the Haiku in Action anthology by the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association and Nick Virgilio Writers House. From the publisher: “This collection of contemporary poems from around the world includes hundreds of haiku in its various forms, from the traditional style to senryu, monoku, and more. The anthology is perfect for lovers of haiku who want to read poems focusing on the events of 2020 from an international and diverse range of both established and emerging poets. More than just a collection of poems, this book also features haiku categories, writing prompts, essays from the NVHA staff, and an extensive lesson on haiku writing from renowned teacher, Tom Painting.”
Co-wrote the lyrics for “Radio Jesus” with John Hardt. Performed, recorded, produced by John Hardt.
Happy to share that two new pieces (“The Effects of Ground-Level Ozone on the Ecology of Pennsylvania Highways” and “Ode to Wallace Stevens”) have been published in the newest issue of The Shore.
Here’s a picture of Pennsylvania-born Stevens (Reading, not far from John Updike in Shillington).
I discovered And Other Poems today via Twitter. It’s a very well done project.
And Other Poems opened to new submissions in November in a sort of relaunch. I don’t know exactly when their window closed, but we’re only halfway through December, so it couldn’t have been too very long ago.
They share that over 200 poets submitted over 700 poems in whatever the relatively short time frame was. Some new journals get less, some get more. Long-established venues get many, many more. Still, any way you look at it, 700 is a lot of poems. Reading them and giving them the right attention is a lot of work. No doubt a passion project.
Across the literary world, thousands of editors this past year have collectively read, what, probably millions of pieces? Mostly as volunteers. Mostly because they believe in the power and beauty and necessity of words. They believe their work and the work of the writers they publish matters and makes a difference. Thank you, editors, publishers, laborers of love. You make all of this happen.
Check out the beautiful midway of poetry, prose, and hybrid work isaura ren and the editorial and artistic team at perhappened have created with their launch issue!
I am very fortunate to have a short story, “Clouds“, included. This story means a lot to me personally and I’m so glad it found a perfect home.
I wrote this piece a few weeks ago after reading some Wendell Berry. It was published in the latest edition of Rat’s Ass Review. I’d love for you to read it.
Quatrain.Fish publishes very short poetry of four lines or less. Here’s their Editor’s Note:
I know for myself, when I set to write a short poem, I tend to end up with about six lines. Those of course, won’t be welcome here at Quatrain.Fish. Most poetry of four lines or less (fewer, if you insist) isn’t a poem at all, but part of a poem or an ill-formed thought. Yet if, as Poe claimed, long poems aren’t poems at all, then perhaps the most poetical of poems is the shortest of poems.
Perhaps.
True or not, a perfectly crafted, tiny poem is like a sharp knife or a sex-laden wink, an empty elevator shaft or the perfect vista bursting through fog: perfectly captured images and emotions that can creep into our lives and never leave. We hope Quatrain.Fish publishes one or two or three or thirty that can be that for you.
A piece of mine was just accepted for publication. I look forward to sharing it soon.
In the meantime, check out Quatrain.Fish. They are permanently closing to new submissions in December, so get your short work to them soon.
Chris Cocca 