Journal Reports Round 1

As promised, here are three of the Literary Journal Reports.

Marisa:

1. Portland Review

a. This journal seems to have a moderate level of “prestige.” It has published

famous and accomplished authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin, but not

those on the level of, say Joyce Carol Oates. I believe that it is respected,

and an agent would read it, but I don’t think it would be on the top of

anyone’s list of mu st reads. Also, it do esn’t pay. (As a side note, the

design needs some serious work)

b. This journal publishes nonfiction, poetry, fiction, as well as photographs.

The work in this journal seems to be very literary. Some of the stories I

looked at were rather strange and experimental as well.

2. Room

a. This journal seems to be a lower-tier journal than the Portland Review.

It’s circulation is higher than the former, but I have a feeling that since it is

women-only, it is taken less seriously. I personally did not recognize any

of the names of writers previously published (but I might be considered

“under-read” by some people). It also pays a pretty high sum for fiction

writers published ($250 to $100). I believe that an agent might read this

journal.

b. The most unique thing about this journal is the women- (and

transgender-, genderqueer-, etc.) only rule. It publishes essays, poetry,

visual art, and fiction. The work seems to be focused on the experiences of

all kinds of women. I found the pieces in this journal to be much more

compelling than those in PR.

3. CutBank

a. This also seems to be on somewhat of a lower tier, though it probably gains

slightly more prestige because it is published though a university

(University of Montana, though, not exactly the most famous institution).

I couldn’t find any authors that I recognized who had been published in it,

and it does not pay. I believe that an agent might read this journal in the

right circumstances (if they had a connection to someone working on the

staff, for example), but with so many others journals out there, it seems

unlikely.

b. This journal publishes fiction and poetry. The fiction seems to be very

“stereotypical” literary fiction, nowhere near as experimental as the work I

saw in PR.

I find Room to be the most appealing out of all of these journals, but unfortunately also

probably the most competitive (though about half of my competition would be cut out

just by the nature of the publication). Many of my protagonists are also not women.

This is something that I’ve tried to work on for a while but have never really changed. I

think that some of my stories could fit in well, though.

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Jacob: 

1        1. 34^th Parallel Magazine

"Our reality is fiction" is the main slogan you will read when coming across the 34th Parallel. This company is very enthusiastic about writing—so much that they especially note that writing fiction is much more important than conducting cinematography. With that said, this is a company that not only encourages more writers but more readers because everyone perceives a written story differently, rather than the strictly limited imagery of film

I would recommend this journal—while it resides more so in the middle tier in respects for its genuine motivation—specifically for writers who are just barely getting into the business and submitting their first manuscripts. It’s important to acknowledge magazines that are particularly flexible with any kind of fiction, as well.

Some authors included:  AJIRI AKI; JAN ALEXANDER; OSCAR BRUCE; LIZ FYNE; KAREN BREMER MASUDA; KW OXNARD. All those represented have written many of variety pieces. Whether one’s work may be contemporary, genre, tragic, comedic, literary, I would heavily suggest 34^th Parallel; especially for its engaging and enthusiastic behavior from its employees.

2    2. Southern Indiana Review

For a university with the current enrollment of just a smidge over ten-thousand students, the Southern Indiana Review’s credibility is quite impressive. While it is one of the greater universities I would personally suggest for any English major to look into, the review focuses more than just writing. I admire this the staffs’ intent to invite more branches of the liberal arts to be included. Contemporary art, drama, poetry, and non-fiction also reign supreme when wielding one of these issues.

I would definitely call this journal to be one of the most respected I’ve come across. Among peers and other professors I have had in the past, they have all recommended this review to submit craft.

Seeing how it’s closely affiliated with university and especially students, I think this is a good first step to take. Respected authors are as follows: Yael Massen—MFA student in poetry and non-fiction. Winner of the American Poets Award in 2016, when she received support from The National Society of Arts. Another winner of the National Poetry Series, Adrian Matejka, is also featured in the review. He’s the author of The Devil’s Garden (2009). He has also won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for his novel, The Big Smoke, while becoming a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

I’m personally taking this journal into account for its flexibility and the deep creativity that go into each issue. With that in mind, as I am an illustrator myself, it’s inspiring the note that the S.I.R. acknowledges contemporary graphics and fine art to flow along the personal experience when reading the featured craft. The art itself also seems to a tell a story of its own.

3. Airplane Reading

I chose to look further into this literary magazine mostly because of my biased experienced with frequent air traveling. While it does appear to be about as flexible as the next 34^th Parallel, the magazine does have its own spunk and enthusiasm in inviting readers and writers to not only engage in fiction, yet with non-fiction.

Airplane travel can be dull, boring, however in most cases can put us in some of the most intriguing situations, no matter how big or small it may be. What Airplane Reading primarily focuses on is  "exploring and explaining what air travel does to us—and makes us do. Buy it now, but save it to read on your next cross-country flight." —Harriet Baskas, travel writer for USAToday.com, author of Stuck at the Airport.

There are many authors submitting into this journal, with each entry rallying up to 1,000 words maximum. With that in mind, this journal also invites great practice in flash fiction.

I didn't discover any "groundbreaking authors" who have included themselves in this fascinating branch of literacy, but that doesn't determine the featured stories do not have any merit. When exploring the Airplane Reading magazine, one would come across Lisa Kay Adam's Unaccompanied, which entails the warm conversations that could be uplifted when flying with strangers. You could even  come across Amy Gutierrez's piece entitled Swissair Sandwich, which is a hilarious, yet relatable, observance of the traveler's utmost annoyance towards a neighborly passenger who eats a sandwich while smacking his teeth and cheeks.

I think an agent should look into the pieces that are embedded in this journal, primarily for all their authenticity and raw relatability when we find ourselves enduring exhausting means of travel. I do see myself looking into this journal, further.

Among the three literary journals I've looked into, I would easily choose submitting my work into the Southern Indiana Review, mostly for my own fruitful knowledge of it and for its flexibility of inviting college students to be able to have their work viewed. As a college student, I think it's especially important to become more involved in writing atmospheres on your college campus, or anywhere else that follows the same platform. Much like this class, I think first-time submissions would receive greater feedback for their craft, as this could also open up more opportunity for workshops and/or literature review. S.I.R. is also home to a university that has a massive influence on English majors as a whole. I heavily suggest to reach out to those kind of schools, especially if anyone were to be attending elsewhere for their studies.

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Ally: 

When looking at Literary Journals I am trying to consider my audience as much as I can. This brought me to finding some online journals, and some that I think would really take me seriously as an undergraduate writer. Many of the journals I was interested were exclusively online, so I tried to find an actual print one as well. Mostly because I would imagine agents are more interested in print lit mags over online formats. After rummaging through hundreds of journals I found three that are particularly promising to me; Moss, Cactus Heart, and Armchair/Shotgun. First of all, the titles call to me. I love the obscurity and artisticness to the titles alone. But each journal actually provides more than that and makes me feel like all three are my best chances of publication, especially with the drafts I have.

There were a lot of Literary Journals that I researched which did not apply to me. There was no way I’d even be considered. With that I tried really hard to find things I would fit into, which brought me to several kinds of possibilities. The first I am interested in is called Moss. This is an online journal, but their focus is on the Northwest. It seems they favor showcasing Northwestern writers with Northwestern voices and themes. My story “A Girl’s World” could possibly fit right into this journal. Being an online journal it also makes it seem less high stakes and more attainable. The second journal I was interested in is called Cactus Heart. The title of their journal is a metaphor for their focus. They want to find stories that are tender, and almost painful. They want those satisfyingly somber stories that leave lasting impressions. It feels like high stakes, but I consider it a challenge. The last journal I’m interested in sending my short stories to is called Armchair/Shotgun. This is a journal that’s been around since 2009. Their main premise is that the entire reading process is anonymous. They want good writing, and they don’t care at looking at experience or even names. This journal also prides itself in producing many writers’ first published pieces. This is something I looked for because I know my experience is limited, especially since I don’t plan on obtaining an MFA anytime soon.

The only disadvantage I see to the three I’m interested in is that they are probably pretty low on the “ladder.” Armchair/Shotgun seems like it would be the most respectable, mostly because, while they are young, they have printed some really impressive and stylish print journals which sell at A/S friendly bookstores. Cactus Heart makes more online issues than print, and Moss is entirely online. Because of that I would place Cactus Heart in the middle of the ladder with Moss near the bottom. Despite that though I genuinely feel these journals would be my best bet, not just because I don’t feel I’m producing high tier stuff, but because of the focus of each of these magazines. I don’t feel too concerned about whether an agent will reach this yet or not. I’ll consider it a stepping stone.Out of the three, I think I’m most interested in Armchair/Shotgun. This journal actually makes print copies, which I’m very interested in. That’s the option with the most opportunity for agent traffic. I also like the style and overall approach to the journal, and I would hope that my writing style would fit it. The only problem is that they are currently closed to submissions. But I will be keeping an eye out for when they re-open them. With that in mind I think I’m most interested in Moss, simply because I think it’s my best chance at getting published. I can really put more attention into my setting and voice and really capture that Northwestern feel that Moss claims to look for. I’m also interested in Cactus Heart, but I’m still unsure whether I’m a good fit.