Thank God for literary journals. These quarterly and semi-annual publications, many of which are published by universities and edited by professors and students, have been a mainstay for writers for decades. I submit to these journals weekly, and a quick glance back through my records show that I've made more than a hundred literary journal submissions in the past year. Without them, even the best and most well-known writers would have diminished venues in which to find readers.
Currently, there are some thirty literary journals that are considering my work: essays, short stories, poems, even memoirs. Most of these submissions will result in rejections, but now and again I get a nod and a publication date is set. I expand my resume of work and a literary journal gets a piece of my mind. It's a fantastic relationship.
I've also developed some nice friendships with certain editors. When I find someone who likes me, I latch on like a leech and don't let go. I look for this affirmation outside of my marriage and some editors of literary journals seem eager to shack up with a guy like me. Rarely does money change hands. We just like each other as friends.
I'd like to thank those editors who appreciate me for who I am. They don't judge me or read my work with preconceived ideas or stereotypes. They've seen me with my pants down. They don't ask me to turn my head and cough. Some of these editors send back nice notes telling me they laughed or cried or they invite me to send more of my work. I do.
Thank you, editors. I appreciate you, too!
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