Focus on a small press: Pilgrimage

If you're a writer seriously attempting to get your stories or articles an audience, you can easily get drowned by the requirements of the publishing world.

Keeping a log of every story and where, when and how it was received (rejected), or comments an editor or agent might have sent. There are deadlines, submission requirements and heavy questions like: do they want Spanish words italicized or underlined? Or not?

This last week I was even given specs of a novel I should write if I wanted to get published. (None of my five completed MSS fit this person's expectations.) Of course, there are few guarantees in the world of publishing, so even if I were to write such a speced novel, it might only become the sixth to populate my files.

Anyway, in all the mayhem of publishing activities, one can forget what one is doing, what one is part of, and what the whole purpose of this hobby, business or passion is about. It's about writing. Creating. A story or poem that wants to see the light of the printed page. Characters or verse that have a need to let themselves be known, watched, read and maybe even liked.

A small press like Pilgrimage can help set you back on track. It's been around for years doing its thing. It's not a very complicated, deadline-driven, heavily textually demanding thing. It's a print magazine. With stories. Here's the website description.

"Pilgrimage is:

• a small magazine living the big questions

• a community-in-print serving an eclectic fellowship of readers, writers, artists, naturalists, contemplatives, activists, seekers, adventurers, and other kindred spirits

• a place to tell the stories that matter

• an invitation to inward and outward exploration

• and an appreciation of the way home"

"Pilgrimage, founded in 1976, is published three times a year in Pueblo, Colorado. We feature the work of writers and artists in and beyond the Greater Southwest. Help sustain a good thing."

And just because it's a small press, doesn't mean it's of small stature. The editor-publisher Maria Melendez has credentials: Latino Poetry Review and Momotombo Press editorship; Utah State University and Saint Mary's College teacher; community outreach poet-teacher and two anthologies with California Poets in the Schools; writer-in-residence UC Davis Arboretum; founding editor Swan Scythe Press; poetry collection How Long She'll Last in This World (University of Arizona Press, 2006), Honorable Mention 2007 International Latino Book Awards; finalist 2007 PEN Center USA Literary Awards; poetry collection Flexible Bones from University of Arizona Press (2010); her works in Altar, Orion Afield and Isotope, NPR's American Democracy Project, Barrow Street, International Quarterly and Ecological Restoration. You get the picture.

You can click here to visit the website and order current or past issues. The website is as uncomplicated as the magazine: black type on white page, all that writing amounts to, in the end, at least until a reader transforms it. About the only thing I wish is that there were more examples available of poetry and fiction they've published. If you've "lost your way home" or want to "help sustain a god thing," here's the link to their guidelines.

Now I'm going to go back to writing. Something. And take my time.

Es todo, hoy

RudyG

Outside the Box: PALABRA by Melinda Palacio

elena minor, photo courtesy of PALABRA

The editor and publisher of PALABRA, a Magazine of Chicano & Latino Literary Art, keeps a fairly low profile. However, she was adventurous enough to meet with La Bloga. I’m lucky in that I have an insider’s view.

When I first heard about PALABRA in 2006, I sent many poems and short stories to the magazine, which were rejected. As someone who relishes rejection, I kept sending work to the magazine until I finally had a breakthrough with two poems in 2009 issue 5.

One important memo I’ll divulge has to do with the magazine’s visual aesthetics, a bit of information that might help potential contributors to the literary magazine. PALABRA is always spelled with capital letters and the publisher’s name is always spelled with lower case letters, as in “elena minor.” If you get this visual quality correct, she won’t frown at your submission or be in a bad mood when she reads your promising manuscript.

Remember, persistence. I don’t take anything for granted. PALABRA is an annual publication that rejected my work for three straight years, published my work in 2009, and rejected everything I sent in 2010. I’m happy to report that PALABRA has accepted my poetry for the forthcoming 2011 issue.

The Bay Area native started PALABRA in 2006 because she wasn’t finding any Latino literary magazines that published the kind of work she wanted to see. “I wanted writing that wasn’t geared to an Anglo audience, whose interest didn’t lie in trying to explain us (Chicanos and Latinos),” she said. “I wasn’t interested in footnoted Spanish. I wanted work that was different and unapologetically Latino.”

Over the past five years, PALABRA has taken on a life of its own. Also, she gets the word out by attending AWP, the Association of Writers and Writers Programs conference; this is her fourth year at the roving conference. In addition, she started the PALABRA readings at the REDCAT Lounge in the Disney Center in Downtown Los Angeles three years ago. She also gives authors who’ve been published in PALABRA the opportunity to read and feature their books at REDCAT. Working for CalArts at REDCAT helped secure the lounge’s excellent reading space. PALABRA Press will soon publish single-authored books of short, unconventional fiction.

Being the publisher, marketer, and editor of PALABRA takes its toll on minor’s writing time. She hopes to retire someday from all her jobs and devote more time to her writing. She’s an award-winning dramatist who also writes fiction, poetry, and hybrid works. She is currently polishing a poetry manuscript and working on an episodic novel. The MFA grad from Antioch puts her name out there and also rides the acceptance and rejection roller coaster. “I want to make sure they know Latino writers exist,” she said. “There are still a lot of editors of lit mags who have no clue about Latino literature.”

Eventually, the publisher would like to hand off the editorial decisions to someone else. For now, she thrives on finding exciting work that’s different. “I’m not a big fan of trying to repeat a formula,” she said. “I’m looking for writing that’s working from some well spring of originality.” She’s such a fan of originality, she tries to give that element of surprise in every issue and page of PALABRA: “I try to surprise people. Surprise is a reflection of the many different ways we write.” She’s also happy to discover new writers: “I enjoy the response of writers who’ve been published for the first time in PALABRA.”

This weekend I will attend the Fiction Bootcamp Intensive in Oxnard. You can join the next one March 11, 12, 13. Contact Toni Lopopolo or Shelly Lowenkopf. Shelly Lowenkopf is an editor and fiction instructor from Boyle Heights. He’s lived in New York and Mexico City and may surprise you by correcting your prose and Spanish. Toni Lopopolo is an East Coast agent, former executive editor at Macmillan and St. Martin’s press in New York City. The literary agent since 1991 is seeing novels written by Latinas. Try your luck with this NY agent, now based in Santa Barbara. The March intensive is for advanced novelist. So you think you’re advanced? Send some pages to Lopopolobooks@aol.com to find out before signing up for the 3-day intensive. The fee, including reception, is $350 for the March workshop that’s limited to 15 people.

Rio Grande Review accepting Imposters

Buen día amigos de Río Grande Review.
A escasos días del lanzamiento de nuestra revista Fall 2010, abrimos de nuevo nuestra convocatoria para la nueva edición Spring 2011. Esta vez únicamente estamos solicitando trabajos relacionados con nuestro tema central dedicado a Los Impostores.

De igual manera estamos recibiendo trabajos en artes visuales, en blanco y negro, relacionados con la misma temática

Esperamos sus colaboraciones.

Fecha de cierre: 5 de febrero de 2011
________________

Good day, friends of Río Grande Review.

As we launch our Fall 2010 issue, we open again our call for submissions for the Spring 2011 edition. This time we are only asking for work related to our thematic dossier dedicated to The Imposters.

We are also receiving work in visual arts, in black and white, related to the same theme.

We look forward to your contributions.
Deadline:
Feb. 5, 2011.

Kindly,
The Editors
Daniel Centeno
& Daniel Ríos

Río Grande Review
University of Texas
at El Paso
PMB 671
500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, Texas 79968

www.riograndereview.com
editors@riograndereview.com
www.facebook.com/TheRGR
www.facebook.com/TheRGR
(915) 747-7012

Click here for more info.

New Yorker latino. Call for subs. Woman in Afghan

Great news from Daniel Alarcon.

Hi everyone: Second Lives, an excerpt from my novel-in-progress is in this week's issue of The New Yorker. / Un fragmento de la novela que estoy terminando se ha publicado en el New Yorker de esta semana.

I met criollo guitarist Walter Goyburu last week here in Lima, and recorded a few things for La Pelanga. / Conocí al guitarrista criollo Walter Goyburu aquí en Lima la semana pasada. Grabé algo de la conversa para La Pelanga.
abrazos, d

Rio Grande Kitch & Camp

Río Grande Review abre de nuevo su convocatoria para la edicion de otoño de 2010. Esta vez, además de recibir trabajos tanto escritos como visuales de tema libre, abre un dossier temático dedicado al kitsch y al camp. Puedes ver el video siguiendo el link.

Río Grande Review is calling for submissions for its fall 2010 edition. This time, in addition to accepting both written and visual open-themed work in any genre, we’re featuring a thematic dossier dedicated to kitsch and camp. Follow the link and watch the video.

Río Grande Review
University of Texas at El Paso
PMB 671, 500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, Tex.
www.riograndereview.com
editors@riograndereview.com
www.facebook.com/TheRGR

Here Be Dragons

Ann Jones approaches Afghanistan and the American war effort from quite a different perspective. She’s proven a rarity in the way she’s reported back in these years. She arrived in Kabul in 2002, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, to work with Afghan women on their problems. Unlike almost any other American who wrote about the experience, she embedded herself in an Afghan world. Her moving book Kabul in Winter offered us a window into Afghan lives and worries, not American ones.

Now, she’s arrived at a U.S. military base, bringing Afghan eyes with her. Among all the reporters who have embedded with the U.S. military, that may make her unique--so prepare yourself for a look at the American way of war on the ground that won’t be like anything you’ve read.

Ann Jones: "In the eight years I’ve reported on Afghanistan, I’ve 'embedded' regularly with Afghan civilians, especially women. Recently, however, with American troops 'surging' and journalists getting into the swing of the military’s counterinsurgency 'strategy', I decided to get with the program as well. Last June, I filed a request to embed with the U.S. Army."

Highlights-Updated Wish List

Highlights editors compile a list of their current needs to share with prospective authors. Below, you will find a detailed description of the types of stories, articles, and activities Highlights editors are currently seeking. You may also find these updates at http://www.highlights.com/

Thank you for your interest in Highlights. Happy writing!

Sincerely,
The Highlights Editors

HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN
Current Needs
Winter 2008-2009

NONFICTION CATEGORIES
Nonfiction for Younger Readers (Ages 4 to 8) up to 500 words, Joëlle Dujardin, Associate Editor
All articles should have a clear focus and relevance to young kids.

* First-person accounts of fieldwork
* Photo essays
* Arts stories
* Ancient history
* High-interest animals
* Details from urban life (workers, transportation, etc.)
* Nature

Science, 800 words (two-page features), 400 words (one-page features), 50 words (activities) Andy Boyles, Science Editor

* Features about kids involved in science
* Scientists studying high-interest animals in their natural habitats
* Short, quick, easy, fun science activities

History/World Cultures, up to 800 words, Carolyn Yoder, Senior Editor

* Fun, humorous, kid-friendly articles
* Presidential (NOT Washington and Lincoln) and patriotic pieces
* Need anecdotal articles, rather than broad interviews
* American holidays, specifically Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, and little-known holidays
* World-cultures pieces. ALL COUNTRIES. We want intimate snapshots of life in another country.

One-page Activities of all kinds, up to 300 words, Linda Rose, Assistant Editor

* Indoor and outdoor games that involve exercise, creativity, and/or humor
* Activities and games that kids can do whether they're on their own or with others
* Projects that will result in a new hobby or skill and/or a quality finished product
* Magic tricks

We prefer activities that require neither parental supervision nor materials kids aren't likely to have handy.

Short Puzzles, Games, Recipes, and Activities, Manuscript Submissions

* Art activities
* World-cultures activities
* History and geography puzzles
* Logic puzzles
* Math puzzles
* Codes

Any activities that easily lend themselves to strong visuals are a huge plus!

Crafts, Manuscript Submissions

* World-cultures crafts (general or holiday-specific)
* Crafts that encourage play (musical instruments, costumes, etc.)
* Games
* Gifts
* Crafts for all holidays except Valentine's Day

Please send a photo or sample of the craft.

Send magazine submissions to
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

PUZZLEMANIA

Puzzlemania, our puzzle book club for children ages 6—10, is in need of word puzzles—crosswords, word searches, logic puzzles, word scrambles, and codes. For detailed submissions guidelines, visit www.Highlights.com. Go to About Us/Contributor Guidelines/Puzzles. Send puzzle submissions to hfcpuzzlemania@gmail.com.

Magazine Submissions

Stories for Children Magazine

www.storiesforchildren.tripod.com

Stories for Children Magazine is currently in need of the following:

NONFICTION articles for ages 3-6 (no more than 400 words)
NONFICTION articles for ages 7-9 (400 to 800 words)

POETRY - see new Guidelines

We're in particular need for FEBRUARY and MARCH 2008 issues. Please read the Submission Guidelines page before submitting.

SFC is not a themed magazine but if you need a kickstart, check out our Monthly Idea Calendar. We're always short on crafts, recipes, games and puzzles so if you have any tucked away, send them in.

SFC welcomes new writers. This would be a great time for you to submit.

Warmly,

Wendy Dickson
Assistant Submissions Editor
Stories for Children
http://storiesforchildren.tripod.com

Iguana Magazine

www.nicagal.com

We are always looking for material in español to publish – fiction, non-fiction, interviews, recipes, poems, photographs, comics, puzzles and more.

Please contact us about submissions at: revista_infantil@yahoo.com


[Writer's Guidelines] [Illustrator's Guidelines] [Photographer's Guidelines]

WRITER'S GUIDELINES

General Guidelines

* We do not accept translations. All submissions must be originally written in Spanish.

* We do not pay persons under the age of fifteen for contributions.

* We hold first time rights and do not consider material previously published.

* We accept queries.

* All materials are paid upon publication.

* All materials can be submitted electronically via email.

* Articles may be edited for length, grammar, and punctuation.

* We publish 6 issues a year. However, all proposals are considered.


Fiction

* We accept realistic fiction, stories, fantasy, humorous tales, legends, science fiction, fables, myths, mysteries, fairy and folk tales.

* Stories should be 800 words or less.

* Payment is US$0.05 per printed word.


Non-Fiction

* This section includes biographies / interviews with Latino personalities that have influenced the lives of Latinos in America, art, history, animals, nature, technology, science, geography, and stories about children from other cultures and countries.

* Articles should be 800 words or less.

* References, bibliography, and / or sources of information must be included with submissions.

* Payment is US$0.05 per printed word.


Arts & Crafts

* Article should include clear directions with no more than five steps.

* The project should require common households and inexpensive materials.

* A sample of the finished project should be included with the material.

* The payment is US$25.00 per project.


Poetry

* It can be serious or humorous.

* It should be no longer than 15 lines.

* Payment is US$15.00 per poem.


Other

* Recipes, puzzles, games, word search, brain teasers, math and word activities.

* Payment will be determined per submission.



ILLUSTRATOR'S GUIDELINES

* Illustrations, cartoons, comics, drawings, cover illustrations.

* All art work must be submitted digitally, at a minimum of 300dpi at full size, via tif.

* Payment will be determined per submission.



PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDELINES

* Photos of children and animals.

* Payment will be determined per submission.

Skipping Stones

www.skippingstones.org

Skipping Stones is an award-winning, international, non-profit magazine, now in the 14th year! We celebrate ecological and cultural diversity, facilitates a meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences. Young readers of Skipping Stones, ages 8 to 16, hail from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. We try our best to make their reading of Skipping Stones an active experience, relevant to issues confronting them locally and globally.

Youth respond to the world through Skipping Stones Magazine...

Skipping Stones readers hail from north, south, east, and west. From villages to inner cities, youth have something to say, about their culture, school, religion, environment, neighborhood... and Skipping Stones provides a forum for sharing it. Any way you choose to express your dreams and opinions, Skipping Stones provides a place for writers and artists of all ages and backgrounds to communicate creatively and openly.

Writings (essays, stories, letters to the editor, riddles and proverbs, etc.) should be typed or neatly handwritten and limited to 750 words and poems to 30 lines. We encourage writings in all languages with an English translation, if possible. And, we love illustrations! Please send originals of your drawings, paintings, or photos. Include your name, age, and address along with your submission.

Ideas for Submissions:

* Cultural or Regional Celebrations: First-hand descriptions (with photos or illustrations)
* Writings accompanied by children's artwork
* Bilingual submissions or writings introducing (using words/phrases from) other languages
* Folktales, hospitality customs, recipes, music, folk art and architecture from around the world
* Living Abroad and Immigration: Your memorable experiences
* Cross-Cultural Communications: Ways we express ourselves through language, proverbs, tales, songs, body language, symbols, etc.
* International Humor: Jokes, funny stories, riddles, games, cross-cultural mix-ups, etc.
* Photo Essays on a country or region
* Families and Community: Getting along, unique gatherings or projects, intergenerational experiences, multilingual families
* Creative Problem Solving and Peace-Making
* Cooperative Games, Quizzes, Riddles, Puzzles
* Life as a Minority: Challenges and successes
* Living with and Understanding Disabilities
* Unforgettable Moments: Times of transformation or revelation.
* Inspirations or Role Models in your life
* Right Livelihood: Earning a living while helping the world.
* Technology: Its impacts on the planet.
* Sustainable Living: Our Mission, Purpose and Challenges. How can we care for the Earth and all its inhabitants?
* Nature: Unique ecology, resource conservation, endangered species, fighting pollution
* Taking Action: Reports of or suggestions for children's involvement in community, ecology or social justice; actions to improve the world
* Raising Caring Kids: What tools do we use? Improving self-awareness and self-esteem; encouraging creativity, non-violence and tolerance; being a role model
* Parent/Teacher Guide: Lesson plans, ideas, activities, experiences and suggestions.
* Any other multicultural, social, international or nature awareness theme that you wish to write about!

You can send us your submissions by snail mail or via E-mail with Word attachments).

Please to:

Managing Editor
Skipping Stones
P.O. BOX 3939
Eugene OR 97403-0939 USA