[One of my promotional canvases I painted for my steampunk novel, Madame Lola's Marvelously Amazing Medicine Show
Bonnie the Human Butterfly
Bonnie the Human Butterfly
Cathy T. Colborn 2013]
First of all, new hairdo (what can I say, I'm human). More importantly, a poem I got published online has now made its way into a Print Anthology: Big River Poetry Review, Volume One, Edited by John Lambremont, on LuLu.
This has inspired me to write and speak about "just phoning it in" and not doing your best at submitting to online journals and E-zines. Believe me, years ago, I got a lot of eye rolls when I said I self published my chapbooks and my writing credits were mostly online. Today, self publishing has lost its bad juju, but I feel there is still some on the online journals. My bio now says otherwise.
Let me be clear, I am not saying to go willy-nilly and start posting your best work on Facebook or Twitter. No, I am not even saying get on your author blog everyday and post everything you got. I am saying, however, if you have nothing in your bio yet...to try online journal submissions. You can still submit the work to print and otherwise (if the words"multiple submissions accepted"are in the guidelines). Good things happen from this, I swear.
Several of the poems I have sent online have made their way into print anthologies. Also, some editors may have read your work and may want to reprint with permission into their own collections. I am going to be hypocritical again, sorry it is my split personality, and say that one day, I did post a poem (not one of my best but a decent one) on Facebook with a rant. Next thing I knew, I had an editor from a mutual writing group asking me to submit some things. I got published in two of their upcoming print anthologies. Still, I wouldn't post the poem I had been grueling over in five poetry workshops and have stayed up until three in the morning for several nights onto FB. No way!
Ugg! I am tired talking about me (and this is my blog) and lecturing (you probably are also), so I am going to tell you somewhere I will be appearing as an Editor of Philly Flash Inferno (my online, but soon to be print journal;), BUT more so you can have an opportunity to push your own work (with me or otherwise).
Last October, I wrote a blog about my newbie adventures at Push to Publish, a conference created by Philadelphia Stories. This year, I am honored to be one of the Editor Speed Daters! Since I am not a book publisher, I cannot consider a book-length work, but I can give advice on getting published online (or print now that I have a few under my belt), and maybe even comment on your work and consider those items for Philly Flash Inferno. If not my journal, explain how I made my way into the scene and what benefits and problems you will face. I am considering having a few handouts of really edgy, and cool markets for both poets and fiction writers. I will have a list of writing groups in the area. I promise to make your five minutes count, go over your work, listen to your concerns, but leave you with the basic rules and current news that would otherwise eat up your promotion time. I hope it works. I guess we will hear if it doesn't haha.
So I am going to give you the link to Push to Publish again, because if you do have a book-length work and get there early enough, you will find several popular editors who will take you on a writing speed date. Please go back and check out my blog for tips and troubles you may encounter as a newbie! There are tons of great things going on at P2P and you can blink and opportunity is lost. Also, go to the Philadelphia Stories website to keep updated on the poetry and fiction events and contests for prizes (more cool and current opportunities to get your name out there). Here are your links:
Push to Publish:http://www.philadelphiastories.org/push-to-publish
Philadelphia Stories (main page): http://www.philadelphiastories.org
Thanks for stopping by...keep those computer/typewriter keys and camera shutters clicking,
Catt Colborn
