The Poetry Fix News
| VOL. II, ISSUE 18 | July 20, 2004 |
The Spaghetti Effect?
Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks! Not very scientific but true. As a writer it’s all about putting your work out into the universe. Sending it to as many publishers, editors, or agents until someone recognizes your genius. Now be prepared for the big R word. Rejection is waiting around the corner for every writer, poet, playwright, or screenwriter. Unless of course you are Toni Morrison, Stephen King, or Pearl Cleage – then folks are just sitting around waiting for you to think about writing so they can print whatever you come up with. I’m sure they faced rejection earlier in their careers but they are well past proving to folks that they can put a sentence together. So where does that leave the rest of us?
For me it means sending my work out. I am famous for setting submission deadlines and mysteriously missing them. Now keep in mind that I cull my emails every week to post the submission and venue information on the poetry fix. You would think with all this information at my fingertips I would have a jump start on all y’all. NOPE!
I’ve discovered that I’m one of those high -end folks. Meaning – I only enter fellowships, contest, call for submissions that require you to have a million years of experience plus. Don’t ask me why I set myself up like that but it’s true. So if you tell me that the such and such fellowship is prestigious and competitive – I’m there. But if I come across some little local/regional quarterly I fake like I’m interested but never do anything to make my way to the post office before the deadline. Am I too big for my britches or is there some deeper more destructive thing going on? I suspect I am trying to avoid the R word. Of course, I am going to get rejected by the Fulbright folks, and Disney, and Nichols, and Chesterfield. My writing style has not matured enough (I’m a performance poet by nature) to compete with the big dogs that rightfully need to be at those tables. But I think I can handle hearing “no” from “out of my reach quarterly” than “regional quarterly”. So I get to say “I did submit but they didn’t take me”. Recently, I was sitting with Lisa Joyner (poet extraordinaire) and discussing developing a submission schedule. She brought over her Poet’s Market guidebook and took the time to identify some of the places we could send our work to. Somehow every time she suggested something the word “no” was ready at my lips. "That’s too small, too unknown, too weird, too much like a chapbook" (I have this weird thing about having my work in something with staples as the binding of choice – unless it’s a magazine).
For whatever reason I have never heard of “start small and work your way up” Well, I am turning over a new leaf. With my new full time status as poet, performer, workshop leader extraordinaire – I am going to submit my work to every reputable publication out there. The spaghetti effect! Eventually, somethings got to stick. Now technically I do have a publishing credit but it happened so easily it almost doesn’t seem right to claim it (but I will). One of my poems, “You Left Me” appears in the most recent edition (June/August) of Port of Harlem. Wayne, the publisher, was in Sisterspace lamenting about the “sucktitudeness” of poets. Seems like some my fellow poets also have a follow through problem. He was threatening to cut the poet’s corner of the magazine (I think that should be some sort of sin) because he couldn’t find enough poets to agree to send their work in. Now that sounds like crazy talk but Wayne swears that it is true. As I stood there defending the poets, Wayne challenged me that I was like all other poets and I would not submit an 18 line poem (space requirement) before the end of the week. Now why he do that? Before Wayne got back to his office I had found a poem that met the submission criteria and sent it to him via email. My mug shot would follow a few days later - via snail mail. So basically, I got my first credit due to a dare. Makes for a good story but I think I want a bit more organization in my submission schedule than that. Not that I'm not grateful, Wayne. I promise to give you a shout out when I am accepting my Pulitzer.
So folks, check out the submission page, the latest edition of the Poet's Market or Poets and Writers - and start sending stuff out. Sometimes you will even get feedback on why they didn't accept your work. Ultimately, it's all about sketching out a plan . Set up a system that meets your needs (calendars, index cards, post -its). List all the publications that you've contacted, along with the dates. Track what kind of responses you receive (this gives you the opportunity to see if there is a pattern regarding the feedback on your work). Don't be discouraged by the rejection slips. Stephen King said the little missives actually pushed him to write more and stick to what he believed was true. He was a writer.
So, throw some spaghetti at the walls and see what sticks.
Michelle
michelleinbold@aol.com
Sisterspace and Books Update
SAVE THE DATE
July 31, 2004
Give Them Their Roses Now!!!
Join us for a celebration of Sisterspace and Books. Show your support by purchasing tickets at $100 and $150 from our fundraising committee. The $100 contribution will allow you to attend our celebration at the Lincoln Theater. The $150 contribution will also include a reception with food, drinks and music. Invited speakers include Donna Brazile, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Charles Ogletree, Jr., Mark Thompson, Dr. Sharon Harley, Dr. Eleanor Traylor, Dr. Marilyn Mobley-McKenzie, Dr. Acklyn Lynch, Rev. Renita J. Weems, Patricia Elam, Eloise Greenfield, Patrice Gaines, J. California Cooper, Ambrose Lane, Paul Coates , and others. Come out and show your support for Sisterspace.
Lincoln Theater
12th and U street NW
DC 20009
3:00pm - 7:00pm
*Please contact the following to express your opinion that we should stay on ‘U’ St.*
Daniel Sanchuck
DPS Consulting
9487 Canary Dr.
Bel Alton, MD 20611-3012
Telephone: 301/609-8918
Telephone (2): 301/392-3620
Email: dpsanchuk@comcast.net
Steven O Hessler. Esp.
Hessler & Associates, Charter 729
729 Fifteenth Street, N.W. Second Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: 202/393-8100
Email: soh@sohoesq.com
G. Timothy Leighton, JD
Leighton & Mobley, LCC
802 North Clinton Street. Suite 1
Bloomington, IL 61701
Telephone: 309/328-7600
Fax: 309/ 828-7616
Email: timesq@bloomingtonlaw.com
Jim Graham
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Room 406
Washington, DC 20004
Telephone: 202/724-8181
Fax: 724-8109
Email: Jim@grahamwone.com
Kevin Chavous
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Room 402
Washington, DC 20004
Telephone: 202/724-8068
Fax: 202/724-8097
Email: kpchavous@dccouncil.us
Email(2): cgrant@dccouncil.us
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