The WWS members included in this post published their work in amazing places during July 2023. I’ve included an excerpt from published pieces (if available) or a blurb (if available) if the publication is a book, along with a link (if available) to where the pieces can be purchased and/or read in their entirety.
Please join me in celebrating our members who published in July 2023!
Continue reading “July 2023 Publication Roundup”By Dawn Colclasure
In the world of freelance writing, opportunities abound. There are magazines, E-zines, newsletters and newspapers to submit to. In most cases, the freelance writer without a college degree, MFA or other kind of notable status has a chance of getting published without those requirements. As long as writers show they know their stuff and can produce a well-written article or essay, they have a chance of getting published.
Freelance writers specializing in a topic or field had more clout than an MFA or college degree. This provided many freelance writers with the opportunity to get published. As long as they had knowledge and high-quality writing, an article or essay had a good chance of acceptance.
That was how it worked once upon a time. Now things have changed. My attempts to get published in magazines and with brands I have researched have met a huge barrier: the fact that I don’t have an MFA or a college degree.
When the opportunity arose to become a part of a content creation agency, which is not the same as a content mill, I jumped on it. I wanted to try something new with my writing. Becoming a writer for this agency required me to have knowledge of SEO writing and using keywords. New to this kind of writing, I learned as I went, taking online courses and reading articles in order to become better at SEO writing, boosting my chances of getting published.
For a while, this went beautifully. I found brands I was compatible with and stayed busy writing articles for them. That worked until it didn’t. One brand eventually changed their platform and another started ghosting me. No problem, I thought. There were tons of other brands I could pitch, simply because I have specialized in these topics.
It didn’t matter that I researched these brands and read samples of their work in order to get a feel for the type of material they wanted. Many who I pitched to never responded, which meant no.
It didn’t matter that I had clips relevant to the topic I was pitching; I was still rejected.
It didn’t matter that I have experience in chemical recovery (alcoholism) as someone who has navigated sobriety for over five years; I was still told “no.” Even when I pitched to blogs on this topic inviting readers to share their experiences, my pitches were ignored.
It also didn’t matter that I have training and experience working as an in-home caregiver, as well as providing rehabilitative care; any article or essay I pitched on that topic was rejected. And, yes, I was sure to pitch to markets accepting work from all kinds of writers.
It also doesn’t matter that I am deaf, as well as a burn survivor, writing on these topics for markets welcoming submissions and pitches from marginalized groups. The rejections still rolled in.
This happened when I pitched brands through the agency as well as when I pitched markets outside of the agency. I knew my luck with the agency would run out, so I made sure I continued my work as a freelance writer, pitching magazines, websites, blogs, and newsletters. There were acceptances here and there, but mostly rejections from the bigger paying markets that seemed to prefer a certain kind of writer–namely, ones who had more impressive publishing clips, positions with a company or a degree in the field they wrote in.
In the end, I noticed that writers who had a degree relevant to the topic they wrote in, or some kind of specialized training in a field, or even an MFA, had a better chance of getting published than I did. I saw how everyone else with those accomplishments under their belt got published in those same places I had pitched.
It’s understandable that most writing markets these days would require writers to have some kind of degree or specialized training, but how does that help those of us with financial barriers keeping us from achieving those goals and can still write well? I couldn’t finish college because the funding was no longer there. I would absolutely love to have a degree and/or an MFA, but there is currently no money to make those things happen!
I am not the only freelance writer out there who faces the financial barrier in earning a degree. The money we earn has to go towards providing for our families, paying our bills and paying for the medications we need to keep us alive. We don’t have the funding required to get a college degree or an MFA, and, yes; we have exhausted all resources in trying to obtain that funding. With no luck. They should not hold this against us freelance writers who are only trying to earn a living with our words.
It seems that most writing markets are adopting a classist or elitist attitude when deciding what writers they choose to work with.
It used to be that anyone who built their way to success with their own resources was looked up to and admired. Anyone who gained knowledge and training outside of educational institutions, and proved they could get a job done, garnered respect and appreciation. This kind of self-sufficiency no longer means anything to the editor at a magazine or publishing company.
It seems this classist attitude is slowly creeping into the world of independent publishing, as well. Writers with bigger platforms, wider appearances at cons, and impressive publication credits are being given more attention among independent publishers. It used to be that I supported independent publishers, being an indie author myself. But now it seems that if I submit to an independent publisher and I have to compete with an author who has more recognition than I do, they get the publisher’s attention and I don’t. I’m lucky if I ever get a response to my submission at all.
Famous writers like Ray Bradbury, Mark Twain, Maya Angelou, Truman Capote and William Faulkner never had a college degree, yet their work was published, won awards and achieved literary acclaim. If only we could go back to the days when it was enough to just be published. When being an author attracted attention, brought admiration and respect from others, and signified that said author is worthy of one’s attention.
Those days are long gone. In its place are the demands for a degree, MFA, or bigger platforms. If a freelance writer or aspiring author doesn’t have those things, then the road to publication is a lot longer and harder to pursue.
Dawn Colclasure is a writer who lives in Oregon. She is a book reviewer, freelance writer and ghostwriter. She is the author of several books. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. Website: https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://www.dmcwriter.com/ Twitter: @dawnwilson325 and @dawncolclasure
by F. Gülşen Buecher
Online learning has exploded over the last decade, and with the Covid-19 pandemic came the widespread use of online learning platforms from Zoom to Google classroom. In 2021, as a 50th birthday gift to myself, I decided it was time to dive into poetry in whatever capacity I could. This is something I had always wanted to do, but didn’t have the time, money, or logistical ability. I earned an undergraduate degree in English, but stopped there many years ago.
By 2021, opportunities for workshops and lectures had become ubiquitous within the creative writing sphere. Higher learning in creative writing, such as certificate and MFA programs, are certainly no exception to this. The options open to me were plentiful, albeit with a little digging and research.
Participating in various forms of workshops in online spaces is a good option for a variety of reasons. For many people, the cost of a traditional MFA program is simply prohibitive with the average tuition in the tens of thousands of dollars, with fully funded programs being extremely competitive. Online learning offers the flexibility to complete a degree or a certificate from home. For those of us who work fulltime, or for someone like me who is a fulltime caregiver to family members, it is simply a logistical impossibility to enroll in a multi-year degree program.
Many traditional colleges and universities have extension schools or continuing education programs where non-matriculated students can enroll in individual online classes or a certificate program in creative writing. This is a great place to start, but traditional colleges and universities are just a small slice of what is out there. In the last few years, independent writers’ workshops, collectives, and publishers have flourished online, offering countless options to choose from.
Some MFA programs are online but require a small duration of in-person attendance called “limited residencies.” These have existed long before online learning, where students could submit work via U.S. mail, also known as “correspondence learning.” The limited residency can be as short as ten days or two weeks, just twice a year. Again, even though this is a more flexible option than a fulltime two-year degree program, it’s still a financial and logistical challenge for those of us with employment and family obligations.
The types of online workshops vary in format. Let’s explore the “non-live” option first: asynchronous. Asynchronous classes don’t meet live on camera, instead interaction is limited to discussions organized in a forum style. The syllabus will update with new material on fixed dates. In other words, you don’t workshop each other’s pieces in real time. To be honest, you’ll need to be highly self-disciplined with your time to get the most out of asynchronous workshops. While a convenient option, the downside is that discussion can become anemic depending on how interactive the cohort is. The structure of the workshop is critical here. The syllabus should include mandatory participation, but this isn’t always the case. If you’re looking for lots of peer feedback and lively discussion, or if you’re looking to feel the excitement of reading your work aloud, an asynchronous workshop might not be the best option.
In that vein, it’s important to fully commit whenever you sign up for an online workshop, regardless of type. Even if it’s only for an hour. Even if it’s a free event. Be as collaborative as possible and participate to the best of your ability. As with any creative endeavor, you can only improve with collaboration and learning through critique. The journey is an evolution, and to make progress, one must share one’s work but also fully listen to and examine the work of your cohort. Think of your writing as a sculpture and with each pass through workshop, your fellow participants have all helped in their way to smooth the rough edges of your work. It’s in that spirit that we fully lean into the close reading of our peers’ writing.
It can be difficult to decide on which workshops to participate in. My best advice is to do your due diligence to find out how the workshop is structured. Learn as much as possible ahead of time. Get to know who is facilitating and research their writing background. If they’re published, consider buying their book or borrowing it from a library. Reach out to them by email if you have questions.
Let’s not forget that one of the purposes of workshops is to learn and grow through constructive critique. If at any point the critique process doesn’t stay focused or if it’s not being facilitated in a constructive way, it’s best to re-examine if that workshop is a right fit for you. I was enrolled in a multi-week workshop where the instructor would ask “what would you revise?” with no specific direction or structure. I received some of the worst, most unhelpful critique in this workshop because there were no guidelines given from the instructor. An open-ended “what did you dislike?” does not generate conversation tailored toward that piece of writing. If you find yourself in a workshop like this, do not hesitate to drop out. One of the most important things in writing is to protect your process. Anything that becomes a barrier to your creativity needs to be dealt with in a way that protects your peace of mind.
Of course, the more worthwhile and generative relationships you build in a workshop don’t have to end once it’s over. Keep in touch with your writing peers through email or social media. It’s never a bad idea to offer to swap your work outside of workshop to keep that collaborative energy flowing. You don’t need a set place or a deadline to do any of that, just a bit of extra effort and an openness to fully engage with other people’s writing.
Aside from craft workshops, it’s important to seek opportunities to do close readings of prominent authors. Be on the lookout for the plethora of lecture series available. I completed a multi-week series on W.S. Merwin through the Community of Writers collective, hosted by Victoria Chang and Matthew Zapruder. The course also included an optional break-out into small cohorts. It was a great chance to delve into poetry that is dense and not as easy to access without the benefit of some deep academic analysis and facilitated discussion.
Looking for a quick and easy drop-in class? Search Eventbrite for online creative writing events. Many of them are free and you can register the same day. I’ve had the luck to discover many generative events for poetry using this free event search tool. You don’t have to commit a lot of money or time to get your writing life going and fully energized. Another great free option is using Meetup to search for online group writing sessions. These sessions can include prompts and sharing work, but they don’t always. The atmosphere and structure is usually casual.
Finally, always be mindful of proper online etiquette. Be a good student by following some commonsense guidelines. Get acquainted with whatever platform is being used for live meetings, be it Zoom, Google, etc. Use the app before ever entering a live session. Get fully familiarized with its features, including using the chat and reaction functions. Test your audio and visual setup’s and make sure they’re working properly. While in a live classroom, please stay muted if you are not speaking. Lastly, direct technical issues to the chat. Don’t distract the instructor unless it’s clear they cannot see your chat. In a workshop that’s only 60 minutes long, one distraction can take up precious time.
Stay curious, and stay creative, friends!
F. Gülşen Buecher is an emerging poet who lives in Santa Cruz, California with her husband, kids, and pets. She has participated in online poetry workshops facilitated all over the U.S. as well as the U.K. and Germany, including a UCLA workshop taught by WWS founder, Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo.
The WWS members included in this post published their work in amazing places during the month of June 2023. I’ve included an excerpt from published pieces (if available) or a blurb (if available) if the publication is a book, along with a link (if available) to where the pieces can be purchased and/or read in their entirety.
Please join me in celebrating our members who published in June 2023!
Continue reading “June 2023 Publication Roundup”