Publication News – Page 5 – Women Who Submit

May 21, 2020May 22, 2020

Storytelling in Action: The After Party

by Ramona Pilar

From Wonder Boys – 2000

“What is the bridge from the water’s edge of inspiration to the far shore of accomplishment? [Insert laughter from a drunken undergrad] Faith. Faith that your story is worth telling.” – Q played by Rip Torn in Wonder Boys, 2000

This excerpt is taken from pretty close to the top of the film, which takes place during a very prestigious writer’s conference in New England. I assume it’s supposed to be something like Bread Loaf. (Do writer’s books get optioned at Bread Loaf?) I wouldn’t know because I’ve never attended. And I’ve only been to one AWP Conference, which, incidentally was because it took place less than 10 miles from my home.

I’ve never written an entire book, much less published one. And why? “Faith. Faith that [my] story is worth telling.” I have had challenges with that aspect of writing and creating altogether. I have faith that it’s important to me, but that it would be to anyone else enough to listen, read, or purchase that story? Infinitely less so.

Which is why I’m immediately a huge fan of anyone who finishes a complete collection of creative work – literary, musical, performance-based – all of it. Especially non-commissioned works. As a writer who hasn’t completed a novel or collection – I’ve written full length plays and songs, but not a book. And as someone who has tried via NaNoWriMo for the better part of 15 years, I have an idea about what it takes to complete a full-length work, but I don’t know.

Something… something… something… Socratic Paradox… something… something…

May 15, 2019May 14, 2019

Behind the Editors’ Desk for ACCOLADES: The Women Who Submit Anthology!

Accolades: A Women Who Submit Anthology

In 2019, Women Who Submit will celebrate submissions and acceptances in partnership with Jamii Publishing, an Inland Empire independent press. This anthology is made possible by the Investing in Tomorrow Organizational Grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

For our inaugural anthology, Women Who Submit welcomes submissions of work published between 2016 and 2018 from all WWS members. Make sure you have permission from the original publication to reprint the piece. Work that features women and non-binary characters prominently in a positive manner are encouraged. Pieces that include multiple identities or marginalized perspectives are also encouraged.

Submission Guidelines can be found here.

For this issue of Behind the Editor’s Desk, I’m talking to WWS leaders Tisha Reichle-Aguilera and Rachael Warecki, managing editors of Accolades. All of us in WWS leadership are grateful for Tisha and Rachael’s fantastic and diligent work in creating the Call for Submissions and being the point people on this project.

Continue reading “Behind the Editors’ Desk for ACCOLADES: The Women Who Submit Anthology!”

March 31, 2018March 31, 2018

A WWS Publication Roundup for March

A laptop computer with an article titled "Submissions Made Simple" on the screen and a stack of literary journals sits on top of the laptop base, titles facing out

2018 has been a wonderful year for WWS members finding homes for their work and March was no exception. Congratulations to all the women who had work published this month!

Congrats to Carla Sameth who had three poems published at Unlikely. From “Secondary Inspections“:

A nose, a foreign look, a memory. “They just want to know if you are Jewish,”
your mom says of questions about what country you came from;
you know that you’ll never pass for who you are. Everyone foreign claims your face.
City of Angels swelters, everyone here from somewhere else, still they ask,
“Where were you born?” and “How do you say ‘Hello’?” You answer fearing hatred.
Fear you came by naturally after strip search and secondary inspections. Not beautiful.

Also check out “Mornings Still Scare Me,” which Carla saw published at the b’k. Continue reading “A WWS Publication Roundup for March”

October 4, 2017

Annoucement: WWS Selected for CCI Grant

Women Who Submit is excited to announce that our WWS Los Angeles headquarters was selected out of 106 applicants to receive one of 14 Investing in Tomorrow Organizational Grants from Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a nonprofit organization awarding grants to individuals, organizations, and projects throughout California for the arts.

From the CCI press release:

The 2017 Investing in Tomorrow Organizational Grants program granted $105,000 to fourteen projects taking place throughout California. Each grant of $7,500 supports catalytic individual and institutional leadership at this time of tremendous social, economic, generational, demographic, and technological change. Continue reading “Annoucement: WWS Selected for CCI Grant”

May 17, 2017March 6, 2018

June WWS Orientation & Two Book Releases

Writer Desiree Zamorano presents a workshop to seven women seated at folding tables, facing her

by Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo

Saturday, June 10th from 11am-3pm, Women Who Submit will host a public orientation and submission party at Art Share LA in the Arts District with free parking for attendees. Every other month, WWS hosts a public orientation and submission party for women and nonbinary writers in order to welcome new members to join our organization and learn about our mission and submission strategies in a comfortable, supportive and open environment. We will also have a round table discussion on strategies for applying to residencies and workshops.

Continue reading “June WWS Orientation & Two Book Releases”

February 28, 2017March 6, 2018

A WWS PUBLICATION ROUND UP FOR FEBRUARY

February was another banner month for Women Who Submit members finding homes for their great work. Congratulations to all the women who had work published in February.

From “September 13, 2001: How Fear United Us” by Désirée Zamorano at Catapult:

For many of us over thirty years old, September 11, 2001 is the ultimate demarcation of our experience as citizens, a pre- and post-worldview of who we are as Americans. We remember where we were when we heard or watched the news about the Twin Towers. Do you remember where you were two days later, on September 13, 2001? I do. I was with a group of anxious and excited strangers.

From Melissa Chadburn‘s “Economic Violence: On Being Skipped Over or Paraded in Front of a Crowd” at Proximity:

My saddest story is not the story of growing up in foster care, or losing a brother to HIV, or losing another brother to drug addiction. My saddest story is a simple one. One where I was a young girl, maybe around eight, and I loved everyone and everything. I loved my street, I loved my mailbox, I loved my teacher, I loved my hair, I loved clothes, I loved buses, I loved trees, and I assumed everyone and everything loved me back. But then one day I discovered that wasn’t so. Maybe someone made a crude gesture, or yelled at me, or I got skipped over in line, and there it began—the breaking of my heart.

Continue reading “A WWS PUBLICATION ROUND UP FOR FEBRUARY”

December 31, 2016

A WWS PUBLICATION ROUND UP FOR DECEMBER

An eventful year finally winds down as we all look forward to a fresh start in 2017. Congratulations to all the Women Who Submit members who have had work published in 2016 and to those who sent their work into the world in December.

From Tisha Marie Reichle‘s “An Argument Against Old Cheese” in Ghost Town:

“What did you do to your hair?” Mother exclaimed, sorry she’d sent Beth to the neighborhood salon alone. “What about your graduation pictures?”

Beth fingered the brightly colored stripes that corrupted her freshly-cropped, light-brown hair. “That’s why I did it! The green and orange match the Ducks!” She was ecstatic about leaving her isolated desert home for the lush consciousness of Oregon in August. Until then, she had other problems to worry about. She kissed her mother on the cheek and ran out the door.

Continue reading “A WWS PUBLICATION ROUND UP FOR DECEMBER”

November 30, 2016March 7, 2018

A WWS PUBLICATION ROUND UP FOR NOVEMBER

2016 has been a great year to find Women Who Submit members in publications all over the world and November was no different. Congratulations to all who were published this month!

From “As a Teen, I Saw Myself in Rory. Now I Strive to Be Like Lorelai,” by Alana Saltz at the Washington Post:

Like Rory, I was an introverted teenager who aspired to share my experiences through writing. Now I strive to be like Lorelai and like my own mother — self-sufficient, independent and resilient.

Continue reading “A WWS PUBLICATION ROUND UP FOR NOVEMBER”