Sometimes you find yourself browsing through bits of the online poetry scene you don't often bother with and you stumble across an idea which looks rather good on first glance. Such was my reaction when I heard about Sundress Publication's proposed annual anthology Best of the Net. Excellent, thinks I, someone promoting and celebrating online poetry in a good way.
Then I read the submission guidelines:
Participant Qualifications
- Submissions must come from the editor of the journal
Killed by the first bullet point!
So no place in a publication provocatively entitled "Best of the Net" for people who choose not to publish their poetry via a third party, but prefer to offer it to the reader direct and unpasteurised.
Even with all the new technology at their disposal, people still insist on worshipping the old gods. Surprisingly, it doesn't surprise me anymore. Oh, well ...
My Poem Published in The New York Times
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Invisible Strings: Poets Honor Taylor Swift's Songs
1 week ago
Maybe they're worried about getting thousands of submissions of poems about arm-cutting and meeting dragons in the darkness etc?
ReplyDeleteThey don't define what they mean by "journal" (or, indeed, "editor") beyond the fact that it must be exclusively online. They're just copying existing formats - what's novel or innovating about that? It's just another competition with a ridiculous entry bar in place.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's the prize? A couple of copies of the resulting publication? Doubtful - looks like another case of doing it for the kudos of inclusion.
Anyways, there's nothing wrong with a well wrought arm-slashing poem. I dare you to write one!
Larry wrote a good one here (it's the last poem).
ReplyDeleteGo on Rik, I'd like to see the Roots take on self-harm.
Eloise
far too adolescent still to get away with it.
Rik,
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in your comments; you make a point that I simply did not think about in regards to who can submit their work. Our intent was solely to keep from getting unsolicited submissions from unpublished writers, which was not our intent in creating the journal.
I wish you'd sent your thoughts directly onto us sooner! Am setting about to edit guidelines as we speak.
Warmly,
Erin Elizabeth Smith
Managing Editor, Best of the Net