Another Surprise

I looked up The New Yorker's guidelines on the Web, they do accept manuscripts by email. That's heartening. Not that I would represent it as a friendly market for brand-new writers, but at least they've moved past snail mail. Honestly, I don't go for markets like The New Yorker, or if I do it's only occasional -- I consider the chances of getting accepted about the same as winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning, but email submissions make it slightly more appealing, anyway.

I picked up a copy of Kenyon Review as well, and while I haven't dug in yet, in its preface it said it is starting up an online submissions system via its Web site in September 2004. This is a motherlode of good news, of course. I guess the message is indeed out. One of the most amazing publishing mediums to come around in ages, and so many lit mags have been woefully behind the times, but I guess that is changing. (Seriously, I wonder, did they think it was going to go away?)

However, what was interesting was there was a vaguely apologetic tone about the news. The intro insisted that they will continue to accept hard-copy manuscripts and the editor waxed sentimental about manuscripts containing some of the idiosyncrasies of type-written submissions. (I guess I can kind of dig that -- I remember being in high school and first, hating the idea of typing my manuscripts and in college, hating the idea of ever writing on a word processor! Now I can't imagine how I ever dared handwrite then painstakingly edit and type out my words.)

Kenyon is another paying market -- according to the latest Novel & Short Story Writers Market they pay $10-$15/page, and yeah, that's MONEY. Especially considering so many markets don't pay, or pay a penny a word (or even a half-cent! Ouch).

Hurray for evolution,

LadyLitBlitzin