The Wednesday Web Browser: Small Press Month, Resource for Poets, and A Talented Writer

March is Small Press Month, and to mark the occasion, “Oronte Churm” checks in with several big names in the world of small presses.
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Sage Cohen announces the launch of a new resource for poets.
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A little-known fact about Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, President Obama’s nominee for Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA—and my college classmate: Like our President, Dr. Sharfstein is a very talented writer. Back in college, I always looked forward to his articles and opinion pieces in the main campus newspaper. Here’s one writing-themed piece I recall was a particular favorite among my thesis-writing friends (yes, we were a pretty intellectual group!).

Ten Tips for Formatting Short Story Manuscripts

Here’s a snippet from my presentation on publishing short stories, delivered before the inaugural Jewish Fiction Writers’ Conference at the 92nd Street Y last Sunday. The presentation was designed for fiction writers, but this segment happens to be relevant for essayists as well. More on the conference to follow here and at my other blog, My Machberet.

Top Ten Tips for Formatting/Preparing Short Story Manuscripts

1. Double-space your manuscript.

2. Print only on one side of the paper.

3. Use black type (no fancy colors).

4. Use a simple, conventional font (like Times New Roman 12-pt).

5. Number your pages, and unless you’re told differently, include your name and/or the story title in the header.

6. Proofread. Reading the entire story aloud is an excellent strategy that helps writers “catch” mistakes computer spelling and grammar programs don’t always find.

7. If the story is longer than a few pages (my limit is four, plus the cover letter), don’t stuff it in a regular/business size envelope. Place it in a larger (in the United States, 9″X12″) envelope.

8. Always include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) for a response. (Here’s where those “forever” stamps really come in handy.)

9. Keep a copy of your submission for your own records.

10. Keep a copy of your cover letter. You might consider establishing a separate binder to track your submission correspondence. Otherwise it becomes all too easy to forget which story went to which publication when. And if you’ve submitted simultaneously, you’ll need to tell all the other journals you’ve sent a story to when it’s accepted elsewhere.

Anyone want to offer other suggestions, in comments?

Ozone Park

Typically, I don’t point you to calls for submissions from journals that don’t pay their writers, but today I am making an exception, and that’s for two reasons. First, Ozone Park is the journal of the Queens College (CUNY) MFA program, and I am a big fan of all the CUNY writing programs. Second, Ozone Park‘s new editor, Deonne Kahler, is a good friend.

Learn more about Ozone Park, which is taking submissions in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation, and play excerpts until June 15, here. NB: Deonne tells me that the next issue will publish in May, and it will include an interview with Li-Young Lee.

The Wednesday Web Browser: Recommended Parenting-Related Writing

It’s not exactly a secret around here that although I don’t have children of my own, I’m quite interested in parent-child relationships and the infinite stories emanating from them. Today, I thought I’d point out some exemplary parenting-related writing.

First up: Recently, I reconnected with a friend who is now a mom to twin toddlers (and two wonderful older stepchildren). I was quick to recommend Jane Roper’s excellent “Baby Squared” blog on Babble.com. I’m not exactly sure when I discovered this blog, but Jane, whose name I remembered from the Boston writing scene, instantly pulled me in with her smart, funny writing about life with her twin girls.
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Next: “Kelly James-Enger” is another name I’ve known for a long time, mainly from many years’ worth of Writer magazine articles. The other day, I read Kelly’s beautiful essay, “When Words Really Matter.” It’s an eloquent reminder that sometimes, our most significant writings won’t earn us a penny of income. But they’re infinitely more valuable than anything that might bring in a paycheck.
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Finally, Gene Weingarten’s Washington Post article, “Fatal Distraction,” is currently making the Internet rounds. This extended article is notable for its powerful writing (as well as its tragic subject matter). Warning: You may not be able to get through it. (For the record, I first found this article via Lisa Belkin’s Motherlode blog at NYTimes.com.)

Any of you want to recommend similar/related writings or writers? Please do so, in comments!