Podcasts about submittable

Jack Straw artists Transonic recently released “Hook Jab,” the first single produced with help from their Jack Straw Artist Support Program residency. Follow them at @transonicmusic to hear what comes next. Applications are due November 25th for Jack Straw's 2025 Artist Support and New Media gallery programs. Visit us on Submittable for more information: https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit The post Transonic – Hook Jab appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.

Jack Straw artists Moonyeka and Heidi Grace Acuña of House of Kilig talk with Jack Straw producer Carlos Nieto about their Jack Straw New Media Gallery installation flourish like an ocean’s grief. Applications are open now for Jack Straw's 2025 artist residency programs. Visit us on Submittable for more information: https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit The post Moonyeka and House of Kilig New Media Gallery Podcast appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.

Jack Straw artists Moonyeka and Heidi Grace Acuña of House of Kilig talk with Jack Straw producer Carlos Nieto about their Jack Straw New Media Gallery installation flourish like an ocean’s grief. Applications are open now for Jack Straw's 2025 artist residency programs. Visit us on Submittable for more information: https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit The post Moonyeka and House of Kilig New Media Gallery Podcast appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.

Jack Straw artists Susie Kozawa and Brigid Kelly talk with Shin Yu Pai, Seattle’s Civic Poet and host of the podcast Ten Thousand Things, about their Jack Straw New Media Gallery installation Tokio Florist Project. Applications are open now for Jack Straw’s 2025 artist residency programs. Visit us on Submittable for more information: https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit The post Tokio Florist Project New Media Gallery Podcast appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.

Jack Straw artists Susie Kozawa and Brigid Kelly talk with Shin Yu Pai, Seattle’s Civic Poet and host of the podcast Ten Thousand Things, about their Jack Straw New Media Gallery installation Tokio Florist Project. Applications are open now for Jack Straw’s 2025 artist residency programs. Visit us on Submittable for more information: https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit The post Tokio Florist Project New Media Gallery Podcast appeared first on Jack Straw Cultural Center.

There are some things in the writing world that don't make a ton of sense in the world of regular humans. One of those things is pinch points. This podcast episode is going to be the start of a quick series of podcasts and regular posts about pinch points. The regular posts will be at our Substack LIVING HAPPY under the WRITE BETTER NOW publication. So, what are these little twerps called pinch points? They a way of thinking about novel or story structure that helps us keep the reader engaged. Pinch points are moments where the tension emerges again or is heightened. It's a place where you seductively say to the reader, “Hey, baby. Let's engage again.” Or maybe it's that they are saying, “Dear Reader, let me remind you what exactly is at stake here for our poor, dear, pathetic hero.” The pinch points are where the protagonist or hero of your story gets a little bit of pain. Ouch. So mean, us writers are so very mean. As Writing Mastery describes, “They rekindle the tension that may have waned by reminding us of the primary conflict and what it means for the characters. Without stakes, readers will quickly lose interest—therefore, pinch points are events of the plot that, strategically placed, keep the narrative from losing steam.” “In the traditional Three-Act Structure, the first act introduces the characters, setting, and conflict, while the third act culminates in the resolution. The second act, which constitutes the middle portion of the story, is often the longest and contains the rising action. Pinch points punctuate this act to create a sense of urgency and drive the story forward.” Pinch Points Are Not Plot Points So, here's the super important thing. Pinch points are not plot points. Yes, there is a lot of P-words in there, but to pinch is not to plot, though a dastardly villain might plot how to pinch. Plot points move the story forward are events connect the events of your story so it's not episodic. Pinch points Raise stakes or increase the conflict. Obstruct the hero from getting her goal, so often focus on the bad guy of the story or the antagonist and this is a big part of it, this is what makes it not a turning point Make the reader curious about what might happen, make them worried about what might happen, so keeps them reading Show us what our heroes are made of because of the extra pressure that these challenges create. As Writers Helping Writers writes, “New writers often concentrate on the Hook, Midpoint, and the big twist at the end. But without well-placed Pinch Points, the story will lose its sense of rising action, conflict, and tension. The quest cannot exist without an opponent, and the Pinch Points show the reader what that opposition is all about. “Pinch Points show how high the stakes are. They also set up the emotional change within the hero as they react to the new situation.” So, tomorrow on the blog, I'll be talking about where these babies go in your story. DOG TIP FOR LIFE Do not let the pinch points keep you from moving forward toward your goals. COOL EXERCISE Think about the bad guy in your story. Now write down: Their fetish What they'd buy at the grocery store What they'd buy at Wal-Mart What they could do to make things harder on the hero and easier on themselves PLACE TO SUBMIT River Styx The Castro Prize, named for our founding editor, Michael Castro, is a new prize awarded annually to exemplary works of poetry and fiction. River Styx editors carefully read and discuss contest entries and ultimately submit the strongest ten entries to the judges. For our 2024 contest, Christopher Castellani will judge fiction and Dg Okpik will judge poetry. We will award one winner for fiction and one for poetry, with one runner-up in each genre. The first-place prizes are $1000 each, plus publication in print and online. The entry fee is $20. If you would like to receive a copy of our latest print issue, River Styx 107, you may do so at a discounted rate of 50% off ($9.95). (Shipping rates apply. The discount is good for one copy of RS107 per entrant and cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers.) Entrants will receive a discount code in their confirmation email. Works of fiction should not exceed 5000 words. You may send up to three poems. Work must be previously unpublished. You may submit multiple entries but each work must be submitted separately. If the work is a simultaneous submission, we ask that you notify us immediately upon publication elsewhere and withdraw the piece via Submittable. Withdrawing a submission will not result in a refund of the entry fee. The contest runs from May 1, 2024 through September 30, 2024. The winners will be announced on January 1, 2025. All contest entries are read blind. The winner is chosen based on the strength and inventiveness of the writing, not on academic background, publication history, or any other accolades. Please do not include your name or any other identifying information on the work itself. Submittable provides features that allow us to read the work without seeing the contributor's name, contact information, or cover letter. Once winners are chosen, we can "unhide" this information to identify the winners. ENTER NOW SHOUT OUT! The music we've clipped and shortened in this podcast is awesome and is made available through the Creative Commons License. Here's a link to that and the artist's website. Who is this artist and what is this song? It's “Summer Spliff” by Broke For Free. WE HAVE EXTRA CONTENT ALL ABOUT LIVING HAPPY OVER HERE! It's pretty awesome. We have a podcast, LOVING THE STRANGE, which we stream biweekly live on Carrie's Facebook and Twitter and YouTube on Fridays. Her Facebook and Twitter handles are all carriejonesbooks or carriejonesbook. But she also has extra cool content focused on writing tips here. Carrie is reading one of her raw poems every once in awhile on CARRIE DOES POEMS. And there you go! Whew! That's a lot! Subscribe

On last week's podcast and the one a few before that, and in a post, Shaun and I talked a bit about plot structures and narrative structures and how here in the U.S. we think of these usually (not always!) as pretty linear, and pretty much in a three-act framework (think beginning, middle, end) with rising stakes and drama as you go along. This is not the only way to write. I am very much a product of the U.S. culture. And I'm going to talk a tiny bit in the next couple weeks about different forms/shapes of storytelling, but again . . . I am a student of this culture's structures. I am not an expert at other structures. I adore them though. I'm going to be providing links. And hopefully by quickly talking about some of them, you might go off and explore and adore, too. Maybe even get an epiphany for your own story? So, another kind of storytelling is Middle Eastern and it's  Frame Story in our language. And it's so cool. Basically, as the Novelsmithy explains "many types of stories, characters, and symbols are woven together into a larger tale. "One Thousand And One Nights is the most famous example of this. In this story, Shahrazad tells story after story to the Sultan in order to keep him from killing her. Her stories include a variety of complex narratives, different characters, conflicts, genres, and morals. There are even frame stories within the larger frame story! "Characteristics of Middle Eastern Storytelling: Outer 'frame story' tying multiple stories together Multiple characters and narratives Variety of genres, fantasy, and high action." It's very influenced by The Qur'an. Gulf News writes, "One of the most revered traditions of oral storytelling is the hakawati. As intricate and complex as a weaving pattern, this motif-rich narrative style darts in and out of stories, offering unending drama where the storyteller begins one tale, deftly leaves it mid-way to pick up another and then has a third story emerging from a subplot of the first and so on. All this is done using the tools of allegory, folklore, satire, music and a visual spectacle of grand sweeping gestures and facial expressions to finally create an enthralling experience for his listeners." There's a great piece about frame stories here. DOG TIP FOR LIFE Pogie's like "hey dude, I live my style and life in the frame story style of way. It always comes back to me. I'll always be doing something. I'll see a cat and I'll change my storyline." And that keeps happening. It's all about multiple stories in a brain. WRITING EXERCISE Do the Forrest Gump. Find a setting like a park bench and tell the stories that make a life. OR at least outline it. PLACE TO SUBMIT Voyage simply aims to publish good work and provide a space for new and established voices. To get an idea of what we publish, please read our archives. General submissions are open year-round with no fee to submit. We only accept submissions via our online submission managing system, Submittable. We DO NOT accept submissions via email. Submissions sent via email will be automatically discarded without a response. We accept simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your work via Submittable if it is accepted elsewhere. Though we consider reprints, please be advised that Voyage doesn't offer payment for work that has been published before. If you are submitting a piece that has been published, please notify us in your submission. Voyage pays $200 per accepted, previously unpublished piece of short prose. Fiction: We are looking for short stories that surprise, inspire, entertain, or enlighten. Creative Nonfiction: We're on the hunt for personal essays and other creative nonfiction that specifically relates to the teen experience. Submit your creative nonfiction via our submission manager here. Manuscript Preparation: Please make sure your manuscript is double-spaced with Times New Roman 12. Submissions should be no more than 6,000 words. Please include the author's name and page number in the top right-hand corner of every page. RANDOM THOUGHT Our random thought is about 10 cent beer night. SHOUT OUT! The music we've clipped and shortened in this podcast is awesome and is made available through the Creative Commons License. Here's a link to that and the artist's website. Who is this artist and what is this song? It's “Summer Spliff” by Broke For Free. WE HAVE EXTRA CONTENT ALL ABOUT LIVING HAPPY OVER HERE! It's pretty awesome. We have a podcast, LOVING THE STRANGE, which we stream biweekly live on Carrie's Facebook and Twitter and YouTube on Fridays. Her Facebook and Twitter handles are all carriejonesbooks or carriejonesbook. But she also has extra cool content focused on writing tips here. Carrie is reading one of her raw poems every once in awhile on CARRIE DOES POEMS. And there you go! Whew! That's a lot! Subscribe

Anne Nies is the Director of Science for Submittable, and Sam Caplan is the Vice President of Social Impact. Submittable is a platform to help "clients further social impact through programs that reach millions of people around the world." Anne and Sam join host Steve Boland to talk about five specific principles that Submittable is deploying as it makes Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools available in their platform - both for nonprofits and those organizations that support charities. The principles include AI as; Empowering, Accountable, Transparent, Equitable, and Private & Secure. Anne and Sam discuss how these principles help their whole user community understand their tools and choices. There is more information at https://www.submittable.com/ai/

In episode 52 of The Hiring Enablement Podcast, Gavin Speirs sits down with Submittable's Amanda Davenport to help us delve into putting business and candidates at the centre of TA.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Gen Z will make up a third of the workforce by 2030 – and they're bringing their ideals with them. According to findings from Monster, 83 percent of Gen Z candidates say a company's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is important when choosing an employer. Businesses must acknowledge these ideals and adapt to reach Gen Z workers if they wish to attract, hire and retain the best talent. One way companies can do this is by offering robust CSR programs, which provide corporations a license to operate in value-driven ways.In this HRchat episode, we hear from Sam Caplan, Vice President of Social Impact at Submittable, the social impact platform used by teams to make better decisions and maximize their CSR efforts. Sam is a tech industry leader with 20 years of experience building large-scale philanthropic programs for organizations such as the Walton Family Foundation and Walmart Foundation. Listen as Sam discusses how CSR programs allow businesses to express and promote their values to prospective employees and customers.Questions for Sam include:How do you see the role of Gen Z evolving in the workforce, and what key ideals do they bring with them that businesses need to acknowledge?How can businesses effectively demonstrate and integrate DEI values into their corporate culture to appeal to this demographic?As the Vice President of Social Impact at Submittable, could you provide examples of how CSR programs contribute to making better decisions and maximizing social impact within teams?How can companies ensure that their CSR programs are not just seen as a checkbox but are genuinely aligned with their values and contribute meaningfully to social impact?As the landscape of social impact and CSR continues to evolve, what emerging trends or strategies do you foresee that will be crucial for businesses to stay relevant and appealing to the values of the upcoming workforce, particularly Gen Z?We do our best to ensure editorial objectivity. The views and ideas shared by our guests and sponsors are entirely independent of The HR Gazette, HRchat Podcast and Iceni Media Inc.   Feature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

Announcements:  Early registration for the 2024 retreat opens November 1 for the public, but EARLY access to the Early Bird registration is Oct 1 (next month) so if want early access for sold out tickets, become a patron this month. I'm in a new anthology by Tsunami Press with my essay "Eye Contact." You can preorder at http://www.tsunamibooks.org/shop/pre-order-tsunami-press-first-anthology Due out the beginning of October 2023. Preorder of Season of the Shadow up now. (Erick's new title.) Patron announcement:  UPDATE:  Valerie:   floors and bee-sting.    Erick:   rewrite is done mostly moved in; need to unpack now   Just finished:  I'M READING: beta read   The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry   Harness: A Systemic Approach: Guaranteed to Revolutionize Your Coaching by Tess Cope   Erick's Reading:  In the Woods by Tana French   Show Notes:   Writing conference-- Networking, meeting new author friends Education Conference Cycle In person = accidental knowledge Volunteering at conferences, see things behind the scene (the business of conferences/writing industry)    "Easy" to pitch to: Cedar Mills Writers Group (Conference) Beaverton, Oregon;  North Woods Writers Conference, Minnesota   Strategy: pick a region, go state by state in Google Search + writing conference; make a spreadsheet. Find the conference director: contact with query letter; ask them for help getting into the circuit=email exchange. Even a no is okay. "What does your audience need?" Conferences gain momentum: idea to date on calendar to push through to the end.   Pitch in January for late summer conferences;  Three month hangover after conferences; They might call you back after speaking once.   Payment: from none (line item on resume), to honorarium, to travel and lodging. Tax deductible trip. Conference attendance thrown in.    After awhile, start weighing which ones are more lucrative and only pitch to them.   Every conference wants the info a different way: if using Submittable, you can copy and paste your answers in; "If you need a panel seat filled, I'll fill it."

As the Co-Executive Director of Design Core Detroit, Kiana Wenzell co-leads several initiatives within the organization to bring about design that can create conditions for better quality of life and economic opportunity for Detroit. As stewards of Detroit's UNESCO City of Design designation, Design Core serves as the backbone organization for the Detroit City of Design initiatives. In this conversation of Yanique to Kiana, you will learn of her role in event planning and design-driven insights that help drive businesses and their role in strengthening Detroit's economy.  Highlights: 01:34  A standout corporate event Kiana Wenzell has worked on and what made it unique. 04:19   The difference between Kiana and Yanique's experience in their travel to Kaunas, Lithuania?  10:00  Kiana's insight on sound and the use of the senses when working with venue partners for events.  12:26  What are some of the things Kiana puts in to achieve the visual appeal at the events when working with venue partners? (...What happens in the monthly Drinks by Design events?) 18:59  Does Kian incorporate some innovative tech tools or platforms into the event planning process to enhance the overall attendees' experience? 21:11  How were Kiana's team able to have autonomy in their website to get their events updated as they migrated off from Eventbrite?  25:11  What are some strategies Kiana has implemented to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusivity are reflected in their events?  29:25  Kiana's advice to people wanting to enter the corporate event planning and marketing field. 32:09  Kiana shares a story of how she overcame a difficult situation during an event - not having the liquor license. 36:06  What's one event you feel like every event professional, or every event planning and marketing professional should attend at least once in their life?  38:20  Closing  RESOURCES MENTIONED: Splash - https://splashcreative.com/ Submittable - https://www.submittable.com/ Asana - https://asana.com/ CONNECT WITH  KIANA WENZELL: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiana-wenzell-7482147a/ Instagram - @kiana_designpro  Design Core Detroit - https://designcore.org/design-core/meet-the-team/ CONNECT WITH YANIQUE DACOSTA: Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://eventist365.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YKMD⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media: Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠@MissYaniDoesStuff /facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@YaniDoesStuff / Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@yanidoesstuff / Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YDaCosta / LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Graphic Design Firm for Corporate Events ⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheYKMD / Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@theYKMD / Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@theykmd / Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YKMD Visual Communication / LinkedIn⁠⁠

Join Nate Matherson as he sits down with Tyler Hakes for the third episode of the Optimize podcast. Tyler is the founder of Optimist, a content marketing and SEO agency focused on startups and growth-stage businesses. Tyler has worked with a number of incredible startups like Sendbird, Submittable, and HelloSign. In this episode, we explore how organic search is changing, including what Tyler has coined AI and Dark Search. Tyler and Nate dive deep into building topical authority, relevance, and Google's new Search Generative Experience (SGE). For more information please visit www.positional.com, or email us at podcast@positional.com. You can reach Tyler at www.yesoptimist.com, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

In the first half-hour, Professor Angelique W. EagleWoman, (Wambdi A. Was'teWinyan), is a law professor, legal scholar, Chief Justice on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Supreme Court, and has served as a pro tempore Tribal Judge in several other Tribal Court systems. As a practicing lawyer, one of the highlights of her career was to serve as General Counsel for her own Tribe, the Sisseton-Wahpeton (Dakota) Oyate. She is a citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton (Dakota) Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation and has Rosebud Lakota heritage. She graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Political Science, received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law with distinction, and her L.L.M. in American Indian and Indigenous Law with honors from the University of Tulsa College of Law.  As a law professor, she has taught in the areas of Aboriginal Legal Issues, Indigenous Legal Traditions, Tribal Nation Economics & Law, Native American Law, Native American Natural Resources Law, Tribal Code Drafting Clinic, Contracts, The Business of Law, and Civil Procedure. Angelique presents and publishes on topics involving tribal-based economics, Indigenous sovereignty, international Indigenous principles, and the quality of life for Indigenous peoples. She is currently a professor and Director of the Native American Law and Sovereignty Institute at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. https://www.angeliqueeaglewoman.com/. She and Tiokasin discuss a Feb. 12, 2023 New York Times article in which she was extensively quoted: “With a Land Dispute Deadlocked, a Wisconsin Tribe Blockades Streets.” Read the article: http://bit.ly/3YP8ZGf In the second half-hour, Tiffany Midge is enrolled with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. She is a former humor columnist for Indian Country Today and currently writes for High Country News. She has published work in The New Yorker, McSweeney's, First American Art Magazine, World Literature Today, YES! Magazine, the Spokesman-Review, the Inlander, and more. Her book "Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's" was a finalist for a Washington State Book Award and her writing has received a Pushcart Prize, the Kenyon Review Indigenous Poetry Prize, a Western Heritage Award, the Diane Decorah Memorial Poetry Award, Submittable's Eliza So Fellowship and a Simons Public Humanities Fellowship. Tiffany resides in north Idaho, homelands of the Nimiipuu. Production Credits: Tiokasin Ghosthorse (Lakota), Host and Executive Producer Liz Hill (Red Lake Ojibwe), Producer Malcolm Burn, Studio Engineer, Radio Kingston, WKNY 1490 AM and 107.9 FM, Kingston, NY Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Audio Editor Kevin Richardson, Podcast Editor Music Selections: 1. Song Title: Tahi Roots Mix (First Voices Radio Theme Song) Artist: Moana and the Moa Hunters Album: Tahi (1993) Label: Southside Records (Australia and New Zealand) (00:00:22) 2. Song Title: Shade of History Artist: Julian Cote feat. Pura Fe Crescioni Album: Falls Around Her (soundtrack, 2018) Label: Pine Needle Productions (00:22:25) 3. Song Title: Time Not Thinking Artist: Tiokasin Ghosthorse Single Label: Ghosthorse (00:26:28) 4. Song: I Can't Give Everything Away (David Bowie Cover) Artist: Spoon Single, 2022 Label: Headz, under exclusive license to Matador Records (00:54:48) AKANTU INSTITUTE Visit Akantu Institute, an institute that Tiokasin founded with a mission of contextualizing original wisdom for troubled times. Go to https://akantuinstitute.org/ to find out more and consider joining his Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/Ghosthorse. 

Google has long been at the forefront of technology, and the company's philanthropic arm, Google.Org, has long been on the cutting edge of corporate social impact, philanthropy and volunteering. From direct cash grants before they were popular to robust skilled volunteering programs like no other, Google.org is an organization to watch and learn from. And, the organization has won four Halo Awards. In today's episode, EFG's Alli Murphy is joined by Jen Carter, Google.Org's Global Head of Technology and the founder of the Google.org Fellows volunteer program, where Googlers work alongside nonprofits and civic entities full-time for 6 months. She's also joined by Sam Caplan, Submittable's VP of Social Impact. The trio talk about the role of corporations in the CSR space, Google's spectrum of volunteer opportunities and the future of employee volunteering and giving.In today's episode, we'll explore:How Google approaches philanthropy as impact first, long-term investments that are “risk capital”Google's spectrum of volunteer opportunities, from GoolgeServ to the Google.org Fellows volunteer programThe rise of stakeholder capitalism and how it's impacting our spaceHow to increase employee volunteer and giving participationThe genesis of the GoogleFellows program and how it has evolvedSam and Jen's advice for building your own transformational volunteer programsHow to center end users in your program design and determine your leading indicators for program successThe importance of solving for the fundamental problems that are blocking progressThis episode is brought to you by Submittable.Links & NotesGoogle.OrgGoogle.Org TwitterJen's TwitterJen's LinkedInSubmittable's WebsiteSam's LinkedInSubmittable's Impact Audio PodcastSubmittable's LinkedInGiving In Numbers 20222022 Best Health Initiative Halo Award Winner2021 Best of the Best Halo Award WinnerElevate Your Social ImpactCheck out our annual conference!Sign up for Engage for Good's newsletterCheck out past podcast episodesAccess free resourcesCheck out our monthly webinarsLet Alli know what you think of the show! (00:00) - Welcome to Engage for Good (02:10) - Introducing Jen Carter and Sam Caplan (05:02) - The Google.org CSR Strategy (08:02) - Trends Forcasting (14:56) - Stakeholder Capitalism (17:34) - Google Fellows (23:20) - Creating Innovative Volunteer Programs (27:00) - The Submittable Perspective (29:34) - Lessons Learned (33:26) - Sam's Advice (34:48) - Jen's Advice (36:16) - Learn More

Literary magazines beg authors to return to writing for free. Beloved Writer, We noticed you have not submitted any poems or short fiction on Submittable to us with the required $25 reading fee. We really miss those fees. Well, as the reader, I really miss those fees. Can you blame me? Can you picture such an erudite and ambitious guy like me working at Dollar General? Heck, I'm publishing one of the best literary magazines in the Dakota Territories — and I can't do that for free. I know. I know. It took us — me — and my tatted biker BF, like — what? A year to get back to you regarding those delightfully mediocre poems you sent us? Yes — but we — I mean, I promise not to take so long to reject your work. I may even have the time to offer a line of criticism, for you to consider. And when I do publish you in The Prairie Dog Digest — circulation 500 and growing— I promise to send you a copy that you can print and give to your boyfriend and mom, depending on where you get the chapbook published. Best, DeAnna deGruntë Editor PS: You haven't been writing for Medium, have you? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/walter-t-bowne/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/walter-t-bowne/support

On this episode of Build Better Brands, Danielle Clarke is joined by Paul David Perry and William Gadsby Peet, founders of Literal Humans, who have a focus on creating not just resilient brands but brands that are mission-driven and have real values.KEY TAKEAWAYSWe gambled a little, but were thankfully proven right on, as there probably wasn't a better time to start than in the middle of a pandemic. Obviously the first six months were pretty rough, everyone battened down the hatches and no one had any budget. But then everyone realised that the only way we can make money is online and it was a good time to run a content and digital marketing agency because to sell stuff online you need content and digital marketing, so it proved to be a bit of a lucky/strategic masterstroke.The name gets us a lot of mileage, I think it sticks in people's heads and maybe they laugh about it initially, but they ask about it. To be fair, your first job as a marketer when you're starting an agency is to build something memorable, build a memorable brand for yourself that will be sticky in people's minds and thankfully we've accomplished that, I think.SaaS is Software as a Service – Dropbox is SaaS, technically Netflix is SaaS – it's anything you pay a recurring retainer for and in return you get software as a tool, like Adobe, Figma or Canva. With the world we live in today those are the ones that tend to be unicorns. The reason we focus on startups in the SaaS space is they tend to grow very quickly and very interestingly. With regards to mission-driven, we work with people we think are making the world a better place in some regards. We don't work with anyone we think is doing something actively bad and we don't work with anyone we think is not going to be into our style and our marketing, anyone who's going to be too by the numbers, boring, uninterested in what we do. One of the most common things that annoy us about brands is 1) that they've drunk their own Kool-Aid and they think that they've created a revolutionary product, then you use the product and you're like: “Mate, this is just a rip off of something else with slightly different branding and one USP.” Be eyes wide open about what you're selling. 2) No one has any fucking creativity or interest in being risky any more. In the 90s brands' logos and work marks were made, now every single brand copies Apple's; a straight monochrome word mark because everyone would rather be non-offensive than actually inspiring. One of the things we love about our agency and the people we get to work with is they're up for taking risks. They'd rather delight 70% of their market and piss off 30% of it than be a bowl of oatmeal to all 100%. That's one of the biggest things branding is missing at the moment: Risk takers.BEST MOMENTS‘Most marketing is shit. The reason that it's bad is it just talks at people rather than to them. All the best marketing tells a story, treats people like humans and tells a human narrative.'‘Everything we do is for humans by humans.'‘Bad branding is bad branding, I don't think by doing a bad job you should be crucified online. But, you kinda should do it.'‘A principle we laid down early on, and we've seen the data and we just know intrinsically and morally, frankly, that diverse teams perform better. It's not even just about performance, it's the ethical right thing to do in 2020 in one of the most diverse cities in the world.'ABOUT THE GUESTPrior to launching Literal Humans, Paul David Perry worked as a freelance writer and content strategist for a number of different tech brands, including Contentstack, Submittable, TransferWise, and Toptal. He also helped build a previous agency from $500K ARR to $1.5MM ARR in under two years by providing high-quality content strategy + execution across a range of clients and building internal agency systems. Before his career in content marketing, he worked in education and nonprofit management in the US.William Gadsby Peet is a former journalist turned digital marketer that specialises in content and digital marketing strategy. Before co-founding Literal Humans, he worked as a performance marketing specialist and consultant, generating millions of pounds in profit for a roster of international clients.Website: https://literalhumans.com/Socials: @literalhumansABOUT THE HOSTDanielle Clarke is a Brand and Marketing Consultant, University Lecturer and Business Owner.Since 2006 Danielle has provided brand design and marketing support for clients including Škoda, Gtech, UK Biocentre, UK Mail and GIRLvsCANCER Danielle is committed to helping brands that want to have a positive impact on people's lives. She spends her time consulting and working with business owners to help them attract and retain their best customers.The Build Better Brands Podcast is a labour of love created each fortnight by our small team of committed editors and producers. If you love the show, we hope you'll consider supporting our work – for just the cost of a cup of coffee (or tea): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/danielleclarke Insta - @danielleclarkecreative | [https://www.instagram.com/danielleclarkecreative/]LinkedIn - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-creative/]Twitter - @D4nielleCl4rke |  [https://twitter.com/D4nielleCl4rke]Email - hello@danielleclarkecreative.comWebsite: www.danielleclarkecreative.com This show was brought to you by Progressive Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Smerklo, co-founder and managing director at Next Coast Ventures, shares his journey and lessons learned through his experiences as an entrepreneur and now an investor. Mike gives practical examples of how founders can prudently build a relationship with investors right from the first meeting.In this episode, you'll learn:[7:14] Learning to silence “Mr.Monkey” in order to succeed as an entrepreneur[12:48] Why going after a bad market doesn't work even for great entrepreneurs[18:11] Are you obsessed about your idea but are always ready to take feedback?[20:43] Doing a bit of research on investors before meeting them can help a founder to avoid getting unnecessary no's.The non-profit organization Mike is passionate about: Mr. Monkey and MeAbout Guest SpeakerMike Smerklo is a Co Founder & Managing Director at Next Coast Ventures. Formerly, Mike was CEO of ServiceSource (SREV) and prior to that served as Director of Business Development at Opsware. He's also the author of “Mr. Monkey And Me,” a book which looks into the psychology and mental rigor of starting, growing and operating a successful business. About Next Coast VenturesNext Coast Ventures is an Austin-headquartered venture capital firm. Next Coast's thematic investing approach targets Texas and other emerging technology hubs. As one of the fastest-growing venture capital firms in Texas, the firm has invested in several standout technology companies across the U.S. Next Coast's portfolio companies include Navegate, Everlywell, Bridgespan, Tenfold/Callinize, Submittable, Brain Check, among others. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode. Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Great recourses listed in the episode. Submission Grinder: https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/ Submittable: https://www.submittable.com/ Moksah: https://moksha.io/ Duotrope: https://duotrope.com/duosuma/ Published to Death: https://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/p/calls-for-submissions.html Horror Tree: https://horrortree.com/

In a flip of the script, EFG's Alli Murphy is the guest today instead of the show's host.She was recently hosted on Submittable's Impact Audio podcast to talk about the excellent work and bright ideas transforming CSR for the better.In this episode, Alli and Submittable's Rachel Mindell explore:Why social impact practitioners need community (and how EFG helps)How conversations about social impact are different this yearThe concept of "employees as a cause" and examples of this in actionTrust-based philanthropy and other sector-wide transformations gaining steamWhere our sector is headedLinks & NotesImpact AudioSubmittableSeason 12, Ep3: Bold Conversations And Asking “Why?”Season 11, Ep12: Combatting Burnout In Social Impact With #APaidWeekOffSeason 12, Ep4: Transformative Travel With Away & Global GlimpseSeason 12, Ep1: How To Drive Innovation On Your Team And Foster A Culture Of Psychological SafetySeason 12, Ep8: The 3 Pillars Of Effective Employee Engagement With WWFElevate Your Social ImpactSign up for Engage for Good's newsletterCheck out past podcast episodesAccess free resourcesCheck out our monthly webinarsLet Alli know what you think of the show!

What do emerging leaders in philanthropy need to succeed? And what can current leadership learn from the up-and-coming generation? In this episode of Impact Audio, Storme Gray, Executive Director of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, talks with Submittable about a more equitable vision for the sector—and how to make space for vital change. This episode digs into:• How philanthropic organizations can recruit and retain diverse talent• The value of curiosity, inquiry, and collective care • How global interconnectedness shapes a new ethos for emerging leaders• The power of pausing your inbox • Why everyone is a leader in their own right (and continuously emerging)• Advice for new talent seeking to make a career in philanthropy Thank you for listening. We hope the conversation moves and inspires you.

How can businesses transform their employee volunteering programs from a task-based checklist to an experience that makes a lasting impact? In this episode, Chris Jarvis, Co-founder and CSO of Realized Worth, joins Sam Caplan, VP of Social Impact at Submittable, to discuss the strategies, intention, and brain science that can help CSR meaningfully evolve. Tune in to learn about:• The rapid evolutions of CSR and employee volunteerism• True measures of program engagement• A transformative vs transactional approach• Two simple strategies for making volunteer work meaningful• Neuroscience's relationship to empathy—and how it can impact results• Transformative learning theory and how it can revolutionize CSRWe hope you enjoy the conversation.

When new technology hits the market, the hype can be overwhelming. Think crypto, NFTs, blockchain. Gartner's Hype Curve tracks how enthusiasm around new tech surges and dips over time. What does this curve look like for philanthropy? And what does the future hold for grantmakers looking to leverage tech for maximum social impact? In this episode of Impact Audio, Leon Wilson, Chief of Digital Innovation & Chief Information Officer at the Cleveland Foundation, and Sam Caplan, Submittable's VP of Social Impact address these questions and more.Listen in to learn:• Why philanthropic work spurs entrepreneurial innovation• How funders can diversify tech leadership through recruitment• What Amara's Law can teach us about crypto• How community foundations can compete with DAFs• Why we should also look to small foundations as model changemakersWe hope you enjoy the conversation.

Any conversation about technology should also be a conversation about community. Too often in philanthropy, discussions and decisions related to tech happen in ways that perpetuate inequity and impede social progress. Fortunately, there is a way forward.Amy Sample Ward and Afua Bruce are leading the way. Their new book, The Tech That Comes Next, is focused on how to bring social impact organizations, funders, policy makers, technologists, and communities together through technology to promote lasting change.Listen to this episode to learn:• Why we're all technologists now• How tech builds relationships across the social impact sector • What technology decisions during the pandemic can teach us• How to foster collaboration and break down silos• Why a stroll might be better than a sprintDrawn for a recent Submittable webinar with Amy and Afua, this audio conversation will serve professionals across the social impact sector, from nonprofits to funders, looking to center community in their tech strategy. For additional resources, visit our episode notes: https://www.submittable.com/impact-audio/amy-sample-ward-and-afua-bruce/

Funders of all kinds have been reevaluating their work over the last few years, seeking to improve trust, transparency, and equity while reducing burden for grantseekers. This episode of Impact Audio focuses on what comes next. Submittable's Laura Steele and Rachel Mindell discuss four major trends moving the philanthropic sector forward. Tune in to learn more about:• What philanthropy can do to move forward without forgetting the past• How to expand equity beyond a “checklist”• The importance of listening to community• Why re-centering people is vital• How technology influences philanthropy (and vice versa)We hope you enjoy listening. And be sure to check out the full guide referenced in this episode—Moving Philanthropy Forward in 2022, where Submittable. asked 10 experts for insights and approaches you can put into practice today.For additional resources, visit our episode notes: https://www.submittable.com/impact-audio/trends-shaping-philanthropy-in-2022

From court reporter to novelist | Using real life to write novels

Hope Thompson is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre's Feature Writing Program and UBC's Creative Writing MFA program. She writes for stage, film, and television and her work explores the queer experience through history and genre. She's written on two seasons of CBC's Baroness Von Sketch Show, teaches screenwriting and co-hosts the crime fiction reading series Noir @ The Bar.In this episode of Playwright's Spotlight Hope and I discuss gender roles within genres, finding representation, if acting can help writing, creating conflict, and what's missing in modern theatre.  To watch the video version of this episode, please follow the link below - https://youtu.be/cxckvU7XDFoLinks discussed in this episode - Noir @ The Bar - There is no official website for Noir @ the Bar. Each city has its own site or facebook page. To see if Noir at the Bar occurs in your city give a Google search. Was hoping they were linked together. Submittable.com - The site is a bit confusing and misleading by not seeming to revolve around writers but rather social impact. I found an article that describes more of how it relates to writers HERE.Buddies in Bad Times - https://buddiesinbadtimes.comCanadian Play Outlet -https://www.canadianplayoutlet.comHope Thompson - www.hopethompson.netPunk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlWebsites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's SpotlightJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                  - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods       - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightWriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

To close out the first season of the Viewless Wings Poetry Podcast, host James Morehead reads a prose poem from his upcoming book of memoir poems, which is currently in design. The poem, “Four Summers in Florida (82-83-84-85)", is based on his experiences living alone and working as a computer programmer in Florida for four summers, starting at the age of 15. We encourage you to explore more of our first season, which includes interviews with poet Olivia Gatwood, artist and curiosity communicator Kari Byron, poet-musician Lisa Marie Simmons, director-animator Gaia Alari and many more. We open up the podcast on a monthly basis to poems submitted to Viewless Wings, read by the poets. You can submit your poetry on Submittable. Website: viewlesswings.com Podcast: https://anchor.fm/viewlesswings Twitter: https://twitter.com/dublinranch Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viewlesswings/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/viewlesswings/support

The world of philanthropy is evolving swiftly. Priorities are constantly shifting, processes are being reimagined, and funders are seeking out the best practices to make a meaningful impact. Luckily, Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose puts out an annual report examining the state of corporate giving. This episode of Impact Audio features Submittable's own Sam Caplan, Natalya DeRobertis-Theye, and Laura Steele. They discuss the trends illuminated in this year's Giving in Numbers report and how they'll shape the sector in 2022 and beyond. Listen to learn:• How community investment has grown and evolved• The biggest opportunities in the CSR landscape• What it takes to make real progress around equity • Where measurement fits in We hope you enjoy listening!For additional resources, visit our episode notes: https://www.submittable.com/impact-audio/state-of-corporate-purpose/

In this episode, Why IT Matters is joined by guest Sam Caplan, Vice President of Social Impact at Submittable. So much of nonprofit technology is how we as an industry, philanthropy, and applications respond to it. The past 18 months and global pandemic have called forth the need to unpick power dynamics, privilege, and ownership of destiny for the impact economy. This conversation begins with trust-based philanthropy and continues to take a step back to how we can create better transparency and more robust nonprofit technology infrastructures. The way forward is through philanthropy, better cooperation between technology platforms and applications serving nonprofits, and stronger ties between nonprofits creating a unified voice that makes requests of both philanthropy and technology. Ultimately, we can facilitate community, cooperation, collaboration and center on values rooted in cooperate responsibility that can help break through perceived logjams and territorial actors. Click here to watch this episode!

On the path to healing, can money be medicine? According to Edgar Villanueva, Principal of the Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated Capital, the answer is yes—for those seeking to mend what colonialism and white supremacy have broken (and philanthropy has further compromised).The fifth episode of Impact Audio was recorded during a Submittable book club interview with Edgar, facilitated by Sam Caplan, VP of Social Impact at Submittable. Including questions from Sam and the Submittable team, this conversation highlights major themes from the second edition of Decolonizing Wealth. You'll learn about:• The inspiration behind Edgar's book• Why white supremacy isn't synonymous with white people• Model funders making change• The power of storytelling (and pop culture!)• How technology can help decolonize wealthPlus much more, including topics such as participatory grantmaking, trust-based philanthropy, relationship-building, and Reservation Dogs. We hope you enjoy listening in.For additional resources, visit our episode notes: https://www.submittable.com/impact-audio/edgar-villanueva/

A full show on the subject of literary submission tracking:   Submission Tracking a. do's and don'ts b. free software c. paid software d adapted software e. paper and pencil   Submittable   a. it's purpose b. built in sub tracking c. discover research magazines d. do's and don'ts e. final word  

Kate Cumiskey discovered she was a poet whilst in high school. In fact, it was her high school boyfriend who suggested she start writing things down because she saw the world in such poetical ways.She attended a class by Robert Creeley and that was when her writing life really took off. But it wasn't until about seven years ago she started writing fiction and has just had her first manuscript accepted by finishing line press. "gruelling work"This is how she describes writing poetry for her. The frame of the poem comes to her quickly, but it can take up to seven years to refine the piece.She says she learns about her work from the comments of others, and they have noticed her themes include Florida, the space programme, man's relationship to nature. We talk about why some people are very fearful of poetry and are reluctant to try it. She feels that this is because many think they have to examine and understand poetry, rather than simply experience it. We talk about "found" poems and what a straightforward way they are into writing poetry.A piece of advice she has for new poets is to describe and write about the external, rather than the internal. And she gives a great tip and writing prompt on how to do this.Kate herself doesn't write rhyming poetry in its traditional form, but she has a lot of internal rhyme in her poem. We talk about how she has struggled to know the best way to end a line. To overcome this problem, Kate uses sculpture to navigate the endings.Sculpture enables her to see the poem as a physical object and so seeing its form becomes much easier and she sees where the line ends and the next one begins.Cumiskey has worked with several small presses and she kindly shares her experiences, as well as how to find a small press to work with. She also offers some caution, encouraging you to understand your author rights, that the poems are your intellectual property and to be careful what you sign.Kate recommends Submittable as a wonderful place to find publishers for short stories and poems. She even has a top tip for Submittable which you can find out by listening to the episode! We finish our conversation with Kate sharing what she's writing at the moment and how Natalia Ginzburg's Little Book Of Virtues has inspired her to write a new essay. Connect with Kate:Authors Talk: Kate Cumiskey – s [r] blog (asu.edu)Other LinksSurfing at New Smyrna Beach - https://amzn.to/3pFaOU1The Women Who Gave Up Their Vowels by Kate Cumiskey—Finishing Line PressAllison Joseph - ALLISON JOSEPH, POET - Home (allisonjosephpoetry.com)Poets and writers website - Poets & Writers | Contests, MFA Programs, Agents & Grants for Writers (pw.org)Submittable - The Social Impact Platform | SubmittableNatalia Ginzburg - https://amzn.to/2Tr3xN9Robert Creeley Robert Creeley | Poetry FoundationWilliam Carlos Williams - William Carlos Williams | Poetry FoundationFound poetry - Found poetry - WikipediaSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)

In this episode, we talk about *so many* aspects of the writing life like finding and applying for fellowships, stepping into new projects, and where ideas come from. We also pitch and pick our next book club pick, Infinite Country by Patricia Engel. Grace and Megan have decided to do their own version of NaNoWriMo in May! If you're interested in writing a quick, barebones, 50,000-word draft with us, you can join our Discord channel this month for free: https://discord.gg/YAE7AUz8 Next week's prompt: Sci-fi - cleaning up a mess - elusive Grab a copy of Infinite Country by Patricia Engel here: https://amzn.to/3nsxZl5 Annie flash fiction story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/02/08/finding-annie-in-manhattan-by-megan-walsh/ Poets & Writers: https://www.pw.org/ Submittable: https://www.submittable.com/ Miami Emerging Writers Fellowship: https://www.miamibookfair.com/fellowships/ NYC Midnight: http://www.nycmidnight.com/ Fishtrap Fellowship: https://fishtrap.org/summer-fishtrap/yearlong-workshop/ Sharma Shields: http://www.sharmashields.com/ National Novel Writing Month (NaNo): https://nanowrimo.org/ Discord link for MayNoWriMo: https://discord.gg/YAE7AUz8 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Megan's Short Story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-problem-with-pool-boys-by-megan-walsh/ (https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-problem-with-pool-boys-by-megan-walsh/) Grace's Short Story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-kings-court-by-grace-olscamp/ (https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-kings-court-by-grace-olscamp/)

Episode 7 of the weekly Podcast with Bryan Guido Hassin of Third Derivative and Danny Kennedy of New Energy Nexus. They discuss the journey these two companies have chosen to take, to boldly go where no climatetech accelerator has gone before. This week's Topics: 1. Gsuite vs Teams (better UX) - but China - MSFT office sometimes 2. Slack - internal, program, NEN (plus plugins) 3. Calendly - individual scheduling, unsolved group 4. Submittable 5. Airtable 6. Hubspot 7. Qualtrics Featured Company of the week: Reeddi Inc. Links: Third Derivative Portfolio New Energy Nexus Network Slack Community Reeddi Inc Reeddi Video You can also watch the D3 Mission Log on the D3 YouTube video channel. -

*BONUS CONTENT!* In this extra-special episode, *Rea* and *Joe* present and outline their all-new, one-of-a-kind, never-before-seen writing and editing service at Writeway: A SUBMITTABLE NOVEL IN SIX WEEKS! Tune in and listen up for all the info, then visit www.writewayco.com for more details on how to secure your spot! See acast.com/privacy ( https://acast.com/privacy ) for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, tanner (https://www.instagram.com/invoidnoyou/) and I (https://twitter.com/imogenarate) discuss our respective poems, "the sunrise of jaqueline" and "Afraid," and the fear of rejection. You can also follow tanner at: https://twitter.com/tanner_menard https://www.facebook.com/tannermenardla and find tanner’s album: wanna live in the world w/a whole face at http://fullspectrumrecords.com/catalog/wanna-live-in-the-world-w-a-whole-face As to the inspiration for their poem, "the sunrise of jaqueline," tanner wrote: "I work from the extreme present & utilize a variety of techniques for taking myself into the moment. In that way my poems are spontaneous eruptions. Whereas they may gravitate around certain thematic masses my poems erupt in the moment. My poetic process is becoming a volcano." Here are some of tanner's favorite poets: #ChingInChin #AliceNotley #TommyPico #JulianTalamantezBrolaski #ArianaReines #JackSpicer #CAConrad #ClaudiaRankine #RaquelSalasRivera Take a listen to also find out about #poetryevents taking place in the valley during the week of #November18th. Photo of tanner menard provided by tanner menard Additional links on topics discussed in this episode: 1. Information about the Atakapa-Ishak Nation http://www.atakapa-ishak.org 2. Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE_ccFHjL_w 3. Pacific Northwest Chinook Salmon shortage: https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2019/10/22/lead-bill-weir-dnt-4p-live-jake-tapper.cnn #Poetrypodcasts #PoetsandMuses #ImogenArate #tannermenard #thesunriseofjaqueline #Afraid #nonbinary #twospirited #LouisianaCreole #AtakapaIshakNation #experimentalmusiccomposer #visitingartistASU #DeepestIndigo #fullspectrumrecords #aleatoricpoem #Cloudthroat #PushcartPrize #MockHeartReview #uapoetrycenter #SquawkBack #RedInkMagazine #Poemophony #contrapuntalpoetry #tarot #Dadaism #Surrealists #antifascist #visualpoem #HungerMountain #walkingmushroom #SuperMarioBrothers #EqualityArizona #intersectional #antiracist #QueerPoetrySalon #ElliotWinter #acrossracialandeconomicdisparaties #SupremeCourt #SCOTUS #cisgender #overpopulation #sustainability #JohnOliver #LastWeekTonight #JakeTapper #TheLead #EarthMatters #BillWeir #ChinookSalmonshortage #AmberMcCrary #TCTolbert #TucsonPoetLaureate #AcademyofAmericanPoetsFellow #WriterinResidenceatPrattInstitute #ItsJack #WillandGrace #dismantelthepatriarchy #societalrestrictions #JackSpicerpoet #poetrysubmissions #Submittable #wannaliveintheworldwawholeface

Hi everyone, and thank you for tuning in to another episode of the We Make Books Podcast - A podcast about writing, publishing, and everything in between! November is (somehow) just around the corner and for a lot of people in the writing community it’s that magical time of year: NaNoWriMo!  In this episode, we talk about all aspects of this highly anticipated month.  What is NaNoWriMo?  How and when did it start?  What do you have to do to participate and what should you have when you are finished?  Rekka and Kaelyn take a deep dive into what to expect during NaNoWriMo, plus offer some important Thanksgiving-while-writing tips. We Make Books is hosted by Rekka Jay and Kaelyn Considine; Rekka is a published author and Kaelyn is an editor and together they are going to take you through what goes into getting a book out of your head, on to paper, in to the hands of a publisher, and finally on to book store shelves. We Make Books is a podcast for writer and publishers, by writers and publishers and we want to hear from our listeners! Hit us up on our social media, linked below, and send us your questions, comments, concerns, and tell us if you are planning to participate in NaNoWriMo so we can cheer you on! We hope you enjoy We Make Books! Twitter: @WMBCast  |  @KindofKaelyn  |  @BittyBittyZap Instagram: @WMBCast  Patreon.com/WMBCast       Kaelyn: 00:03   Hey everyone, welcome back. Another episode of the, we make books podcast to show about writing, publishing and everything in between. I'm Kaelyn Considine and I am the Acquisitions Editor for Parvus Press. Rekka: 00:12   And I'm Rekka. I write science fiction and fantasy as RJ Theodore. Kaelyn: 00:21   And today is a learning episode for me. We're talking about NaNoWriMo today or national novel writing month. And this is a little embarrassing for me to admit, but I did not actually know a whole lot about this. I knew it was a thing that happened. I knew it was a massive community event. There's, you know, November my Twitter feed is just covered in hashtag NaNoWriMo and I knew what the, the goal was. I know what was kind of going on here, but outside of that, I really did not know too much about the ins and outs. So, um, Rekka has some expertise in this - Rekka: 00:51   I am a municipal liaison for my NaNoWriMo region, um, which if you don't even know what that means, we'll go into a little bit in episode. And, uh, so yeah, I, I, you know, I pitched to Kaelyn like, Hey, last episode of October, people are going to be looking forward to NaNoWriMo, but there are also people who have no idea what it is and they're seeing everyone in a flurry talking about it right now. Kaelyn: 01:17   And then I raised my hand and said, yes, I'm one of those people. Rekka: 01:19   Yes, exactly. So yeah, we, um, we decided, we covered this, uh, this will be like an evergreen episode unless something major changes with the NaNoWriMo program. But, um, yeah, it happened. Kaelyn: 01:31   You never know. Rekka: 01:31   It could happen. So this will probably be our one NaNoWriMo episode, um, unless we decide to come back in maybe in, uh, December of another year and saying, okay, now what do you do with your NaNoWriMo project? We'll talk about that more in this episode, but yeah, this is a definition, uh, pros and cons. Uh, then what do you do kind of conversation. And, um, hopefully if you are excited about NaNoWriMo, you will just enjoy hearing somebody else talking about it. And if you don't even know what NaNoWriMo is, then I'm, hopefully you'll learn. And maybe, you know, by planning your own project. Kaelyn: 02:06   So by the end of the episode, you'll know, so, um, everyone take a listen, uh, hope you as always, hopefully educational and informative. Rekka: 02:12   Don't tell them it's educational, thy'll stop listening. Kaelyn: 02:17   That's a good point. Yeah. No, no, nothing, nothing of value in terms of - Rekka: 02:21   Fun and games, frivolity and skullduggery throughout the entire episode. Kaelyn: 02:26   Exactly. So I'm take a listen. We, uh, hope you enjoy Speaker 3:       02:39   [inaudible] Kaelyn: 02:50   NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo. [inaudible] so we're talking about, yeah. Rekka: 02:55   Do you want to start? Yeah, give us the whole background. Kaelyn: 03:00   Oh, I no, because I'm, I, uh, don't know too much about this. I know kind of the, the basics of it. I know what the goal is. I know, you know, it's a big sort of writing community event. Um, but even just from some of the things you've been telling me now, I had no idea it was so extensively organized. Rekka: 03:19   It's a whole thing. Kaelyn: 03:19   Um, there's this whole underground going on and - Rekka: 03:23   It's not that underground. Kaelyn: 03:24   No, it's not. It's not. And it's funny because you know, obviously like this time of year, Twitter blows up with all of this stuff and like I, you know, very aware that it's happening. I've just never really looked into it that much. I just know that I get the product of it typically. Rekka: 03:42   Okay, well we'll get to that. So NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month and unlike national talk like a pirate day, this is not just like, Oh ha ha how cute for a lot of people this is like their big holiday season. Kaelyn: 03:57   Yeah. This is, I didn't like, again, I knew this was a very serious thing that people took very seriously. I did not realize the organization and planning that goes into this. Rekka: 04:08   Right. So to give it a little bit of background, it was begun by a few friends who lived in California and they decided that they would, um, just try writing a novel in a month. That was kind of the, the concept that kicked it all off. And so it started with 21 people in San Francisco Bay area in 1999. And then, um, Kaelyn: 04:37   Oh, so this is the 20th anniversary of this. Rekka: 04:40   Oh yeah, it is, isn't it? Kaelyn: 04:41   How appropriate that this is Episode 20. Rekka: 04:44   Oh. Kaelyn: 04:44   We did that on purpose. Absolutely. Rekka: 04:46   Okay. Did you feel that? I think I just felt like the universe tear a little. Um, so yeah. Yeah, I guess it's, it's the 20th anniversary of the very start of it. Um, it didn't go national until the following year when they put up a website for it. So in 2000 they um, they not only put up a website, but they moved it to November. So the first year was a July. Kaelyn: 05:12   Okay. Rekka: 05:13   So, um, they were in California. They don't even notice the difference between July and November. Kaelyn: 05:17   Well, certainly not in, in San Francisco. Rekka: 05:19   San Francisco. Yeah. So I'm a nice balmy, probably 72 degrees throughout the year and um, they didn't even notice, but they moved it to November because they figured for most people who are, at least in the Northern hemisphere, they will be looking for a way to avoid like gloomy, rainy, shorter days and stuff like that. Kaelyn: 05:41   November's a brutal month, November and February. Rekka: 05:42   The funny thing is they, they chose it on a month where typically people have at least a week of travel or holiday planning to deal with. Kaelyn: 05:54   Yeah, I was wondering about that actually. Rekka: 05:58   So I find that, well, one my family doesn't travel for Thanksgiving. Um, so I find that it's not really an interruption for me. If anything, there's usually a couple extra days off work during that week. And so I can take advantage of that. Um, people who have family come into town probably have a harder time of it because their life is disrupted, but for whatever reason, they felt that November the month of gloom amd Turkey would be Turkey for those of us who celebrate Thanksgiving in the U S they've felt it would be the, uh, the proper month to choose. So the second year they had 140 participants. Kaelyn: 06:41   Okay. Rekka: 06:42   So not bad growth from 21. Kaelyn: 06:44   No it's pretty good. Rekka: 06:45   But, um, yeah, by a few years ago they had about half a million people. So it's been growing. And then of course by word of mouth, as everyone gets excited and talks about it, they um, they draw more people in. I think it's probably the best organic marketing campaign that anyone could have. Um, ironically it's a 5013- C nonprofit organization, but they do help, um, kids in schools get interested in writing through their young writers program. Kaelyn: 07:18   Yeah. Rekka: 07:18   The NaNoWriMo itself is free to participate in, they collect donations, so if you donate to them through their website, your avatar on that site has a halo slung over one corner. So in theory, anyone with internet access can participate in the community. I've heard of plenty of people who do NaNoWriMo without ever logging onto the website as well. Kaelyn: 07:41   Yeah. Because it's not, well, and we'll get into this a little bit, but it's something that can just be done entirely independently. You just declare, I am doing NaNoWriMo and then you do NaNoWriMo. Rekka: 07:53   And then you sit down and you figure out how you're going to do it. You figure out how you're going to do your word count. I mean, I know people who handwrite in a notebook, their 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo, which makes my wrist scream in agony at the thought. But for some people still have limber carpal tunnel ligaments then. Kaelyn: 08:09   Well, yeah, because they're writing everything. They're not typing. Yeah. We haven't destroyed all of their - Rekka: 08:16   Well, yeah. And mousing. You can participate through the website, you can choose not to. Um, but one of the advantages that I love about NaNoWriMo and why I think it's so successful is that, you know, so many people online who are participating. So people who are good friends of yours in person may show up and write with you in person at write-ins, uh, at libraries, cafes, you know, wherever people take over to sit and write for a while. And then, um, you know, you might have friends that you've never met but are also participating in NaNoWriMo online that you can, uh, do community challenges through the NaNoWriMo or through Twitter or Facebook, Slack groups, discord, you know, whatever. And then, um, you have people that you meet by doing NaNoWriMo. So it's community reinforcing, but also community building. And I think that's the power of NaNoWriMo is one, just the general excitement that you are not alone in attempting this feat. Rekka: 09:20   And the support I think is probably incredibly important. The other half is that it's community building as well. So you meet people who have similar passions to you. You know, writing, you meet other people who write in your genre. You might even meet people who beta read your novel for you when, when your draft is done and help you refine it and move it toward completion. So it's a great resource to motivate yourself, but it also can be a great resource for finishing your manuscript once your draft is done. So NaNoWriMo started, as I said, with one month that moved to November. And then what about the rest of the year? Or for people in other hemispheres who, um, you know, their dreary month is, you know, July or April, you know, so there is also camp NaNoWriMo, which of course belies the fact that it's four people in another year by making it sound like a summer event. Rekka: 10:18   But, um, essentially, you know, this is a very, um, Northern hemisphere Western hemisphere centric event and it probably always will be. Um, it's been better about recognizing that people are all over the world. They've got regions all over the world, but it's, it's definitely still got a us centric mindset. And um, so in April when you used to have script frenzy, you know, have the first Camp NaNoWriMo, so this is 30 days, um, in which you set your own goal. It's, it's a much more casual NaNoWriMo project. In theory, in November you were writing at least 50,000 words, but for camp NaNoWriMo, you can go as low as 10,000. Kaelyn: 11:00   Okay. Rekka: 11:00   So if you just wanted to write some poetry or short stories and you wanted to do it at a slower pace, you could say, I'm going to write a, you know, a 3,500 word short story every week for April. Kaelyn: 11:15   That's still a pretty steep undertaking. Rekka: 11:16   That's still a pretty decent undertaking, um, and that would land you with something. I'm doing the math in my head poorly, like 17,000 words or something like that. At the end of the month. Kaelyn: 11:26   14. Rekka: 11:26   Yeah. See I told you before that I went to art school and I'm a writer so that I can avoid these number things. Kaelyn: 11:32   Yeah. Yeah. Rekka: 11:33   Um, so you a can set your own goal. You go to the website, it's definitely not as active, like there's little cute stuff on the website throughout the month, but it's, the community is a lot quieter on social media where you might have experienced tons of sprints on Twitter and a word Wars, whatever you'd like to call them. Um, and then you know, your friends on Facebook are talking about how they're doing their, um, talking in your discord, chat room server, whatever the term is about the progress they're doing and you're all rooting for each other. Rekka: 12:12   Camp NaNoWriMo in April for 30 days and in July for 31 days is a lot more low key. So you pretty much on your own, I've found you might have a friend or two that are doing it. And I've seen a lot of people release themselves from the deadline pretty early in the month. Kaelyn: 12:30   It's not as organized and community driven from what I've seen as NaNoWriMo. Rekka: 12:37   Yeah. I mean all the functions are there on the website so that you can track it. But, um, I'm very curious to see how this goes because their new website that they just rolled out allows you to track projects throughout the year so you can go in and set a goal. And they started to do this on the last version after, I think last year. But you can start tracking goals throughout the year and you can set them, you can add your word counts to them, you can set deadlines and it will show you, you know, how you're progressing towards your deadline throughout the calendar year. Rekka: 13:09   So I wonder if camp NaNoWriMo is actually going to fade as a result of that or maybe be combined into one other, I mean, this is me just speculating. Kaelyn: 13:17   Yeah. Rekka: 13:18   I mean by keeping, you know, keep your eyes peeled because I think there will probably be some changes to the, the events throughout the year. But as of this moment, you have three NaNoWriMo events, two camps and one big national. You know, um, everyone has a project that they've been keeping in their back pocket for this. Some people start to plan and outline ahead of it so that they're ready to go. People are telling their friends and family, they do not exist in November, um, that they will, uh, you know, come downstairs for the Turkey dinner at 2:00 PM on, on Thanksgiving day and then they will go back to upstairs to the room. Kaelyn: 13:55   I retreat to my cave or my attic. Rekka: 13:57   And so, um, so yeah, so November really if you want to participate and feel the full blast of the furnace, that is the NaNoWriMo experience. Um, I definitely recommend participating in November and find a local writing group because, uh, showing up in person really does make a difference for your productivity. I used to not go to the events because like I said, I'd have to drive an hour or more to get to the event. The event was two or three hours, I think it was two. And then, um, I would drive an hour or more to get home and I was like, well, in those six hours I could be writing more words, except I wouldn't because life would get in the way. So, um, so it really does help to just go and it's also, there is nothing that compares with the feeling of writing in a room where everyone is writing and, um, there's just like this buzz of everybody focused on the same task, that really is incredible. Rekka: 14:47   Um, I'm sure it's the, the theory behind the open working space, a bullpen environment. Kaelyn: 14:55   Oh not that. Rekka: 14:55   But let's, let's not, don't get me wrong, I'm not encouraging that. But um, if everyone is silently writing, then yes, maybe that works. Um, one thing I will mention is that for people who have to write in nontraditional ways for health reasons or, or other productivity reasons, um, it's not going to be a friendly environment. If you are a dictation writer, you know, and it's not going to be a friendly environment. Um, if you need, you know, audio output from your computer as you work, um, or you know, that sort of thing. Um, hopefully all your writings, I know I always try to make them as accessible as possible. Um, I've stopped going to cafes where you had to go up a little staircase to a really cute little loft because it means that people who have, you know, um, crutches or wheelchairs can't attend and stuff. So, um, hopefully all the municipal liaisons around your area take the same efforts to make sure that everyone can come. Kaelyn: 15:51   What typically is the goal at the end of NaNoWriMo when you have done all of this, what quote unquote should you walk away with? Rekka: 16:00   Uh, so the thought is that you can write a book in a month. I mean, a novel in a month. That's national novel writing, not national, write a bunch month. It's national novel writing month. So the goal is to complete a novel in a month, start to finish. In theory, you would not have a draft that you've already begun. Um, and in theory you would write the end on November 30th. Kaelyn: 16:27   Okay. Rekka: 16:28   The metric they use is word count. So the goal of the month to quote unquote, when NaNoWriMo, um, you would have 50,000 words at the end of the month, the goal of 50,000 words is attainable, if you write 1,667 words per day. Kaelyn: 16:50   Okay. Rekka: 16:50   So that will get you to 50,000 in 30 days. So there is a pace that's set by that and there are bar charts and um, estimators that will tell you like at this pace you'll finish on kind of thing. Kaelyn: 17:08   Yeah. Rekka: 17:09   You can sort of see how you're doing, see if you're falling behind, all that kind of stuff. And the number that they came up with is based on literary, uh, great American literary novels, Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men, so on and so forth. Um, so if you've ever been handed one of those books in a classroom or picked it up in the library and read it for summer reading, because that's typically where all these novels exist in your life, is in some sort of educational format. Um, you know that these are not the same size as the trade paperbacks you pick up at the store. Kaelyn: 17:44   Yes. Rekka: 17:45   And I think that's an important thing to note is that if you follow the letter of the, you know, goal for NaNoWriMo, you are probably not going to end up with what most people would consider a full size book. Kaelyn: 17:59   You are going to end up 10,000 words short of what my publishing company accepts for novels. Rekka: 18:06   For genre fiction. Kaelyn: 18:08   Yes. So yeah, so 50,000 words is 10,000 words shy of the 60,000 minimum. That a lot, not just Parvus of us but a lot of publishing - Rekka: 18:16   That's pretty standard. Rekka: 18:17   Um, yeah, it's about 200 pages provided that the story is done. When you have your 50,000 words, you are going to have to trunk it or expand it if you want to submit it. Kaelyn: 18:31   With something like NaNoWriMo, um, one of the things I would imagine can be very stressful for people participating in it is, is a lot of pressure and it's, some people don't write well under a deadline, right? Rekka: 18:47   Some people Excel at it. And I think those are the people who tend to love NaNoWriMo and love what it can do for their productivity. Kaelyn: 18:54   Some people, I would imagine this would be an incredibly stressful. Rekka: 18:58   Oh yeah. Kaelyn: 18:58   Thing for them that is not necessarily going to produce the best possible version of what they want to write. Rekka: 19:05   1,667 words a day takes discipline, but it also takes rearranging your schedule. Kaelyn: 19:12   Yes. Rekka: 19:12   For some people, um, it's not just, Oh, I will sit down and write those words with this copious amount of free time I have. Kaelyn: 19:19   There's unseen hours that go into this, of thinking about what you're going to write. A lot of people don't just sit down and magically have these words pour out of them. Rekka: 19:28   So if you don't have the time in your life to think about what you're going to write in your next writing session, chances are part of your writing session is going to be given over to switching from your, like Bruce Wayne mode into your Batman mode. Kaelyn: 19:40   Mmmhmm. Rekka: 19:41   And so that's not necessarily going to be something that you can maintain after November. So that's another criticism I've heard is like, people wear themselves out to get these 50,000 words and then that's it. And they write once a year for 30 days in extreme dash and then they don't write for the rest of the year, which is not a fantastic way to strengthen your skills as a writer. Like writing every day is not something that everyone can do 100%. It's exhausting and just like working out the rest of the process. Kaelyn: 20:21   Your time, your schedule. Rekka: 20:21   You need to take a break so you can come back fresh and um, and write, well if you write every day, every day, every day, and that's all your spare time, then you become a husk of human being in a way. And you know, you're writing probably suffers because you don't have any inspiration in your life. You just have output and you need time for input as well. Kaelyn: 20:41   Right. Rekka: 20:43   So writing under extreme deadline means that you don't have time to take that rest between, um, you know, writing sessions if you need to. Uh, it does mean that you have an expectation of finishing something and maybe that kind of drains the joy out of just being present in the moment of the words you're writing. Now, if you are focused on your word count and say you start off great, like day one, day two, maybe you hit your quotas, no problem. Maybe you're ahead of them. And then day three, you know, you have dinner with family so you're not even home when you would normally be writing. And then day four you're like, okay, well I've just got to make up double quota and I, it wasn't so bad this first two days, so I'll just make up. Rekka: 21:28   And then day four, something else happens. And then day five, maybe it's a Monday and you're back at work and you were hoping that you might, might be able to hit your regular quota only now you've got like a couple of days on top of that so you can start to really pile up and add to the anxiety of things. Honestly, the best time I ever had writing for NaNoWriMo was, um, when I was 100% ahead of my quota every day. And it's just not a situation that happens for 100% of the people and there's no way to control it, really. The reason that I was ahead, that particular NaNoWriMo was because I was the, became that year the municipal liaison for my NaNoWriMo region because now that it's so big, they break it up into regions and then they have local people who lead in person write-ins wrangle the people in that area, encourage them, send out messages to them to, you know, inspire them, remind them of events and all this. Rekka: 22:27   So when I was municipal liaison for the first year, it was also the first year that I attended every single writing and I was encouraging people online and I really thought that your was going to actually make it harder for me to hit my goals because I thought that I'm writing the newsletters to the people and I'm driving to the write ins was going to take away from the time I would otherwise be writing. But instead what it did was like, give me a motivated, like, like super powered focus. And so when I got there, I was leading writing sprints, which are timed sessions, kind of like Pomodoro method except you know, it can be a little bit of friendly competition. You just write, you know, fingers ablaze or whatever keyboard, whatever your method of writing is. Um, you just do that for whatever the time are set for you. Rekka: 23:24   Usually 20 to 30 minutes seems to be pretty comfortable for people. And then like, you know, when you get to the end of your right and sometimes you have like spare change minutes, so you'd do like five minutes or 15 minutes or whatever you can fit in. And then at the end everybody calls out, you know, how many words they wrote. And um, you know, that Pomodoro technique for some people works really, really well. And then you also get built in breaks to like stretch your fingers, get up as opposed to staring at the keyboard and saying, I'm writing for three hours, which is a lot. Kaelyn: 23:55   It is, well doing anything for three hours, is uh. Rekka: 23:58   Yeah, it's tough. I mean there's a reason that, you know, school classes in high school were like, what, 40 minutes for a class because that was about all you, the teacher was going to get out of you before you needed to get up and walk around to your next class, go to lockers. Kaelyn: 24:11   Actually in high school we had block scheduling. So our classes were an hour and 40 minutes each and it was brutal. So yeah, I mean even doing something for like two hours nonstop without a break that can, that's very mentally fatiguing. Rekka: 24:27   Yes, yes. So that's the, the idea is that the um, you know, the write-ins give you not just the community but also like some structure and it really worked for me and I live in a very strange, narrow is North, South, you know, column of a region where it's, you can't just drive directly across one corner to the other because of Connecticut roads. You know, you have to take a highway in the wrong direction for a while and, and make the next one and, and, and make a 90 degree turn. And I really thought that all this commuting was going to cut into my writing time. But what I found was that having set scheduled writing time was really, really helpful and kept me motivated. And then when I did have 10 or 20 minutes throughout the rest of the day, even if I wasn't at a write in, I was already in the mode of writing for this because I was thinking about it daily as opposed to just on the weekends. Rekka: 25:20   So that's another warning is don't save all your quota and just do it on the weekends because that's a lot of words to make up for. That's a lot of pressure and it's a lot of pressure. And then if your weekend goes a little bit awry, like mine always do, you know- Kaelyn: 25:31   The candle thing goes wonky, that'll do ya. Rekka: 25:33   You end up out running errands for three hours in the middle of the day when you were supposed to be writing. So, um, that's tough. But for some people it's um, also tough to just get that time away from their family. Kaelyn: 25:47   How polished is what you're writing during this going to be, because my, I'm kind of looking at this thinking like, alright, you've written 50,000 words. These are probably not the best 50,000 words you're ever going to write. They're going to probably need some revisions, some work, some addition. Rekka: 26:05   That's kind of where I think a lot of folks split on their opinion of NaNoWriMo. Some folks love NaNoWriMo because it helps them get the words on the page. Some folks hate, loath, detestsNaNoWriMo because of the words that end up on the page and the quality thereof. Kaelyn: 26:30   Well, yeah, and that probably has a lot to do with just how you work. Is it a matter of, it doesn't have to be pretty, I just need to get it done Rekka: 26:38   Right. Kaelyn: 26:38   Because this is how I'm going to make myself get it done. New Speaker:  26:41   Yes. So when NaNoWriMo on the word count, because the idea is to prove to you that you can write that many words if you sit down everyday and do it, um, or if you budget out how you're going to do it through the month. Um, if you hit 1,667 words per day and you get to the 50,000, at the end of the month, the quality is entirely dependent on you. It's probably safe to say that the average NaNoWriMo 50,000 word draft is uh, one probably not done. You know, that person probably didn't get to the end of the story. Um, some of this is pacing yourself in terms of like how much to write proceed and how much to write per chapter. A lot of people do a discovery writing, so they just kind of sit down and they might have a character in mind or general plot arc, but they don't have a, a, an outline or a writing plan. Kaelyn: 27:42   So in this case then what their goal is is I have a character, I have an idea of a story. Let me see where this goes. I'm going to sit down and write about 1700 words a day and see how this. Rekka: 27:56   See how this ends up, right. Maybe freewriting is a, is a good term. I mean, most creative drafting is probably free writing once you get into it. It's just a matter of like, do you have a goal in mind to like, am I writing a scene where the character has to get to the bus stop? Because if they don't make this bus, they're not going to see their mother before she passes. Sorry everyone, that was pretty downer, but you know those kinds of tense moments or is this like my character works at a coffee shop and so I'm going to describe her day and you know, and all of those things are valid for your first draft. I suspect that the reason that those people who do not care for NaNoWriMo, I don't even know what to suspect. I can confirm that the reason that people don't like NaNoWriMo when they feel that way and when they feel strongly about it is because in December there are half a million people who have some form of a first draft of something that they now want to share. Kaelyn: 29:02   Yep. Rekka: 29:03   Some of these people choose to go ahead and self publish it right there. Okay, I do not recommend this. Kaelyn: 29:09   No. I would say go back and listen to all of our submissions, September episodes where we talk about is this ready to show to other people? Rekka: 29:18   Not only do people sometimes self-publish these books Kaelyn: 29:22   So wait, real quick, people actually sit down, write the 50,000 words through this, then take that in its exact form. Rekka: 29:31   Yup. Kaelyn: 29:32   And self-publish it. Rekka: 29:35   Yup. I think people are starting to get a little bit better about that now. Um, but it was definitely, and a NaNoWriMo has some sponsors and some of them are the companies through which you can self publish. I think create space before Amazon eight create space. Um, used to have a link on the winner's page, like com upload your draft, which is fine if you want to see it and hold it and read it and go over it again. But please don't list it for sale at this point. Kaelyn: 30:03   Well, who, um who is participating in NaNoWriMo? Because I kind of always understood it to be people very active in writing communities and um, I would think people who are very active in writing communities would know that this first thing that you've done is not ready to be seen by anyone. Rekka: 30:26   Right. So that is part of it. Um, yeah, we have, we have writers who are writers the rest of the year who participate in NaNoWriMo just because they know all their friends are working on it and you hear a lot, even through the rest of the year, like, Oh, I'm saving that for November, you know, like that's a, that's a novel I want to start in November, so I want to finish this other stuff first. Kaelyn: 30:49   Yeah. Rekka: 30:50   So that definitely is true. There are definitely people who are professionally or amateur and I don't mean amateur in the sense of not very good, but I mean amateur in the sense of does it for the love of it. Kaelyn: 31:01   Yeah. The actual literal definition of amateur. Rekka: 31:05   There are people who know what it is to write a book and they know what a book looks like when it's ready to be seen by other people. And they know about the process of editing and revising. There are also people who hear about NaNoWriMo on Facebook or whatever and they think, Oh, that's cute. I've always wanted to write a book. And it's, I think, and I do not mean to disparage any group of people, Kaelyn: 31:28   No, of course not. Rekka: 31:28   But I think it's that group of the, I've always wanted to write a book, people, um - Kaelyn: 31:34   Who are kind of coming into this without exposure to, well, pretty much anything that this podcast is about. The writing and publishing. Yeah. Rekka: 31:42   Right. So they may be enthusiastic readers, um, of any genre. Um, people participate in NaNoWriMo for any genre as well. Um, some people write poetry, some people write blog posts for their website and just use the word count, you know, to measure how they're doing. Um, if you wanna call that a work of, you know, collected articles, you can, you know, NaNoWriMo has gotten a little bit fuzzy. And I don't mean this in a negative way, but they have, they really started originally where you're writing a novel and it's fiction and it may or may not have, You know, speculative elements or fantasy, but generally it is a plot that you come up with, with characters that you come up with. Now there are people who write biographies and, and whatever. And the, the genres that you could choose from the dropdown menu on their website when you're setting up your project to track, um, has gotten a lot longer than it needs to be. Rekka: 32:47   It used to be like five or six things. Um, now, you know, screenplay is one of them where, you know, that's a very different kind of writing experience from writing a novel. And also it used to be separated out into its own event called script frenzy, which they no longer have. They've just absorbed scripts and other comic books and, and that sort of thing into their main events. Um, and they hold three a year. Kaelyn: 33:12   Okay. Rekka: 33:13   Um, so not only are there people who are self publishing these books, um, just releasing them into the wild and sticking - Kaelyn: 33:21   Go books! Be free! Rekka: 33:23   But no, not free. People are charging for their NaNoWriMo draft one. So I think that contributes to the very negative opinions some people have of the um, the community event because they see a plethora of unedited, unrevised unproofed un-beta, you know, Kaelyn: 33:46   Checked, anything. Rekka: 33:46   Um, just, it doesn't necessarily even have a illustration on the cover. It might just have the title, the title. Um, if you've ever seen like the, um, covers where there's like a couple of blocks of, of colors and then the, uh, um, the, the title across it in times new Roman or whatever. Um, so there are, there are usually a flood of those and people who work very hard to try and lift the, the, uh, reputation of self-publishing by putting in the effort are often very frustrated by this wave public - Kaelyn: 34:26   Well that's understandable, you know you never want to see, you know especially something that's a community that's trying to establish and build its reputation more. And then you get this, a flurry of people coming in and going, See I did the same thing you did and you're going, no, you didn't. Rekka: 34:39   Yeah. And I think maybe that's one of the criticisms or the lead, the root of the criticism is somebody who participates in NaNoWriMo throws mud against a wall in terms of the words that they put on the page. They hit the quota and then they say, I've written a book too. Kaelyn: 34:57   Yeah. Rekka: 34:57   When you know that's the tip of the iceberg. That's the, that's the outside impression of what it takes to write a book. It's the revisions and the editing and you know, going through the process of producing the book that is the unseen 90% of the iceberg. And you know - Kaelyn: 35:18   You know, because it's, you know, and as you said, not to disparage anyone in what they're doing, but someone who does NaNoWriMo writes the 50,000 words and says, okay, I'm done, is not doing the same thing as someone who says, okay, I've done NaNoWriMo. I've written a 50,000 words. I'm just getting started. Rekka: 35:34   Yeah. And so check that off. That's step one. Kaelyn: 35:38   Yeah. Rekka: 35:39   I've got almost a full manuscript that I will then reread on my own, try to improve as best I can, involve some beta readers at the very least a really clean it up and maybe query to an agent, start the, the entire process that is years in the making, not 30 days. So, um, you know, to that point, I think NaNoWriMo caught on a national novel writing month. The organization caught on that this was a negative aspect in a lot of people's minds about the event. So almost immediately after you finished NaNoWriMo, you are invited to participate in what they call the Now What Months. Kaelyn: 36:24   Great. Rekka: 36:24   And no, but it's a good thing. Kaelyn: 36:26   It's a very good thing. Rekka: 36:27   And there are plenty of editors and writers out there who have courses and guides for editing what you've written in your NaNoWriMo month and they're out there. They're free on people's blogs. Some people have, um, paid content and webinars and all this kind of stuff. Like people realize that there's a need for, for guidance of a new writer and what to do with these words that they've written. How to know if they're good, how to know if they can be salvaged or if they need to be tossed and just, you know, considered acute experiment or something like that. Um, so the now what months are they begin advertising them in December, but they don't really kick off until the new year, which is a good thing because it gives people to take the space to rest from the, um, madcap dash that they just participated in. Kaelyn: 37:20   Well and also, December in a chaotic month for a lot of people, for a lot of reasons. Rekka: 37:24   And your family is already mad at you for skipping out on Thanksgiving. Kaelyn: 37:26   You already went and sat and wrote in the middle of Thanksgiving. Rekka: 37:29   So, or you know, ignored your, your aunt and uncle who you only see this time of year to write this thing. So December, December is your month off, which is a good thing, I think in the process of writing a book. It's good to step away from it after you've finished the draft so you can come back to it with fresh eyes and then begin the process of editing and revising it. But that's not NaNoWriMo itself. It's just what you should do with your book when you're done with NaNoWriMo, whether you realize it or not. So if you create this drivel of a draft and it's 50,000 words that you should probably set on fire, why, why do people do NaNoWriMo is the question that usually comes up next like, okay, so you don't want to publish what you did. Why do it? Kaelyn: 38:15   Well, I mean I would just, you know, from my having never participated in this side of things, think of that it is getting you to sit down and just do the thing. Rekka: 38:28   And I think that's the intent is just to prove to people that you can write a thing. Kaelyn: 38:32   It's to prove to yourself even. Rekka: 38:33   Yes. I'm sorry. Like for people use to prove to themselves that they can write a thing. Kaelyn: 38:38   Um, there is, you know, we, we talked about earlier, there is this mentality of like if everyone is doing it, it's a motivating factor. It helps you kind of stay on track, stay involved, feel like you're not drifting alone out there doing this. And it's um, it's a big community building event as well. Rekka: 39:04   Yeah. As we listed like you can meet people, you can hang out with people you don't normally get to see, at least not this much and you can um, just participate in this. Um, you know that same thing I was talking about earlier with everyone focusing in one room, everyone focusing on the internet is also pretty thrilling. Kaelyn: 39:22   But you even, I think you kind of hit the nail on the head earlier. You called it like if this is like a holiday, people plan for this, they say like, I have a project that I'm saving for November and I think having a specific time where I'm going to do this at this time, one gives you a deadline to prepare for. Rekka: 39:42   Right. Kaelyn: 39:42   And I don't mean the deadline at the end of the month, I mean the deadline or the beginning of the month where it's like, okay, I kind of need to have this stuff figured out before I dive into this. I need to have plans setups so that I can dive into this. I need to have a schedule in place. And I think even just having that motivating factor is very important for getting started. Rekka: 40:06   You know, I talk about being a municipal liason on and having write-ins throughout the month, but we start earlier than that. Um, we have a, it, it hasn't even happened yet. So, um, you know, if you're listening to this on the 22nd, you're going, Oh, I've never heard of this, or I have heard of this, but I've never dared to enter. But I think this year's, I really wish I could, but it's October 22nd. It's too late. I've got to wait until next year. Kaelyn: 40:28   It's not too late. Rekka: 40:29   It's absolutely not too late. Um, if you don't mind a bit of discovery writing in your drafting process, you can just start on November 1st with, uh, you know, what if question and let everything unfold from there. Um, if you like an outline, it's still not too late as long as you can set aside like a day or two and maybe not even consecutively. Um, that's just my recommendation to write an outline, a quick outline. It doesn't have to be a fully fledged, you know, Rekka-style outline, which is what 500 words. Kaelyn: 41:05   Those are notorious. Rekka: 41:06   Um, so the, um, you know, you, if you can set aside a day to come up with your story plot and then set aside a day, a few days later to revisit it and see how it sounds, if you have any more ideas cause you've been thinking about it for a couple of days. So, um, what we do in my writing, uh, community, my local writing community is, uh, this one hour plot workshop and we're holding it on the 27th. So, you know, the 22nd is not too late to start this. Kaelyn: 41:35   No, definitely not. Rekka: 41:38   Yeah. There's, there's really no time that it's too late to start writing. Even if you come in halfway through a NaNoWriMo event, um, you may not hit the word count without, you know, breaking your brain over it. But, um, you know, creating this habit or participating is never a bad idea. No. But yeah, so we create this, um, or we have this one hour, a plot workshop, which is actually like two or three hours for the setup and chatting about it and answering questions and doing things, following, you know, a person who's leading you through this. But it is based on a book called The Busy Writer's one hour plot that's by Marge McAllister, which is an ebook that you can still find on Amazon. Um, and you know, you just go through and you, you start with the character, you start with one or however many you have and it just basically asks you like, okay, what do they want, what are their obstacles? Rekka: 42:31   Um, and what are three obstacles that they have to go through throughout the plot, you know, assuming a four X structure. And, um, and then at the end of going through that little plot program, you've got a loose, but you've structured, yeah, you've got a structure of a story that you can start writing. So, you know, at 25,000 words through your 50,000, you should be at that second obstacle. You know, things that you can sort of use to pace yourself at the very least and discovery, right, all the rest. Um, they welcome plot plotters as well as pantsers NaNoWriMo. Um, and there's even a book by, um, one of the founders of national novel writing month called no plot, no problem. So you can, you can definitely get started with just the barest idea of the story and um, and succeed from there. And you know, assuming that success is a 50,000 word draft and again, that you will take and develop further. Kaelyn: 43:30   So on my end, um, Parvus typically opens for submissions in the beginning of the year and - Rekka: 43:39   Which may be a mistake. Kaelyn: 43:41   Well, you know, the thing is that we, we usually open for submissions twice a year and we always get a lot more in the beginning of the year because everyone has just finished NaNoWriMo and not every one takes off December. Some people go straight into revising and editing. Rekka: 43:59   Um, and we love those people who revise and edit rather than just wait until January to dump it on your doors. Kaelyn: 44:03   Yes, yes. But, so we talked about this. Now what, here's the thing, your 50,000 word, NaNoWriMo writing project, that's not a book that's not ready to get submitted or sent in as we talked about, you know, that's 10,000 words shy of what a lot of places want for a minimum. Rekka: 44:25   A minimum, yeah. Kaelyn: 44:26   Right off the bat. So is this ready to show to anyone? Here's the thing, probably not. Um - Rekka: 44:33   Be very proud of it. Kaelyn: 44:34   Yeah! Rekka: 44:34   Like, don't, don't think that you should be ashamed of what you've just accomplished and - Kaelyn: 44:38   You absolutely should be proud of it. This is a, this is a feat. You have accomplished a feat. Rekka: 44:44   And you've proven to yourself that you can do this. Hopefully you haven't overtaxed yourself to the point where you feel like you need to collapse until next November to write again. Um, because you know, and that's just one of the criticisms that you get and they get some pretty nasty heated conversations about how if you only write once a year, you're not a writer. Um, those are judgments that we're not passing here, but we do suggest that your writing, um, skill will improve if you do it throughout the year as opposed to waiting once per year. So be proud that you have started. Kaelyn: 45:17   Absolutely be proud of what you've done. Rekka: 45:17   If this is your first, you've done projects, you have started, you know, hopefully you love it, hopefully you discovered your passion. If not, that's also an important thing to learn. If you found who are writing a draft kind of sucks. And I don't like doing this and like, you know what, and just you can just keep being a reader and feel no shame about it. You've discovered something about yourself and your, you know, where it's worth investing your time. So, um, you know, that's also a good thing. You can learn a lot about yourself in NaNoWriMo. You can also create a draft that maybe has a spark of something that you feel could develop into a full manuscript that you can send out on query or submission, but you don't do it right away. So, uh, yeah, 50,000 words too short to submit, at least to genre fiction. Kaelyn: 46:03   Most places aren't even - Rekka: 46:04   And almost definitely a need of some revising and attention. So, you know, you probably needed 1,667 words one day. And so you wrote about some coffee shop scene that doesn't even develop character. Kaelyn: 46:17   Rekka, do you need coffee? Rekka: 46:19   I always need coffee. Kaelyn: 46:20   It's a lot of, there's a lot of coffee shops, scenes here. I feel like you're trying to tell me something. It's fine. Rekka: 46:27   I'm trying to tell you that I always need coffee. Kaelyn: 46:29   It's fine. We'll get you coffee. Rekka: 46:30   For the record, I always want more coffee. Kaelyn: 46:33   So, um, well on that note, maybe we should go get you some more coffee. Rekka: 46:38   Okay, fair. But yeah, just to wrap it up, you know, like what is national novel writing month. It is a fully worthwhile community event that takes place online and in local writing groups. And there's probably a, you know, a region near you that you can, you know, go lump yourself onto and participate this year if you haven't before. If you don't have a region near you, you are absolutely invited to my region as like an expat or something or something like that. Kaelyn: 47:05   [laughs] An expat? Rekka: 47:05   Um, you can come find the region, you know, USA, Connecticut, Fairfield County. Okay. And you are totally welcome to come join and right remotely in my, you know, NaNoWriMo. Kaelyn: 47:17   I mean Rekka is doing it this year. Rekka: 47:19   So you know, if you're like, if you're unsure anm hey if it's your first time and you're inspired by this episode, let us know. We'd, we'd love to hear that. Kaelyn: 47:26   Especially if you end up joining a Rekka's writing community. Rekka: 47:29   Yeah. If I have an influx of people, yeah I will, that would love to know which ones are people who came in from the, from the podcast. You can tweet at us too, all through November. Let us know how you're doing if you were listening to this and inspired this. Kaelyn: 47:43   I think uh, Rekka will certainly be tweeting about this and how she's she's doing. Rekka: 47:47   Oh, so I should just touch on this real quick. Um, there is a category of NaNoWriMo participant called the nano rebel. Kaelyn: 47:52   Oh boy. Rekka: 47:53   And that's kind of what I technically am because this year I am trying to work on a manuscript that I already started earlier this year. Kaelyn: 48:02   [gasps] Rekka: 48:03   So I have 30,000 words of a novel, but I am going to write 50,000 more okay. Through the month. Um, heck if I can finish my draft in the month. So here's, here's my, my personal experience that month that I told you that was my first as a municipal liaison and I had no trouble staying ahead of my quota. And I, I didn't even say this, but I finished early. I finished six days early with 85,000 words of a. Kaelyn: 48:32   For those of you listening who haven't figured this out already Rekka's, not a person in the strictest sense of the word. We're pretty sure - Rekka: 48:42   I might just be a floating ball of plasma. Kaelyn: 48:45   We're pretty sure she's not carbon based. Rekka: 48:47   So, um, yeah, so I finished that draft 25 days, you know, 85,000 words, Chi-ching, aren't I awesome. I also rewrote that entire thing like four times and that became Salvage. Kaelyn: 48:59   Yup. Rekka: 48:59   So, um, so your over achievement in NaNoWriMo does not instantly, you know, spell success for your story. You, you, even if you are a writer all year round, and if even if you're a writer all year round, you probably will end up revising this thing a heck of a lot before you want to show it to anybody. So, yes, um Salvage was my 2016 NaNoWriMo project. It was 85,000 words after 25 days. And then it was revised several whopping times that probably took years off my life and came in at 163,000 words when it was done. So neither of those were 50,000 and a as complete stories. And I'd started with outlines and I, um, you know, saved this project for that month kind of thing. Great. Well I think that's really fantastic thing to do. So it's all about the community. Honestly. That's my exact part of NaNoWriMo and my use of it has changed since 2016 I write year round now trying to create new drafts of things. Rekka: 50:10   And very frequently I find that my scheduling just doesn't let me set aside like one specific month as determined by other people. Um, but I'm still the municipal liaison. I still love it. I still love going and working on whatever I'm working on with people doing, you know, 12 write-ins a month instead of the usual two that my, my community does. So it's so much fun. If you don't hinge your future writing career success upon your ability to write a Submittable draft in one month, then it's just hanging out with a bunch of people who love writing just as much as you do. And I definitely recommend it. Yeah. So, um, you know, I, I've learned a lot this episode. Um, hopefully you did too. And if you're, you know, if you're going to take part of, let us know, we'd be very interested to uh, to follow and cheer you on. Kaelyn: 50:57   Yeah. Cheer you on and see what, see what you come up with. Rekka: 51:00   And fold you into my community. Kaelyn: 51:02   Yes. Rekka: 51:02   Yeah. So this has been another episode of We Make Books, a show about writing, publishing and everything in between. You can find us on Twitter at WMB cast. We are also on Instagram at WMB cast. You can find our old episodes@wmbcast.com and if you have a buck or two to chip in to help us manage this podcast and uh thank us for our time. If you, especially if you find this, uh, as a very valuable resource, please come to patreon.com/WMB cast. And if you do not have financial support that you can grant us, you can still help us out a lot by sharing episodes that you enjoy with a friend who would also enjoy them. And, um, the easiest thing is just retweet our episodes when you see them pop up on Twitter. Kaelyn: 51:46   And, uh, also leave us a rating and review. Rekka: 51:48   Oh yes, yes. Probably the most important part. Kaelyn: 51:51   That's the most important. Rekka: 51:52   Which it always feels like the biggest ask of people. Like, could you please go say a nice thing. Kaelyn: 51:57   It doesn't have to be long. Rekka: 51:58   Just say what you like, you know, say like Kaelyn's voice. Kaelyn: 52:02   God, I hate my voice. Rekka: 52:03   Say you also like coffee. Say you're going to join a NaNoWriMo with us this year. So yeah. Um, ratings and reviews on iTunes. Help Apple. Find other listeners for our podcast, which is what we want. We want to talk to everybody. Kaelyn: 52:14   Everyone. Rekka: 52:15   Because we're extroverts somehow. Kaelyn: 52:17   Eh. Rekka: 52:18   All right, everybody, we'll talk to you in two weeks.    0

Here are the questions we discuss in this episode: How do you tell your investors that you have "terminal" cancer? How do continue to run a company? How do you find your north star either as an individual or for your company? What is the difference between creativity in the business sense and in the artistic sense? Find more on Michael here: https://twitter.com/M_A_FitzGerald Find more on Submittable here: https://www.submittable.com/

Author : Rafaela Ferraz Narrator : Carlo Matos Host : Summer Fletcher Audio Producer : Peter Adrian Behravesh Discuss on Forums PodCastle 570: Elegy for a Slaughtered Swine is a PodCastle original. Rated PG-13. The PodCastle forums flash fiction contest is on! Visit our Submittable for more details. Submissions are open until April 30. Elegy for a […] The post PodCastle 570: Elegy for a Slaughtered Swine appeared first on PodCastle.

What's a day to day developer's life at Submittable? How do you adapt to the a system that requires you to have established practices in all the things you develop? Does your company let you fail and do they have support for you as you evolve your own internal understanding of the development world? Genevieve and Courtney talk about the current struggles of the new developer at the local bootcamp: Montana Code School. Genevieve talks about working her way into the position at Submittable and approaching the tech world from the tech support side as well as the difference between being a part of a team and working on your own.

For the inaugural episode of Day Jobs, I talk with poet Gina Myers (Hold It Down, A Model Year) about balancing her creative work with a 9-to-5 job in university communications. We also talk about her former jobs, including temporary factory work and adjunct teaching, and how the need for surgery forced her to find a job with healthcare benefits. Plus: the costs of poetry book contests, Submittable fees, and why her current coworkers think she's an enigma.  

In this episode of the Lit Mag Love Podcast, host Rachel Thompson talks with Alexandria Petrassi from So to Speak journal. Their discussion covers how the “canonical” writer has changed. “When I started reading poetry, I didn’t read anybody living,” says Alexandria, adding “The fantastic part about this moment, is who people are reading now and who people will remember are so much different now. The quality of the voices, speaking their own truths, their experiences moving through the world.” So to Speak Journal seeks poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art for one online issue and one print/contest issue a year—the contest issue has $8 entry fees, and they do not charge for submissions to the online issue and blog. (Check their Submittable page to see what they are reading before you submit.) They are looking for work that matches their intersectional feminist viewpoint, and for work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer. Alexandria Petrassi studies poetry in the MFA program at George Mason University. She is the Editor in Chief at So to Speak Journal. She is the winner of the 2018 Mary Roberts Rhinehart Award in Poetry, and her work has appeared in CALAMITY, Crab Fat Magazine, and Sweet Tree Review, among others. You can find her on Instagram @alexandriapetra.

In this episode of the Lit Mag Love Podcast, host Rachel Thompson talks with Alexandria Petrassi from So to Speak journal. Their discussion covers how the “canonical” writer has changed. “When I started reading poetry, I didn’t read anybody living,” says Alexandria, adding “The fantastic part about this moment, is who people are reading now and who people will remember are so much different now. The quality of the voices, speaking their own truths, their experiences moving through the world.” So to Speak Journal seeks poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art for one online issue and one print/contest issue a year—the contest issue has $8 entry fees, and they do not charge for submissions to the online issue and blog. (Check their Submittable page to see what they are reading before you submit.) They are looking for work that matches their intersectional feminist viewpoint, and for work by writers, poets, and artists who want to challenge and change the identity of the “canonical” writer. Alexandria Petrassi studies poetry in the MFA program at George Mason University. She is the Editor in Chief at So to Speak Journal. She is the winner of the 2018 Mary Roberts Rhinehart Award in Poetry, and her work has appeared in CALAMITY, Crab Fat Magazine, and Sweet Tree Review, among others. You can find her on Instagram @alexandriapetra.

Michael FitzGerald is the CEO of Submittable.com, a Missoula based company that helps businesses to accept, review, and make decisions on applications and documents, all in one place. They are like Dropbox with a purpose, and their clients include Nike, NPR, Knight Foundation, Stanford University, Playboy, National Geographic, the New Yorker and thousands of other enterprise brands we all know and love. Liberal arts student by training, Michael had a career in writing, but inspired by a fellow Montanian, he chose to follow a path of entrepreneurship. It has not been easy and it has taken a long time to get right, but Submittable is growing, scaling, and kicking butt. The day after raising their Series A funding, Michael found out that he had a terminal cancer and he was supposed to be dead in six months. Fortunately, thanks to the advancements in medicine and a whole bunch of awesome friends, he was able to get treatment and is here with us today. Today Michael joins us on Rad Dad to talk about startups, the good old 90s, what it takes to write a novel, what it’s like to be dealing with a serious health condition while being the CEO, and how all of that shapes you as a person to lead a worry-free life with the kids and the family.

Joining me for this one is writer Kevin White who's been published over 20 times. He delves into his inspiration, gives us some advice, and expands on much much more.

Over the past week I followed several women on Instagram as they traveled to London for a literary-themed trip. One woman on the trip, Bri McKoy, posted a photo of a letter preserved under glass at St John's College Library. The letter, written by Jane Austen's father, was sent to a publisher, describing a book about the same length as a popular novel of the time. He wondered if they might be interested in taking a look at it. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_dpmkAeXt/ The publisher rejected the book, sight unseen, with the short reply "declined by Return of Post.” Famous Books Initially Rejected Here's part of Bri's Instagram caption: Everybody, listen up! What you are looking at is a REJECTION for Jane Austen's book PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Her dad sent a letter to a publishing house not only asking them to publish her manuscript but also telling them he would pay for everything. Still, they rejected it. They rejected it by sending his letter back to him. Can we sit with this for a moment? Someone. Rejected. P & P. We know of many stories like this. Lithub pulled together a list of books initially rejected by publishers. The list included Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, with 26 rejections from publishers, and Kathryn Stockett's The Help which endured 60 rejections from agents. The website Bookstr pulled together a list of 10 books rejected multiple times, including Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was rejected 12 times; William Golding's Lord of the Flies, rejected 20 times; and Carrie by Stephen King, rejected 28 times. In her Instagram update, Bri pointed out how easy it is for us to have the luxury of knowing the whole story. “Listen,” she writes, “we know how that story ends….But what if we don't know how the refusals handed to us end? What if we are sitting in our own unknown.” Writers in Their Own Unknown Websites like Bookstr don't pull together a top ten list of writers who got rejection letters who still are unpublished. There's no triumph there. There's just the rejection. They're sitting in their own unknown, so we don't find inspiration in them. St. John's College Library doesn't preserve under glass a rejection letter for a book that's still sitting on someone's hard drive, only read by a few beta readers and the writer's mom. The rejection letter is under glass because the book was rejected AND THEN was published and became the much-loved novel Pride and Prejudice. Stephen King's book Carrie made the list because it was rejected 28 times AND THEN it was picked up by a publisher and became a blockbuster commercial success and was made into a movie. Same with The Help. It was rejected, AND THEN. Many of us haven't reached the AND THEN. We know the end of those other stories, but we don't know the end of ours. Worse, if we get the rejection, it feels like END OF STORY. That's why we're afraid. Take Heart: This Is Not The End I'm here to say it is not the end. Bri encourages her readers to take heart. “Rejection is not an executioner. Rejection is a guide.” Then she goes through several possibilities. This rejection could guide us to keep going or to pause. To take a slight left turn even though we were certain we were to go right. The idea could be too big or too small. Then she says, “Remember you are living out a full story, not a highlight reel. Let rejection inform you, not destroy you.” I join Bri in saying “take heart.” Take heart, because a rejection is not THE END. It's not. So don't let the fear of rejection keep you from doing the work. When Fear of Rejection Stops Us Before We Even Begin You may be afraid of a formal rejection by a magazine, an agent, or a book publisher where you submit your project. That fear may be holding you back from even sending it. Don't let it. Don't be afraid to try. Query the agent. If they ask to see the manuscript, submit your work. Sign up for Submittable and send off your essays and s...

Over the past week I followed several women on Instagram as they traveled to London for a literary-themed trip. One woman on the trip, Bri McKoy, posted a photo of a letter preserved under glass at St John’s College Library. The letter, written by Jane Austen’s father, was sent to a publisher, describing a book about the same length as a popular novel of the time. He wondered if they might be interested in taking a look at it. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_dpmkAeXt/ The publisher rejected the book, sight unseen, with the short reply "declined by Return of Post.” Famous Books Initially Rejected Here’s part of Bri's Instagram caption: Everybody, listen up! What you are looking at is a REJECTION for Jane Austen’s book PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Her dad sent a letter to a publishing house not only asking them to publish her manuscript but also telling them he would pay for everything. Still, they rejected it. They rejected it by sending his letter back to him. Can we sit with this for a moment? Someone. Rejected. P & P. We know of many stories like this. Lithub pulled together a list of books initially rejected by publishers. The list included Madeleine L’Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, with 26 rejections from publishers, and Kathryn Stockett's The Help which endured 60 rejections from agents. The website Bookstr pulled together a list of 10 books rejected multiple times, including Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which was rejected 12 times; William Golding's Lord of the Flies, rejected 20 times; and Carrie by Stephen King, rejected 28 times. In her Instagram update, Bri pointed out how easy it is for us to have the luxury of knowing the whole story. “Listen,” she writes, “we know how that story ends….But what if we don’t know how the refusals handed to us end? What if we are sitting in our own unknown.” Writers in Their Own Unknown Websites like Bookstr don’t pull together a top ten list of writers who got rejection letters who still are unpublished. There’s no triumph there. There’s just the rejection. They’re sitting in their own unknown, so we don’t find inspiration in them. St. John’s College Library doesn’t preserve under glass a rejection letter for a book that's still sitting on someone's hard drive, only read by a few beta readers and the writer’s mom. The rejection letter is under glass because the book was rejected AND THEN was published and became the much-loved novel Pride and Prejudice. Stephen King’s book Carrie made the list because it was rejected 28 times AND THEN it was picked up by a publisher and became a blockbuster commercial success and was made into a movie. Same with The Help. It was rejected, AND THEN. Many of us haven’t reached the AND THEN. We know the end of those other stories, but we don’t know the end of ours. Worse, if we get the rejection, it feels like END OF STORY. That’s why we’re afraid. Take Heart: This Is Not The End I’m here to say it is not the end. Bri encourages her readers to take heart. “Rejection is not an executioner. Rejection is a guide.” Then she goes through several possibilities. This rejection could guide us to keep going or to pause. To take a slight left turn even though we were certain we were to go right. The idea could be too big or too small. Then she says, “Remember you are living out a full story, not a highlight reel. Let rejection inform you, not destroy you.” I join Bri in saying “take heart.” Take heart, because a rejection is not THE END. It’s not. So don’t let the fear of rejection keep you from doing the work. When Fear of Rejection Stops Us Before We Even Begin You may be afraid of a formal rejection by a magazine, an agent, or a book publisher where you submit your project. That fear may be holding you back from even sending it. Don’t let it. Don’t be afraid to try. Query the agent. If they ask to see the manuscript, submit your work. Sign up for Submittable and send off your essays and s...

Last time we talked about getting that first pancake out of the way so you can make more pancakes. We can be so afraid of that wobbly-edged first pancake that we don’t even start, but when we overcome that fear and pour out that first blob of batter, we’ll start to get the hang of it, flipping more and more until we have a big round stack to serve others. And that’s why we’re writing, isn’t it? To serve whole stacks of our words to others? There are other reasons to write, including personal reasons, like keeping a private journal to explore our inner lives. That practice can lead to a healthier psyche, increased gratitude, and improved health. But those of us who are writing for publication of some kind—even if only on social media—have some desire to serve an audience. To have readers. We want to inform, persuade, encourage, or entertain, right? Keep Flipping Pancakes So here’s the deal. You’ve got to keep flipping pancakes. Every Saturday morning, you have to pull out the griddle, stir up the batter, and make more. And you know I’m using this as an analogy, of course, though by all means, make actual pancakes any time you wish. If you make any for me, I’ll take gluten-free, dairy-free with real maple syrup, please. But back to our writing. Once you write the first poem or the first essay or the first book or the first Instagram post—or the next poem or the next essay or the next book or the next Instagram post—keep going. Pick a sustainable pace and keep writing, keep editing, keep finishing, keep shipping them out however they're shipped. If it means you need to click publish in WordPress so your article goes live once a week, do it. If it means you make the finishing touches on your essay and send it out via Submittable, send it. Be consistent. When you’re consistent—when you keep showing up—you reap layers of benefits. Be Consistent for Readers First, you show your audience you’re serious about this. You’re in it for the long haul. You'll still evolve—it doesn’t mean you’ll produce exactly the same content for decades. But you are saying, “Hey, I’m not a one-hit wonder." Consistency tells the world, “This who I am. This is my personality, my tone, my approach, my worldview. And you can turn to me for X.” Then write X, whether that’s political satire or romance novels. It can be driven by topic, like frugal shopping or high-end travel, or it can be driven by platforms, like podcasts and vlogging. Show up and prove to the world this is what you offer. By writing and shipping consistently, you’re saying, “I'm going to show up with content that persuades you, encourages you, makes you laugh, or solves your problem. You can turn to me for that. You can count on me. I’ll be here. I’ll walk alongside you, reader." Now, plenty of readers will pop over to your blog or your Facebook page and just take away one little morsel of information and never visit you again. That’s okay. But you will have faithful readers. Those are the people you’re showing up for. Whether it’s two, twenty, two hundred, or two hundred thousand, keep showing up for them. Be Consistent for Yourself Interestingly, showing up for others ends up being a gift to yourself. When you write for others, you reinforce not only for them but also for yourself: this is who I am, and this is what I offer and want to keep offering. When you stick with your commitment to show up consistently, you prove to yourself you can do this. You can follow through. You can make pancake after pancake. You get small win after small win, and those add up to become their own big win. Consistency is how we practice our craft and improve. And you’ll have the confidence to undertake bigger projects because you know you were faithful to follow through with the smaller ones. Keep a growth mindset. Move toward mastery. Improve and experiment and improve even more. When you’re consistent,

In this episode we speak with Michelle Huie and Stef Sample. Michelle is founder of VIM&VIGR and Director of Marketing at Submittable, two important start-ups headquartered in Missoula. Stef is a serial Montana entrepreneur who owns and operates a broad portfolio of businesses. She is also a professional coach and coaches executives and entrepreneurs through the REWIRE platform. Stef coaches Michelle and today we dig into the dynamics of their relationship.

This episode stars Jennifer Steele (YOUMedia, Revolving Door Arts Foundation, ChiTeen Lit Fest). It was recorded at Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago, IL in October 2017.

This week, we’ve got part two of my conversation with Four Chambers founder, Jake Friedman. We talk more about writing in this one, specifically Jake as a writer, and how what he wants to do as a writer plays into what we’re looking to publish as a press. Which is timely, because Four Chambers is open for full length manuscript submissions through July 31st. Visit the FCP website for guidelines and a link to our Submittable page. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

For your writing enrichment this summer, the show recommends podcasts at Writers and Company and KCRW's Bookworm. That you subscribe to CRWROPPS Yahoo list-serve for writing markets, residencies, and job posts, or Duotrope and set up a Submittable account. Subscribe to Nita Sweeney's email list Write Now Newsletter for information on writing events in Columbus, Ohio and be sure to donate to cover the costs of keeping up this important service to writers. Check out Women Who Submit Lit for their inspirational submissions slam (contact me if you can help me to set up a Columbus satellite!). And finally, get over to Grammercy Books in Bexley for all your summer reads needs, and most especially for Nick White who will be reading from his fine novel How to Survive a Summer at Grammercy on June 29 at 7pm. Enjoy the show!

When we asked Maggie Queeney for permission to discuss her work in this podcast, her response was “this sounds fascinating and terrifying!” We’re considering that as our tag line (and a life philosophy).  When we asked Maggie Queeney for permission to discuss her work in this podcast, her response was “this sounds fascinating and terrifying!” We’re considering that as our tag line (and a life philosophy). We discussed Queeney’s pieces, "Last Case on the Murder Task Force,” and to be honest, we didn’t want to stop, even when all of the editors’ comments clearly illustrated how the vote would go! This poem’s craft is so beautiful to linger in, even though the images are heart wrenching and tragic. "Nox” was a little less accessible for us, more difficult to simply understand, but that didn’t deter our enthusiasm for the piece—not with this many arresting images. "Cry Wolf” takes the classic fable, expounds upon it, and changes it for you forever. We meant to discuss three poems from Adam Day, but we had such a good time discussing Maggie’s poems that we didn’t feel we had enough time to really get into the discussion, so we thought we’d “reveal” another issue that comes up when culling through work for PBQ. Adam Day’s work came in via Submittable and was assigned to our Abu Dhabi staff. Two editors there liked a few of his pieces, but alas, before the work could come to the editorial table for a vote, the pieces we had interest in were accepted elsewhere! Listen to us discuss the “notes” in Submittable. Adam was about to get a straight up boiler plate rejection and she realized he would never know he had fans at PBQ. So, she took action… Tell us what you think about simultaneous submissions (and anything else) on our Facebook page event, Episode 5. Sign up for our email list if you’re in the area and even if you’re not! Follow us on Twitter @PaintedBrideQ and Instagram @paintedbridequarterly. Read on! -KVM   Present at the Editorial Table: Kathleen Volk Miller Marion Wrenn Jason Schneiderman Miriam Haier Tim Fitts   Production Engineer: Joe Zang   PBQ Box Score: 3=2 ------------------------   Maggie Queeney Last Case on the Murder Task Force A telephone splices the night—lit nerve ending or lightning strike—and the child rises all lung, all mouth and howl. The man rises from inside the mother, rises from the casts of his fingers clutched into the sheets and separates the boy’s head from his chest. He runs, knife in hand, body in arms, floor to floor, beating on doors as the thin limbs jog at his sides. He palms the boy’s head, guides the jaw back to the neck, but blood leaks and blacks his bared chest in the stills taken later that night. The state assigns my father to the defense. He twists the tinny, stripped facts into a cast outlining a life. He tells the jury the man grew up a thing burnt by his grandfather, his mother, that his thin body smoked and scabbed taut. And then the foster homes and the beatings and the drugs and the howl and the boy and the knife. The state threads a new heart into the man’s chest. He is kept living. He is sentenced to death. Nights on trial, my father walks the floor with my infant brother, crouped up and wailing the mucus out of his lungs, his mouth with a howl. My mother sleeps, buried tight as a drawered knife, gleaming through what beauty her children had left. Nox A child teethes. Through the door, a loop of scream and whimper traces the length of the porch. Morning, I find the blood left by the raw gums rubbed like a hand along the rail, the floor, the frame and lock to the front door. At night, I stay inside, listen to the tap somnolent in the pipes, the house drafts, the moon pushing to perfect circle. The birds curl into their fists of nest, their small breasts hot hulls above the shriek of owl-torn mice. Animals take a human voice in dying. Their wet tunnels of throat, slick and holy as the inside of a flute, bottom into the black running under.Cry Wolf What difference between crying and calling, cursing and summoning, the frantic limbs of a lamb and the bared legs of a boy. What difference between the desire to laugh at the adults running, spades and rakes in hand, and the need to know they would run at his call. Remember most do not know the name of what they want, even as they are wanting— the body incandesces, numb and ecstatic, as it is destroyed. Remember the wolf, drawn only by gut and jaws, insistent as divining rods— heart stilling at its name called, finally, between the trees.