Publishing for Introverts, Outsiders, and “Impostors”

Are you a recluse, a lurker, a figure on the outskirts? Do you worry about being exposed as a fraud? Do you flinch at the mention of “networking,” “publicity,” and/or “visibility”? Welcome to the community! Let’s discuss publishing opportunities, processes, and interactions that work for you, not against you.

This course focuses on publishing in literary magazines and speculative magazines based in the US. It also touches on small/indie press contests and open reading periods for chapbooks and full-length manuscripts. It does not address pitching, acquiring an agent, and publishing with the Big Five.

We will spend the first hour sharing experiences, needs, and concerns related to publishing, focusing especially on BIPOC/Global South and otherwise marginalized writers. For the next hour and a quarter, the instructor will provide an overview of what writers need to know about submitting, working with editors, sharing published work, building community, and creating more opportunities for yourself and others. Finally, there will be time for questions and further discussion of the challenges and possibilities of literary and speculative publishing.