Preditors & Editors ™
Preditors and Editors ™A guide to publishers and publishing services for serious writers since 1997.
Enjoyment and Success In The Pleasurable Art of Poetry
By Michael Levy
If you are a writer who submits your works by email on the Internet, it may not have escaped your notice that there are some frosty, standoffish editors who refuse to accept email submissions. This disciplined fellowship of academia pretend to play at being editors, but are in fact, academic spin-jockeys who endorse rules and regulations first and foremost. The content of the publication comes in a very distant second. No matter how good the composition, they will not relent from their dogma, whilst perched on their inaccessible pedestals. History teaches us this is nothing new because many people who think they retain power over others, will egotistically practice it with unsound governance.
Many academic publications are supported by grants, foundations, or funded by university presses. They self-proclaim to be the vanguards of modern day prose literature, in a very elite "Old Boys Club" It is, in reality, from my experience, more like an old fossils league of ignorance.
Also, there are a few other editors who do except email submissions, but respond with a supercilious, haughty reply. Most of these so called editors, (thankfully a minority) by some strange coincidence, also publish literary magazines that are read by very few people in the public domain.
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"The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." _ Blaise Pascal.
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In truth, both types of these intellectually congested editors are not editors in the real sense of the word. They are just well educated, close-minded individuals, who pose behind the word editor, simply to inflict their brand of intellectual arrogance on writers who are looking for authentic publications. To be fair, some of the poets they do publish are well known and their works are commendable. But many works they publish are for very select groups and do not pass the litmus test of meaningful works of poetry...... It is just intellectual mumbo-jumbo that does not reflect any true meaning of life. As Albert Einstein once remarked "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
Now, before you tell me there is not much demand for good poetry these days, just look at the greetings card industry...It is booming, so there is no doubt there is a demand for meaningful poetry, but that message cuts no ice with the close-minded set that rule the academic presses.
Poetry is meant to be free flowing craftsmanship..... Compositions liberated from all restrictions and limitations... But how can it be when out of date doctrines rule the roost?.
Here is just one example of a close-minded academic publication I have encountered recently. A few have banned me for my outspokenness and this one is amongst the multitude with whom I have enjoyed exchanging differing views.
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Thank you for your interest……unfortunately, we do not currently accept email submissions. If would still like to submit, please send work to:------------ Thank you
(Name withheld for obvious reasons, as I do not want to single one out of the many)
If I send it in by snail mail will you guarantee it will be published?
No, im sorry we cannot guarantee publication. We can only promise that it will be considered. Thank you.
Since you can read my poem in the email I sent you, why would you want me to spend my hard earned money on postage stamps if you are not going to publish it?
I am sorry, but everyone must send in submissions in hopes of being published. There are other magazine that DO accept email submissions however if you do want to take the postage gamble. Thanks and good luck.
Forgive me for seeming a little dense, but why would you want me to submit my poem and take a gamble? You can read the poem in my email and if you do not want it, just reject it, and if you do want it, then you can request I send it in by snail mail, which I will do...What do you think? Does that make any sense to you?
I'm sorry, we receive many requests daily for email submissions, but, following the editor's orders, they must be informed that we do not currently accept email submissions and that's it.
I am not asking you to accept my email submission. I am asking you to explain why you cannot ask for poems you are going to publish to be sent in by regular postage. Why can't you select what you want by reading it online and then ask for the poem to be sent in by snail mail?..Please, I beg you, answer my question directly and not beat around the bush.
I spoke with the editor and she explained that, due to preference, printing, and computer malfunctions, we do not accept email submissions, meaning, works submitted online will not be read or considered. I hope that this clears up confusion. Take care!
It still does not answer my question. You are reading this message now, so you do read emails. Why not select the one's you want online...Please answer my question as I will be publishing all your replies in a new article that will be published world wide.
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Needless to say, I did not get an answer back once I said I was going to publish their replies. If you are now thinking this article is written by a person who is sucking sour grapes because he cannot get published, that is not the case. I have been published in literary journals and I am one of the most published authors on the Internet and in many print magazines and journals. The reason for this article is for all writers and the public to recognize what is going on behind the congested curtain of many literary magazines.
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The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them. - George Bernard Shaw
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Rejection is a way of life for most writers and it is a good learning tool. However, when suitable works are rejected for the wrong reasons by misguided intellectuals, it can discourage many young scribes from continuing to compose their prose. The fresh writers may not have yet learnt to embody great fortitude, or possess a mass of money to continually waste on postage stamps,
So what are young, original, up-and-coming writers to do with so much negativity stacked up against them. Well, I suggest that if you are a poet and come across pretentious editors of academic status, just let them know you will not play their non-sense games and will no longer support their cold hearted response. Be kind and courteous with your reply and move on to better and more meaningful publications......
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Be the change you want to see in the world. - Gandhi
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If all writers take action and only submit their works to congenial, amicable editors, the world will have better publications and the public will start to take more interest and buy the meaningful, gratifying harvest of delectable prose .......
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"Become who you are."- Friedrich Nietzsche
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Fortunately there are many authentic editors who are open minded and give everyone a fair chance at being published. The contents of their magazines is paramount and that is how it should be. They deserve support from all free thinking people and it is about time the mainstream media helped genuine, original and enjoyable literary magazines to get more public recognition by giving them more coverage in their media arena.
Success breeds success and if you are a writer, young or old, you need to possess the persistence, perseverance and resolve to carry on regardless. Your great genius (Yes, every human has an inner genius) will eventually rise to the top of the literary pyramid. Your delicious, delectable, delightful poetry will be in-demand by all folks who appreciate authentic, uninhibited works of infinite poetic art.
The most important lesson to learn is, you should enjoy every word you write with enthusiastic, glowing gratification, irrespective of the viewpoints of anyone else.......If you enjoy your writing then no rejection can have any effect other that to spur you on to greater heights, in the pleasing and pleasurable art of ambrosial poetry....The more you implement your masterful craft, the more succulent becomes the fruits of your labor.
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Be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought. - Henry David Thoreau
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© Michael Levy. All Rights Reserved.
Author Bio:
Michael Levy was born in Manchester, England on the 6th March 1945. After many life experiences and a very successful business career he retired to Florida in 1992. In 1998 Michael established Point of Life, Inc., as a vehicle to project his philosophy. The website www.pointoflife.com and the associated newsletter (Point Of Life Global Newsletter) are visited and read by thousands of people around the world every month. Michael is a frequent speaker on radio, television and at seminars where he shares and discusses his views about the purpose of life, finance and stock market investments, also living a healthy, stress-free life.
Michael Levy is the author four books "What is the Point? ISBN 0966806905", "Minds of Blue Souls of Gold"ISBN 0966806913 , "Enjoy Yourself - It's Later Than You Think"ISBN "0966806921 and; "Invest with a Genius"ISBN "0966806948...... A very unique book that maps out investing in the stock market and many other ways of gaining and spending money and wisdom. Lots of quotes, stories, humor and new poetry, that takes the mind's eye into the channels that bring true prosperity from the genius that lives in the soul of each human being.
His poetry and essays now grace many web sites, Journals and Magazines throughout the world. His philosophies have become a major source of Truth, Wisdom and Love for many people.
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