My poem, "Diagnosis Prelude" was accepted for publication by the Bacopa Literary Review on June first. The editors say I'll receive my contributor copy in late September. This poem is, I feel, one of the most important pieces in my upcoming chapbook from Dancing Girl Press. I'm pleased its first home will be BLR.
Editor Bowen (the amazing editor from DGP) told me on August first that my chapbook might be ready within the next month! Yes! And... uh-oh.
I didn't anticipate the trajectory, but I now feel like I'm sandwiched between two bullet trains. At first, I panicked because Bacopa doesn't publish reprints. What if my chapbook comes out before the issue? I can't ask the literary magazine to pull my piece! So, I emailed editor Bowen and told her my problem. Since DGP is her baby, I'm hoping she can provide a little wiggle room. If not, it's all down to prayer.
After knowing how close Body: Blessed & Bitter could be to release, I made sure to pull every poem in it from literary magazines' slush. One (hopefully) near-miss is enough for me.
Have you ever had a publication collision?
I haven't had exactly the same thing happen to me, but I once received a rejection from a place I'd forgotten I submitted to some months after the book was picked up elsewhere. That one wasn't that hard to take, given that I'd already signed a contract somewhere else! @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
That's the best kind of rejection, knowing your work is already out in the world.
DeleteI didn't know the chapbook was going to move this fast. I wouldn't have risked it, otherwise.