A look back on some hits and misses

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of sending off a piece - whether it be poetry or essay or chapbook length - to at least one magazine, or press a month. Some months I did more than one submission, and I took a break in July for family reasons, November for Nano reasons and while it's still at the beginning of December, I don't foresee sending anything out this month.

Here are my rejections and acceptances for the year.
5 acceptances
7 rejections
3 still pending
​1 runner up
​16 total submissions for the year. 

I'm actually quite proud that I stepped out of my comfort zone and jumped in.
My suggestions for you if you plan on doing these are:
1.) make sure you like the magazine/press you're submitting to and
2.) read them! read the emerging poets, the seasoned poets, the type of writing they like, the overall aesthetics of the press
3.) set yourself a goal. I did 1 submission/month because I knew I wouldn't have time for multiple ones. 

and finally, BEST OF LUCK to you!! I enjoy reading some pretty powerful words and there are a couple of presses on my list that I will try and try again. I suppose they're what everyone calls "your dream press." Rejections sting....like a LOT. But it's helped me grow and learn. That's the point, right? I haven't figured out what my goals are for next year aside from working on poetry and submitting to my dream presses. One thing is for sure though, I'd like to add "award winning poet" on my bio! 
Shoot for the moon. 
Write on my friends! 

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Publications, rejections of 2018

JANUARY

1. Byme Womb → Accepted: Motherhood and Identity (WOMb. 2018)

FEBRUARY

1. Honeysuckle Chapbook contest → Rejected: Lies, truths, and battlecries

MARCH

1. We Art Friends contest → Runner up: Indifference

APRIL

1. Lithic press → Rejected: Lies, truths, and battlecries
2. Motherly → Rejected: Hello, my name is postpartum depression

MAY

1. Two Sylvia Press → Rejected: Token Asian writes

JUNE

1. Clean Slate Anthology → pending: Write with love/paint the sky

                           Hypocrite

1. Scream Anthology → Accepted: me too
2. Poetica vol. II → Accepted

JULY - NO SUBMISSIONS

AUGUST

1. Dancing Girl Press → rejected: lies, truths, and battecries
2. Untwine Ph → pending: Remnants of Home
3. Fly on the Wall Press → Accepted: I pledge Allegiance (pub in Persona non Grata 2018)

SEPTEMBER

1. Barren magazine → Rejected: mother, may I?

OCTOBER

1. Rhythm and Bones → Accepted: I am not my rape (anthology YANYR)
2. Constellate Journal → Rejected: mother, may I?
3. Motherhood, trauma, mental illness Anthology → rejected: hello, my name is postpartum depression

NOVEMBER - NO SUBMISSIONS 
DECEMBER - NO SUBMISSIONS 
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ANTHOLOGIES, 2018:

1. By Me Poetry → WOMb: celebrating mothers
2. Fly on the wall Press → Please Hear what I”m not Saying
3. Eileen Tabios (Meritage Press, xPressed, and Paloma Press) → Hay(na)ku 15
4. Janelle Gray → Unity, Equality, Accountability --> out in Jan 2018 and was taken down fall 2018 
5. Light leads to Love Anthology --> out in Jan 2018 and was taken down in Nov 2018
6. Fly on the wall press → Persona non grata
7. Rhythm and Bones → You are not your rape Anthology

PUBLISHED, 2018:
Not your token 
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​PUBLISHED my first of a couple of chapbook series!