In this episode of the Write, Publish, and Shine podcast, I explore how submission calls can spark creativity and motivate writers. I discuss how themed submission calls can unlock buried stories and provide new perspectives while highlighting the benefits of having clear focus and deadlines to overcome writing obstacles. I share tips for embracing unique interpretations of themes when submitting to literary magazines, and I provide a curated list of upcoming lit mag themes and deadlines to inspire your writing. Additionally, I delve into how submission calls foster community engagement and present growth opportunities for writers, encouraging you to use these themes as catalysts for your creativity and as avenues for sharing your unique voice with the world.

Welcome to the first episode in ten-part series, where I’ll share valuable lessons from my journey at Room Magazine. Over the next ten episodes coming to you in this feed, I’ll impart insights to help you write, publish, and shine! Fourteen years have flown by since I joined the editorial collective, and I’m thrilled to delve into what I’ve learned since I first crossed over to the other side of the transom—a little old-school editor allusion for you there, if you know, you know.

I aim to hone in on the essence that helps our words resonate based on what I learned working with luminous writers (like you).

Room is a lit mag that has been around for many years, now in its 47th volume. It was such an honour to join an institution like this in the literary scene, but even more of an honour to watch it evolve and grow through really intentional and brilliant members of our collective.

Each month, I get to laugh, cry, sigh reading the beautiful submissions we receive, revealing the magic of language wrapped around our experiences. And every couple of years I’ve had the delight of being the lead editor, putting on my other hat at Room, making choices about what goes in print, and rolling my sleeves up with writers to make their words shine before they go int our print pages.

As I share ten lessons from my journey, remember that I know the magic of writing lives within you, too. Your voice matters, your experiences are valid, and your words can touch hearts and inspire change. Writing is about connection, sharing, and shining our unique light into the world.

So here is my first of ten Lessons from fourteen years on the editorial collective at Room Magazine.

In my fourteen years at Room, I’ve reflected a lot on rejection, those magical a-ha moments that refine our writing, and strategies to increase our chances of publication. (I’ve thought about it so much that I even created a course on getting published, which has helped me deepen the insights from the magazine.)

Here’s the first lesson I’ve learned…

Writers Can Find Their Spark in Submission Calls

Writers….I didn’t know this when I started out.

And I kinda knew it, but forgot about it again until I interviewed several contributors to my most recent issue as editor with Room for a series of episodes here (they start at episode 80 if you want to go back).

Several of the writers from the issue told me that our themed call for submissions was the spark they needed to write and submit their work. I mean, it was a great theme. Lots of energy—or, dare I say spirit, ha, ha, since the theme was Ghosts—around that one.

Reyzl Grace, for instance, shared her experience with me in episode 87 of the podcast. In it, she said, “I felt I needed some kind of expiation by writing something about this. But I didn’t know how to get a handle on it. So, it sat in the back of my mind literally for years.”

When she saw our call, she had a moment of clarity: “Ah, this is like the key that can help me unlock that, this is the approach into that experience that can help me unpack it.”

A simple theme can act as a catalyst, igniting ideas and surfacing long-buried stories. For Reyzl, it led her to discover the starting point of her narrative: “I need to start in the cemetery…It has to start in the cemetery because it’s about a haunting.”

Themed calls can illuminate paths we hadn’t considered. So, if you’ve been sitting on a story or are struggling to find the right angle, keep an eye out for themed calls. You never know when one might unlock your narrative.

Submission calls provide a clear subject and deadline.

In my Lit Mag Love course, I ask writers to start with a goal for why they are submitting to lit mags and to build their entire strategy around this goal. Initially, my list didn’t include motivation to write—the motivation that comes from finding a delightful theme and thinking about writing in a new way, plus the built-in deadline it provides. I quickly adjusted this in the early course session, as many writers told me that submitting to lit mags motivates them to write, and that having themes helps pare down the decisions that might prevent them from getting to their writing.

Tip: Mark themed submission calls in your calendar. You’ll have both a deadline and a topic ready to go, reducing obstacles between you and your writing!

Here are some additional reasons why submission calls can motivate writers:

• Clear Focus: They provide a specific theme or topic, helping writers narrow their focus and explore new angles.
• Deadline Pressure: The built-in deadline encourages writers to complete their work, promoting discipline and time management.
• Community Engagement: Submitting to themed calls fosters a sense of belonging within a writing community, motivating writers to connect with others.
• Challenge and Growth: The opportunity to write for a specific theme challenges writers to stretch their creativity and push their boundaries.
• Visibility and Exposure: Writers are motivated by the chance to share their work with a broader audience and gain recognition.

Finally, though, a theme should inspire, not limit. As an editor, I’ve seen many surprising interpretations of themes. For example, in our Room “Family Secrets” issue, I expected darker stories, but Deanna Partridge-David reminded us that some family secrets can be beautiful, describing them as “little patches of green on the tips of branches.”

Tip: When submitting to literary magazines, embrace your unique perspective on the theme. Editors love fresh, creative takes that go beyond the expected.

As Ellen Chang-Richardson, my assistant editor for the “Ghosts” issue, said during our call for submissions, “Ghosts don’t have to be scary. I’m looking for something unique—whether it’s a poem, a flash piece, a story, or even art.”

Here are some upcoming lit mag themes along with their deadlines:

1. “Transitions” – One Story
   • Deadline: October 15, 2024
   • Theme: Focus on personal, professional, or spiritual transitions. Stories about moments of change and transformation.
2. “Power” – The Rumpus
   • Deadline: October 31, 2024
   • Theme: Exploration of power dynamics in various contexts—political, personal, environmental.
3. “Time Travel” – Speculative City
   • Deadline: November 1, 2024
   • Theme: Speculative fiction about time travel, covering a range of possibilities from sci-fi to magical realism.
4. “Memory” – Grist: The Journal for Writers
   • Deadline: November 5, 2024
   • Theme: Exploring memory and its role in shaping identity, history, and relationships.
5. “Intersections” – The Offing
   • Deadline: Rolling submissions, but submit by November 15, 2024, for the best chance of inclusion in the theme issue.
   • Theme: Work exploring the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and identity.
6. “Nature and the Anthropocene” – Orion Magazine
   • Deadline: November 30, 2024
   • Theme: Focused on the Anthropocene era—human impact on the environment and climate.
7. “Silence” – Tin House
   • Deadline: December 1, 2024
   • Theme: Exploring literal and metaphorical silence in relationships, society, or nature.
8. “Body Horror” – Unnerving Magazine
   • Deadline: December 5, 2024
   • Theme: Horror fiction focusing on body transformations and mutations.
9. “Resistance” – The Kenyon Review
   • Deadline: December 15, 2024
   • Theme: Stories of defiance, resilience, and standing up against personal or societal systems.
10. “The Sea” – Barren Magazine
    • Deadline: December 20, 2024
    • Theme: Work inspired by the sea—literal or metaphorical, including adventure, isolation, or the unknown.

These deadlines give you a good window to plan and submit your work!

As we wrap up this first lesson on finding your spark in submission calls, I hope you’re feeling inspired to embrace the themes that resonate with you. Remember, each themed call is an opportunity—a chance to uncover hidden stories, explore new perspectives, and connect with a vibrant writing community.

Whether you’re revisiting a long-buried idea or discovering a fresh angle on a familiar theme, allow yourself the freedom to create without limitations. As you mark those submission deadlines on your calendar, let them serve not only as targets but as motivation to dive into your writing journey.

Writing is about exploring our unique voices, connecting with others, and sharing our truths. So, take a moment to reflect on your goals and let the excitement of themed submissions guide you toward your next creative breakthrough.

Thank you for joining me for this minisode, and stay tuned for the next lesson, where we’ll dive deeper into the wisdom I’ve gathered over the years at Room Magazine. Until then, keep writing, keep shining, and remember: your stories matter!

The Write, Publish, and Shine podcast is brought to you by me Rachel Thompson. Sound Editing by Adam Linder.

You can learn more about the work I do to help writers write publish and shine at rachelthompson.co. When you’re there sign up for my writerly love letters I send them each week and it’s filled with support for your writing practice. If this episode encouraged you to write, publish and shine by putting a themed issue deadline on your calendar and writing towards it, I’d love to hear about it.

You can always email me at hello@rachelthompson.co. And tell other luminous writers about the episode you can do this by sending them to the podcast at rachelthompson.co/podcast or searching for write publish and shine wherever they get their podcasts. Thank you for listening.

I encourage you to pick an upcoming lit mag theme, maybe one of the ones you heard in the episode, and write! Thank you again for listening.

Thank you to the ancestral inhabitants of the lands that I’m on. I’m recording this in the South Sinai Egypt on lands historically and presently inhabited by the El Muzina Bedouin near Palestinian lands occupied and currently bombarded by Israel in clear contravention of international law and orders by the International Court of Justice. Let’s keep up our focus and commitment to the ever growing movement of people and organizations worldwide who condemn the ongoing apartheid and genocide perpetuated by Israel on Palestinian people. Let’s start with the ceasefire now.