Look Again: Reviewing the Submissions Process

Yat Batjouh, Yih Batyau: to do something by hook or by crook; to not stop halfwayYes, that's me hiking in Montserrat, Spain.I'm excited to announce the publication of my flash fiction piece, "Look Again," in the March issue of Foliate Oak Literary Magazine. Part of my enthusiasm comes from finally feeling validated as a writer. Here's a parallel example that explains my thinking: When I did math problems at school, I always double-checked my answers. If I ended up with the same solution twice, I … [Read more...]

When Do You Call Yourself a Writer?

Louhcheut Mahgeuk: to reveal one's secret or fault (lit. to expose Mah's feet)The queen of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1328-1399) was surnamed Mah. Once, she was riding by on her sedan chair when a gust of wind blew aside the carriage's curtain. Everyone on the street could see that her feet were not bound, a daring break in the typical foot binding tradition for rich women.Sometimes I'm afraid of exposing my own faults. When confronted with a blank line for my occupation on a  … [Read more...]

Mission: Submission

Sihdaahn: anything will doAt times, Cantonese phrases get abbreviated.  For example, "si-mouh-geih-daahn" means "without restraint of any kind."  The shortened term becomes sihdaahn.Please accept my submission. When I think about submissions, I'm in a sihdaahn mode.  Any positive response will uplift me.  Last month, I participated in Khara House's Submit-O-Rama challenge.  For October, I queried three literary magazines a week, for a total of 15 entries.Here are my results: 1 acceptance, 1 … [Read more...]