For me, a child of the sixties, a young woman in the seventies, the very word is triggering. Ironically, it was an illustration on the cover of a magazine of a young child confronting a large and powerful man — the very image of non-submission — of
defiance — that prompted me to write the first poem I felt an urgent need, a compulsion, to speak out, to be heard.
I’d like to tell you that was the turning point, that I mastered the art of submission. What I can tell you is that I have had some success with the limited forays I’ve made in publishing my poetry. And I have been and continue to be fortunate in the generosity of my poet friends who have steered me toward magazines and journals where my work has found home.
Publishing is a twisty road blocked by barricades, real and imagined. A daunting challenge, the dark side of writing’s moon, that takes discipline, tenacity, and perseverance. The number of choices is overwhelming.
One writer friend, not having time to do the research to find the best fit, simply threw her work out to journals and editors she found appealing because of their title, their attitudes, and best-case scenario pieces they’d printed that resonated with her. She isn’t feint of heart and she has had success.
The downside of submission is, of course, rejection. The great Lola Haskins, a poet of renown, offered a wonderful spin at the most recent Florida State Poets Association conference. She likened submitting one’s work to scoring goals. There may be many
failures before one makes a goal, but it is the goal and not the misses that is remembered and celebrated.
When an editor passes on the work you submitted and adds how a particular poem resonated, take that as a win. Don’t listen to those voices in your head tripping you up, triggering failure. Muffle the critic, the naysayer. Raise your voice, your own voice, so your words may be heard.
Keep submitting. And so shall I.
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