As a backup to my previous posting about submissions, Glimmer Train (one of my favorite publications, by the way, because they’re devoted to short story form) Issue #54: Of the 12 published authors in this issue, 5 of them appear to have been published in Glimmer Train before; one actually having been in 4 times prior. Of the 5, there appears to be a total of 12 repeats. This would come out to an entire issue having no new writers.
Now I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this; but the knowledge should serve as simply a more realistic picture for the writer new to the submission process.
When these journals are receiving a thousand submissions a month sometimes, and at the least, a hundred, it just seems weird that one single author was selected from all these thousands twice–never mind 5 times (four prior, and in the current issue).
Of the total 12 in this issue, 9 have been published elsewhere as well, 2 others have novels under their belt, many are professors and teach writing, have come from MFA programs, or have gained grants or prizes.
Maybe that’s what makes Glimmer Train so hard to break into; and why I can’t help but make it my first choice.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology