Extra, Extra! DSM Now Accepting Book Reviews, Essays!

A couple of things before we ship out for the weekend. Beginning Monday (7/13/09), DSM submissions are open for book reviews and essays. We encourage contributors to engage our readers in succinct and insightful essays, essays that address the role of literature in today’s culture and media, essays that are colder than a frozen knife blade and hotter than a nickel plucked from freshly laid tar. Sure, we’re open to length, style and topic, but before you submit, get familiar with the types of stories and poems we publish. This will give you a sense of what we like. Essays will be featured as posts. Book reviews will be featured as posts, as well as in our sidebar, where our recommended reading list is displayed. We prefer positive reviews. After all, we don’t see much sense in highlighting a lousy read. But if your critique has legs and brings to our readers a unique perspective and greater understanding, we are happy to oblige. Send queries, concerns and/or submissions to the DSM Editors.

(more…)

Look Out for the Book Vortex!

Let’s take a breath and remember that even though this business is cruel, it’s one that continues to thrive. The odds are stacked against writers, editors and publishers. There are too many of us. Too many books and magazines, too much publishing technology, too many snakes in the grass. But this has always been the case. Literature moves at breakneck speeds. And for good reason. Once it grows idle it grows irrelevant. So take heart, dear reader. Write what you know, as they say, and publish what must be published. Through the wringer we go. Take Faulkner. His first book didn’t earn enough to fill his whiskey glass. Take heed too of the western winds, as Apple jumps into the tech-publishing fray. We have updates from China and Africa; there’s welcome news for one UC Riverside poet, and Haaretz discusses what it takes to make it as a writer. Ho hum. It’s hard. But hey, it’s Friday. Grab a drink and share your stories. This weekend, there’s no doubting your brilliance. – Kevin Murphy

(more…)