This week's Teen Tuesday features an interview with Jody Carrow, Editor-in-Chief of the Claremont Review, an international magazine for young writers based in Canada. The Claremont Review is a paying market ($10.00 per magazine page and one complimentary copy). They publish "first-class poetry, short stories and short plays by young adult writers, aged 13-19, from anywhere in the English speaking world."
How does the Claremont Review differ from other teen literary magazines?
The Claremont Review differs from other teen literary magazines in a few ways: first, the magazine has a long (22 years) and credible history as a literary publication; second, its emphasis remains on the craft of writing and maintains a high standard of literary excellence; 3rd, I think the Review does not editorialize for content (except hate literature of any kind) -- it truly is an open forum for teens to explore the issues and topics that matter to them. If a piece of work holds its own literary merit, we run it, no matter what.
The Claremont Review has been publishing teen writers for over twenty years. How would you characterize current submissions? Are there any trends in teen writing that you’ve noticed?
I can’t speak for all of the past 22 years since I just came on board a little over a year ago, but I would say after reading some back issues that there seems to be a rising interest in dystopian genre fiction. I know there has been an explosion of this type of literature available to teens and I think this is what many youth are reading in their spare time. Although we do not accept this type of fiction, what is encouraging about the submissions of this nature that we have read is that many of them are written very, very well. By that I mean strong, complex characters, plots that are character driven rather than action driven, and some excellent prose. Genre fiction is often discounted for being the “easy” way of becoming a writer because it is largely exempt from the high literary standards we impose on other styles of writing, but some of the teens we have read may one day prove that maxim to be passé compose simply by virtue of their talent merging with their chosen form.
In poetry, there is a disturbing trend towards not punctuating -- AT ALL. There are poems that work without punctuation because the author has carefully crafted each line to flow into the next, so I am not saying a poem can’t be done this way, but more and more we are seeing poems where the punctuation is just left out. We wonder if this has to do with the rise in texting and other forms of electronic shorthand combined with fewer and fewer teachers spending the time on this component of writing. Whatever the reason, when we read poems that are unpunctuated for NO APPARENT REASON, we get mad. Occasionally if the poem is really good, we will work with the writer to punctuate it, but otherwise, to the rejection pile it goes.
In poetry, there is a disturbing trend towards not punctuating -- AT ALL. There are poems that work without punctuation because the author has carefully crafted each line to flow into the next, so I am not saying a poem can’t be done this way, but more and more we are seeing poems where the punctuation is just left out. We wonder if this has to do with the rise in texting and other forms of electronic shorthand combined with fewer and fewer teachers spending the time on this component of writing. Whatever the reason, when we read poems that are unpunctuated for NO APPARENT REASON, we get mad. Occasionally if the poem is really good, we will work with the writer to punctuate it, but otherwise, to the rejection pile it goes.
Besides the submission guidelines provided online, could you provide more information about what type of creative work appeals to you? (Just to confirm, all work is submitted through regular mail?)
The type of creative work we are looking for and celebrate when we get, is fresh, nuanced, and unique. In other words, we are all humans more or less living out the same types of experiences --birth, death, love, loss, relationships, identity, etc -- but when a writer can expertly spin their story around these common experiences in a way that only could be told by that particular writer, we get really excited. Powerful, confident and new voices in literature. We have all day for writers of that calibre. Writers who take chances. And yes, all our submissions come through the mail.
What is the most common mistake or flaw that you see in submissions?
The most common errors people make when submitting to us is not including a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). If you care for feedback, then you must include it! Similarly, if you want your formal acceptance letter mailed to you, we won’t do it without one! Another common error is not responding to us in time with the requisite items and missing getting published.
Will you be running another annual contest? Can you provide any specific tips for teens who want to enter?
We will definitely be running our annual contest, and plan to forever! Our tips would be to have someone who loves you (but not so much that they just tell you everything you write is brilliant -- sorry, Moms and Dads out there) to proofread your submission before you send it in. Also, read, read, read as much short fiction and poetry you can get your hands on AND read past issues of our magazine to get a sense of the magazine’s aesthetic.
What advice would you offer teen writers?
Use a pen name if you must, but let the page be your place to filter the world you live in. Don’t hide and don’t give up, no matter how many rejection letters may come. Don’t let people tell you what to think -- tell them what you think." --Jody Carrow, Editor-in-Chief, the Claremont Review | My advice for teen writers is: YES! Sit down and get your voice, your perspective on the world, your beating heart on the page and see where you can go with it. Believe in the magic of the stories/poems only you can write and don’t hesitate to put them out into the world. Use a pen name if you must, but let the page be your place to filter the world you live in. Don’t hide and don’t give up, no matter how many rejection letters may come. Don’t let people tell you what to think -- tell them what you think. Writing is such a powerful way to be heard. So, keep writing. And, keep sending that writing to us. |
Thank you, Jody. To learn more about the Claremont Review, visit their website, which includes advice from authors and helpful tips on getting published. Submission guidelines for writing and the visual arts are available online.
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