Glimmer Train

I've taken up the short story again recently. I don't consider this news by itself, but in the process of reacquainting myself with the world of periodicals, I've discovered one in particular worth mentioning.

They're called Glimmer Train Press, and anyone who's spent time submitting short stories is probably quite familiar with them. What struck me about Glimmer Train, however, was the enthusiastic and eager tone struck on their website. I am sure they receive thousands of submissions every year, of which they are only able to publish - at most - around a hundred. They are a well respected, literary journal, probably one of the top three or four platforms for new writers to show their work, and could easily assume a stand-offish posture, along the lines of, "Look: Everyone wants to publish here, we're totally inundated with all these wannabes, so send it in, but don't hold your breath. We're in the position where we get to be very, VERY picky, and we are."

And yet they implore writers to send in their work. They do not list rejections rates, they do not tell you how long the odds are of publishing in the journal. They are decidedly encouraging and optimistic, and for this I have nothing but deep admiration. How easy it would be to become depressed and resentful of all the writers pouring their work onto your desk - the clumsy plots, the thin characters, the clichés, the predictable endings. How easy it would be to scream, "Don't waste my time with this until you've honed your craft!" But that is not their way. They say, "Send it. We want to see it."

This seems to me to be just the right position. The world does not need more people telling writers how long the odds are. If you do not know, you will find out soon enough. In fact, the world does not need anyone telling anyone how long the odds are of doing anything. What use is that? If you want to do something, if that is what you are meant to do, what use are odds? If you must do it, then you must do it, the odds be hanged. We should be a world of encouragers. The publishing world in particular can seem a high-walled, unfriendly place, but it needn't be. It's just a place.

So my hat goes off to Glimmer Train. Not just for publishing short fiction, and not just for paying writers for short fiction, but for doing so with love and enthusiasm. I can't think of any other way I'd want to do anything.