Literary Magazines' Minority Special Issues

When a "mainstream" literary magazine posts a special call for disabled/neurodivergent writers, you:

A.  Prepare a submission immediately!

B.  Refuse to be a pet cause and shun the call.

C.  Submit only if the publication is well-known.

D.  Research the magazine's track record of publishing disabled/neurodivergent people.

Most writers choose options "A" or "B". For people who submit immediately, they love the certainty of not being rejected because of their differences or the topics surrounding them. For people who shun the call, they see it as a breadcrumb of recognition without the literary world doing the real work of inclusion.
~*~
Some literary magazines will compile special issues just to appear devoted to diversity of talent and viewpoint. One (very advertised) special issue will become a shield against the arrows of accusation. We can't say they don't publish disabled/neurodivergent writers, there's an entire issue dedicated to us! Wow! Few people will dig into who they accept for regular issues.

Even if people do try to find out which voices are/aren't published, it's difficult. Most disabled/neurodivergent writers don't announce their disability/divergence in their biographies (which is one of the ways editors get away with feigned ignorance). So, how can you tell?
~*~
What to think about when submitting to a special issue:

• Who are the editors? If there are guest editors, are they a good fit?
• Is the literary magazine (or press) normally inclusive? If they haven't published anyone from a specific group, have they actively pursued submissions from that group?
• Have the rules changed? Say, for instance, they pay contributors less for appearing in the special issue.
• Do the editors suddenly limit topics integral or important to your group? In the trans special issue (now cancelled) of Poetry Magazine, the guest editor had a list of topics... unlikely to win him over. Maybe certain topics sorely needed fresh slants or takes, but...
• Have other special issues ever been cancelled by the publication? If so, why? How were people notified? Was an announcement of an issue loud and the cancellation quiet?

Announcing the Mentees for 2018!

One slight mention before we begin:  Every student the mentors picked will be listed here.  We decided it would be easier for everyone if the mentors didn't have to approach their other students after speaking to their "definite" students.  So, here's the list!

Our Student/Mentor Matches:

1.  Jamie Hale - Carey Link

2.  Julie Schober - Sarah Krenicki

3.  Hannah Wolfram and Kayla Bashe - Ann Stewart McBee

4.  Carrie Ann Golden - Drew S. Cook

5.  Jeff Johnson and Shannon O. Sawyer - S. Baer Lederman

6.  Alex Sharp and Aubry Osborn - Cinthia Ritchie

Congratulations, everyone!

Mentors are asked to contact their students with a "hello" email by the 25th.  My hope is that things like methods of correspondence can be hammered out prior to the beginning of the term (August 1st).

Mentees who have questions or concerns can contact us on Twitter @HandUnPen or via email handyuncappedpen[at]gmail.com

Guidelines for Guest Posts

Note:  The following guidelines are not for the Adjacent Arts Spotlight or for book reviews as these categories have their own instructions.

What we're looking for:

Simply, we want posts that meet at the intersection of books/writing/marketing/the arts and disability/neurodivergence.  A post about finding the right diagnosis isn't a good fit for us.  A post on the books that got you through receiving your diagnosis might be.
Click here to read more about what we like.

We will consider the occasional guest post on other arts.  See an inclusive play?  Tell us about it!  Want to critique mental illness portrayals in a crime series?  Email us!

General:

• You must be disabled and/or neurodivergent to write for us.  This goes for everything on this site.  If you don't consider yourself either of these things, please don't submit.
• Blog posts shouldn't exceed 2,000 words.  (There are exceptions, though few.)
• Posts should be sent in the body of the email with double-spacing between paragraphs.  If a post needs an odd format, email us first to explain the issue before sending an attachment.  Unknown attachments will be deleted.
• Subject line of your email should read:  Guest Post [Your Name] and should be sent to handyuncappedpen[at]gmail[dot]com
• Include your contact info along with a third-person biography.  

Anyone wanting to conduct interviews:

Please contact us first with the name of who you want to interview, why you want to interview them, and some sample questions you'd like to ask.  Unlike book reviews, people can query us about interviewing their friends... if the friends are a good fit for the blog.

We will need the biographies of both the interviewer and the subject for any interviews we publish.  We also need a photo representing the interviewee.


Payment:

We pay $3 via Paypal only.  We won't send paper checks, sorry.
Interview subjects are not paid, though those conducting interviews will be.

Rights:

We take one-time rights and request archival rights since posts stay on the blog.
We do not take rights not absolutely required to do what we do.  Your copyright stays yours.

Questions?

Contact us via email handyuncappedpen[at]gmail[dot]com or on Twitter @HandUnPen

Guidelines for Book Reviews

General:

• Books must be written by disabled and/or neurodivergent authors and/or have disabled and neurodivergent main characters.
• Reviews may not exceed 2,000 words.
• All text must be in the body of an email with double-spacing between paragraphs.
• Email subject line:  "Book Review Submission [Your Name]".
• All submissions should be sent to handyuncappedpen[at]gmail[dot]com.
• Please refrain from giving a book a score.  Just tell us if it's worth the read, not worth it, or if you're on the fence.
• Please send your contact information and a third-person biography in the email.  You don't need to include the author's biography.
• It would be helpful (but isn't required) if you would send the book's cover image with a description of it.
• Anthologies as well as issues of literary magazines focusing on disability, neurodivergence, illness, etc. can be reviewed.

Notes on ethics:

• Please do not review books by family or close friends.
• Reviewers are allowed to ask authors for review copies if the only way to find a copy is to purchase one (and the cost is prohibitive).
• Reviewers will never accept payment from authors.
• No review-for-review agreements between authors.

Payment:

We pay $3 via Paypal only.  We won't send paper checks, sorry.

Rights:

We take one-time rights and request archival rights since posts stay on the blog.

We do not take rights not absolutely required to do what we do.  Your copyright stays yours.

Questions?

Contact us via email handyuncappedpen[at]gmail[dot]com or on Twitter @HandUnPen

Guidelines for The Adjacent Arts Spotlight

Disabled and neurodivergent artists working in any medium besides writing (dancers, singers, weavers, and more) can submit their work.  Artists don't have to be writers to be featured.

However, artists must write something about their work:  Tell us what themes you love, how you started in that medium, how you make a living from your art, your first disastrous show... something.  Let us know you a bit as an artist, don't just throw your work at us and run off.  It doesn't have to be a long piece (in fact, keep it under 1,500 words) but make it interesting.  We want a full spotlight on our blog, not just a flashlight.

General:

• Artists can submit up to five minutes of audio/video or up to six images.
• All media must have captions, descriptions, or transcripts included.  All.  We will not be providing them.  We will not accept submissions without them.
• We will not open any odd links.  Please send us YouTube links (or other recognized, legitimate links to your work).  Same thing goes with files:  Nothing we're scared to open.
• Subject line in your email must be "AAS Submission [Your Name]" and all submissions must be sent to handyuncappedpen[at]gmail[dot]com. 
• The text of your submission (not necessarily including descriptions/transcripts) must be in the body of the email with double-spacing between paragraphs.
• Swearing permitted.
• We expect any appropriate trigger warnings.
• A third-person biography and contact information must be included.  Your biography can have links to your store.
• Inquire about collaboration projects first.

What we won't consider:

• Excessive gore
• Pornography
• Coloring book pages (unless they're truly unique)
• Culinary arts without an interesting focus or more "decorative slant"
• Submissions of just poetry or short fiction.  Slam poets are different.

Payment:

We pay $3 via Paypal only.  We won't send paper checks, sorry.

Rights:

We take one-time rights and request archival rights since posts stay on the blog.

We do not take rights not absolutely required to do what we do.  Your copyright stays yours.

Questions?

Contact us via email handyuncappedpen[at]gmail[dot]com or on Twitter @HandUnPen

"Adjacent Arts Spotlight" Coming in September

We thought about starting a whole new blog to showcase different arts (and artists) beyond the scope of writing.  We didn't want to dilute our focus, but we have so many different artists working in so many different mediums that we know we need something.  The "Adjacent Arts Spotlight" aims to provide disabled/neurodivergent artists with a space to present their work to our community and a wider audience.

If we get a huge response to AAS, we might still start that companion blog.  If not, we feel this is a great way to include other artists without compromising our mission.

When will the "Adjacent Arts Spotlight" start?

AAS will debut in the first half of September.  We hope to present the work of two artists a month.  The posts will always fall on Wednesdays.  If we don't have enough submissions, there won't be posts.

What are the restrictions?

1. No media without captions.
2. No pornographic images or excessive gore.  Swearing is fine.  
3. If your work depicts something that needs a trigger warning, use it!
4. Don't send a million photographs.
5. No strange links.  We won't open them.
6. No creative writing as the centerpiece for AAS posts.

Guidelines are coming soon!  (We will also be revamping our "Guidelines" page entirely.)

Will artists be paid?

Yes, the regular fee of $3 via Paypal.

Are there any mediums you don't want submissions of?

We don't want adult coloring book pages unless you draw them or do something truly unique.  Food arts should be confined to the decorative side.  Otherwise, we're pretty open!  Card-making, knitting, singing, dancing, woodworking... send them all!

Do people sending their other art stuff have to be writers?

Being a writer isn't a prerequisite to submit for the "Adjacent Arts Spotlight", though posts must be more than just photos or videos with zero context.  A ceramist hoping to be featured doesn't have to be a novelist, no.

So, you'll accept every submission?

Nope, only the ones we like.

When can people begin submitting their arts?

As soon as our guidelines go up for AAS, which should be soon.