We Have Our Work Cut Out for Us
by Barbara Westwood Diehl
A record set for Baltimore Review submissions today. 102 received in one day, May 31, the last day of our submission period. During this submission period (Feb. 1 - May 31), we received a total of 2,567 submissions. Our submission periods are Feb. 1 - May 31 and August 1 - November 30.
The BR editors read submissions on a regular basis. Some of us read almost daily. Some of us read in occasional marathon sessions. But, obviously, we still have our work cut out for us.
Some incredible writing has come our way in recent months. Some of the work has been snatched up by other journals before we’ve even had a chance to read it. So it goes. And some poems and stories that don’t make it into our next issue will find homes in a number of excellent journals in the months to come. Good writing should always find a good home. I wish all writers well. I’m a writer myself. All the BR editors are writers.
At the risk of sounding corny, it reassures me—no, it makes me feel ridiculously hopeful—that so many people are writing their hearts out. Trying to connect with someone or a couple of other people out there who might connect with them back somehow. We’re listening. We hope you’re listening, reading, too.