WHAT TO SEND:
THE HOW I LEARNED SERIES is basically about how we’re all just winging it. It’s about the getting of wisdom, but also, who even knows anything about anything anyway? Control is an illusion. Time is a flat circle. Everything is magic, mystery, and too many subscriptions. You can take “how I learned” literally, but the stories that tend to work best come in through the side door. Personal narratives told slantwise, like a sixth sense. An evocative spin on existential-leaning themes; your unique way of seeing the horror and the hilarity of being a person; how we change or don’t change; how the world changes, or fails to change; long-held misbeliefs or misaligned connections; how little things are big and nothing resolves neatly; the proverbial dot dot dot. Make meaning out of chaos, but leave the audience wondering what happens next.
I love fiction, but this is a nonfiction-only area. The word count is about 1500-1700 words, or, for a flash piece, about 600-800 words.
HOW TO SEND IT:
Word or Google Docs attachment
Include word count
In your email, add (1) a brief summary — 1 to 3 sentences; and (2) a third-person bio.
Indicate if this is a simultaneous submission and follow up immediately if it gets accepted somewhere else.
If you want to add how you learned about HOW I LEARNED, please do.
Subject line format: “SUBMISSION: [topic, theme, or proposed title]”
Send to: howilearned@gmail.com
[NEW] REPRINTS:
You may submit a piece for consideration that was originally published 8 or more weeks ago.
WHAT NOT TO SEND:
A story without reading the magazine first
A story without knowing what this is
A story ghostwritten by monsters, sponsored by billionaires
RESPONSE TIME:
I try to respond within 6 weeks. Please wait at least 6 weeks before following up. Resend the original email, and add “Follow up” to the subject line.
APPLICATION FEE:
Zero dollars.
PAYMENT:
This indie magazine is 100% supported by paid subscriptions. As a writer and editor, I loathe saying that there’s no pay at this time. I’m working hard to change that.
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
If your work is accepted for publication, you’ll have full access to HOW I LEARNED with a complimentary subscription. If you don’t already have a subscription, even a free one will help support and make visible an indie publication, which is increasingly important in this mixed up world.
LAST THING:
If you’re thinking of submitting, but you’re wavering, just do it. Hit me with your best shot. I’m excited to read your story.
XO Blaise
