The final day of the year inevitably leads to some personal reflection. So, as I draft my New Year’s Resolutions for 2024, I thought I’d take a quick look back at 2023. After dabbling in the literary journal scene at the end of 2022, I decided to start seriously submitting my work in August this year. Since then, I have achieved the following:
- 25 acceptances (9 prose, 16 poems)
- 16 publications (5 prose, 11 poems)
- 6 pieces have been accepted for print (2 prose, 4 poems)
- 1 competition placement, 2 top 20%s
- Lowest acceptance rate: BLEACH! and Crow & Cross Keys (yay!) at 6%
- 1 journal defunct 🙁
- Countless rejections
I’ve had a lot on my plate these past 5 months (including finishing my master’s degree and starting a full-time job), but I still found time to write. I never thought I’d have the confidence to share my work with the world, so seeing how it’s been received, and the number of places that wanted to publish me, is truly wonderful. I’m proud of myself.
I’m not sure what 2024 will bring, but in the spirit of aiming high, here are my writing goals for the next year:
- Write less, write better – pick a few journals I really love rather than submitting to anything and everything
- Draft a poetry collection (aiming for 10-15 poems)
Here’s to 2024.
valete.
