This year saw Free Verse Revolution transform from an online blog, to literary magazine, to a literary and arts magazine. Four issues have been published and have been downloaded over two thousand times. As this year draws to a close, I wanted to reflect upon this year but more importantly look ahead with many lessons learned.
The design of the issues began with manipulating Google Docs, to using Canva with a consistent style beginning to emerge. The Instagram feed tried its best to be thematic, as did the website, and FVR finally has a Link Tree account making it more accessible across platforms.
Needless to say, it is stylistic choices which will continue to change in 2022 as FVR finds its ‘look’’.
What will not change is how FVR runs its submissions. The calibre and amount of work submitted during long submission periods has been incredibly rewarding and so 2022’s issues will all have six week submission windows. You will always receive an acknowledgment within a few days and you will know whether your work has been accepted within a week of the submission window closing.
2021 saw us exploring the Olympic Pantheon, from Hebe and youth, to Hades and death. 2022 will continue in a mythological vein but will expand its horizons beyond Western mythology. The issues are already planned; here are some dates for your diary:
January 10th – Issue V submissions open
April 4th – Issue VI submissions open
July 11th – Issue VII submissions open
October 17th – Issue VIII submissions open
All of our 2022 issues will be released as free digital downloads AND as printed copies to be purchased. FVR begins this journey with its first anthology featuring some of the best work in the 2021 issues to be released in January. This print anthology will be the first foray into print editions and so far it feels more exciting than it does nerve-wracking! I hope it will be a sure sign of FVR continuing to flourish as a literary and arts magazine you feel confident submitting your work to.
As mentioned before, how many contributors I can accept for each issue will be lessened in comparison to the past year. Digital copies have little restraints while print editions do when I am committed to ensuring the quality is premium but the content is affordable. I know many of you reached out to reassure me you understand but it is one of the things I wish I knew at the beginning of 2021 as I do wish we could keep the issues jam-packed…
We try, we live and we learn! My final reflection is that I hope to honour our contributors far more in 2022 by taking part in the Pushcart Nominations. And I would love to hear from you. Our horizons are not yet boundless but there is certainly room to grow, what would you wish to see from FVR in the coming year?
Take care & happy new year!
Kristiana
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