Hello everyone,
We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season. We wish you the best for 2024!
We have some news regarding our magazine. The minimum number of qualifying entries for issue 2 has not been reached. As a matter of fact, we received so many irrelevant submissions that we almost missed the few great ones that landed in our inbox!
As you can imagine, this was not fun for us. Writing this post is not our idea of fun either.
We do not believe in censoring people. Everyone is allowed to write on the topic(s) of their choice. However, if your goal is to be published in a magazine, you must be willing to read and follow guidelines. Editors cannot bend over backwards to accommodate you without potentially compromising the quality and integrity of their editorial policy.
Like any other platform that runs a magazine and / or anthology series, Auroras & Blossoms has very specific rules in place. One of them is: family-friendly, uplifting, and inspiring content only.
And yet, many seem to think that we should accept anything that goes counter to that particular rule.
We cannot prevent spammy submissions or unacceptable demands from reaching our inbox. However, we have the right to state that what the people who send them are doing is a disservice to their fellow creatives.
Two years ago, when we had to deal with similar issues, we were forced to take a long break in order to evaluate our options. We almost closed A&B as a result.
Let us tell you this: It will not happen again!
While we would love to continue publishing as many creatives as we possibly can, we have to be honest. We are tired of bad behaviors. Our time is also limited, so we need to ensure that it is managed properly. That is the reason why we have decided to become more selective.
You sent us a very large number of beautiful haiku/senryu for our Haiku Anthology Series in 2023. Each submitter was kind, professional and respectful. As a matter of fact, it was our most pleasant experience as editors in four years.
As huge fans of haiku and senryu ourselves, we believe that our magazine would benefit from turning its focus towards these specific forms.
So, from today onwards, we will only consider submissions of haiku and senryu for our magazine. Our submission guidelines have been edited to reflect that change.
With that said, for those interested in sending us other types of poetry, as well as stories, you are more than welcome to apply to become a contributor to our yearly PoArtMo Anthology Series. Our flagship publication is not going anywhere! One note of caution, though. Spots are limited to only a few participants every year.
Have a wonderful day!
