Cities and suburbs, real and imaginary.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

A Note to Literary Magazines and Folks Wanting to Start Literary Magazines...

I'm made really, really, really uncomfortable when I see something in the guidelines stating that you don't want to see alternative lifestyles in your stories.

Wow. (I won't name names, here, but knowing the person(s) involved, it really surprised me when I saw that in their guidelines.)

8 comments:

Shawn Scarber Deggans said...

Seems like they would be cutting out many of the more interesting lifestyles that way.

Anyone I know?

J m mcdermott said...

Unfortunately, Shawn, it's someone I know well.

I've e-mailed her about it, but haven't heard back from her.

J m mcdermott said...

I should say... It's someone I *thought* I knew well.

D. D. said...

Bummer. When will people grow up and realize that sexual orientation, along with race, are nothing to judge people on. Compassion and acceptance (not just tolerance) for one another should be ouy goal as a society.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the entire conversation that brought those guidelines to light for me was rather disappointing, assuming I speak of the same person/magazine (and I'm pretty sure I do).

J m mcdermott said...

I've decided this market will only get stories with alternative lifestyles in them in their slush pile, from me. I think that's probably the most appropriate response. Anyone else in?

Let's make them torn between the awesome of our stories, and the prejudice on their stated guidelines!

D. D. said...

Who do I send my stories to? I have one about a dwarf black lesbian dominatrix who was impregnated by her brother. In a unique twist of cross-dimensional time travel she gives birth to herself as a man, only to undergo a horrific accident during puberty, where he is reconstructed as a woman. WIll that offend enough people?

Anonymous said...

Holy crap, DD! Now how am I going to pitch my story about the same damn thing?!

Seriously - that is so twisted you'd need a flow chart to follow it. But somehow, it actually kind of works, and in a weird sort of way, it appeals to me.

note to self: refill xanax. asap!