Almost there.

OK, well, what are deadlines for if not to push? My apologies... I had wanted to see Melusine out by the 31st, and that might still be possible (Pacific Time) with constant infusions of caffeine in place of food and sleep and an impromptu change in my work schedule, but I think y'all will understand if I push it just a couple days instead ;) I feel safe saying Thursday, or Friday at the latest.
In good news, it's looking pretty nice, thanks mostly to our talented web/design team, as well as this issue's artists, and it's reading pretty well, too, thanks to our talented contributors.
I'm looking forward to finally posting that link. Soon, soon.
Thanks so much for your patience.

Counting Down, 6 Weeks to Launch

Well, it's been a while since my last update, hasn't it? No, nothing is amiss in Melusine-land, just hectic. I apologize for the silence to any readers who've been checking here for updates. The journal is indeed proceeding pretty much on schedule. My original hoped-for launch date was March 20, but to be safe rather than sorry (this being my first journal and me not being the necessarily early-bird sort) I'm going to amend that to March 31, with a possibility it will come in a day or two earlier -- better to err on that side, right?

Proofs will be going out soon for the debut issue. I'm still reading and accepting submissions for the summer issue. This time, art is the only genre that is filled so far, but if you have art to send, feel free to submit it for the fall issue. I will start replying to submissions again after the Spring issue is out, although of course there is the occasional submission that will get a 24-hour acceptance if the stars are properly aligned.

So I look forward to announcing the site/issue launch in just six weeks. There's some rather awesome work in this first issue that I feel privileged to be publishing, and I'm pretty excited to share it with you all.

Until then...

Fiction Length Guidelines

It just occurred to me that I never gave any word limits for short stories. Although I've only received one story so far that I considered a bit too long, it seems like good form to give some basic guidelines in this regard. So, OK, there's no minimum length, and short-shorts or flash fiction is fine. As for maximum, I'd say 10,000.

I don't have any limits for nonfiction, since I'll be honest; like art, the nonfiction category has been more challenging to fill, and quality and fresh subject matter is really the only criteria.

And while I'm on my soapbox here, the art category for the Spring debut issue is still open, and all categories are open for the Summer 2009 issue.

Debut issue full, except for artwork.

Melusine Update:
As indicated above, the debut issue is now full... except for one or two spots for artwork, particularly full-color artwork. So far we haven't received any photography, B&W or color, so we'd be especially interested in looking at some of that.

From this date on, all poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and queries for reviews will be considered for the second issue, slated for June 2009. But don't worry that, if you send stuff anytime soon, it will necessarily go into a black hole (I say "necessarily" because it could take me the whole 6 months to respond, but if your work really blows me away, I may respond much sooner.)

Which is not to say that if you've submitted stuff already and haven't heard back yet, that we don't want to publish your stuff. I have a handful of things I agonized about when making the final cut for the Spring issue that I may be holding for summer, in some cases just because it seemed to have more of a summer theme, and, if that's the case, I'll get back to you in a reasonable amount of time.

And, thesis deadlines notwithstanding, I will be getting back to everyone over the next few months, in the order that the submissions were received. And I want to take this moment to thank everyone who has supported this new venture with their submissions, and offer my assurance that, even if your work wasn't accepted on this go-round, that you're very welcome to submit again in the future!

Just one more note: I've started thinking seriously about a print "best of" annual issue, the first one being the Spring 2010 issue. More details on that later. One thing at a time, right?

Reviews

Hello everyone,
I've been really excited with the quality of submissions I've received so far. The first issue is approximately half full. Keep the good stuff coming! :)
I just wanted to mention that I think I've decided to include a few reviews in the first issue. I had been going back and forth on that.
I won't be able to review more than a few books, but if you're interested in having me review your poetry chapbook or collection, novel or short story collection, or work of nonfiction published after January 2007, please send me a query at sub2melusine@gmail.com
I am also open to reviewing other genres of art such as music, film, or whatever it is you do, provided it is relevant to the spirit of Melusine. That, along with quality, would definitely be the primary criteria I would use in deciding what to review.
Thanks, and look forward to hearing from you!

Open Call for Submissions: March 15 - December 15, 2008

I was going to wait until April 1 to open the submission call, but, A) the whole April Fool's Day thing; and, B) I like the idea of a nine-month reading period for my labor of love here. OK, either way, it was going to sound cheesy, but, oh, well... I'm just glad to get this thing off the ground already.

Here is the official call for submissions that is appearing in Poets & Writers:

MELUSINE, OR WOMAN IN THE 21ST CENTURY is a new online journal that explores the good, bad, and ugly of the contemporary female experience, especially that of the female artist/thinker, through art, poetry, short fiction, and essay. We want only ambitious, thought-provoking work that is carefully crafted and pushes boundaries. Artists please query. Writers, feel free to query or send 1-4 poems, 1 piece of short fiction, or 1-2 essays and a short bio in the body of an e-mail to sub2melusine@gmail.com. If there are formatting concerns, especially with poems, please attach a Word document version as well. More details at melusineblog.blogspot.com.

And that would be here. Glad you dropped by. Welcome!
Those additional details you're seeking can probably be found in either the next two paragraphs or my two introductory posts below.

Regarding simultaneous submissions, they are fine as long as you notify me in your e-mail that they are such, and then, if they are accepted elsewhere, you notify me immediately so that I can remove them from consideration.
Previously published work is not acceptable, however.
I have no plans to do theme issues. However, as you might guess from the title, I have a fondness for mermaid/siren/selkie/Melusine imagery, and such images and themes are bound to appear in the journal as recurring motifs, when I come across them in well-written work or original art.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to either query to sub2melusine@gmail.com or, if you wish, and you have a Blogger account, respond to this post.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing your work!

Updated Timeline

Season's Greetings!
At this point, I don't think anyone besides me is reading this (if someone is, apologies for the unintended slight; no, you're not chopped liver ;) but, hey, for posterity (and as a reminder to myself) I'm laying out the timeline for launching this journal here.
An open call for submissions will go out at the beginning of April, and, hopefully, an ad will appear in the P&W classifieds on April 9.
Because Melusine is a brand-new endeavor and I want the call for the first issue to reach as many talented ears as possible, I will probably be accepting submissions for most of '08. But all submissions will receive an answer within 6 months of receipt (I know from being on the other end of things that 6 months is pretty much the breaking point for waiting on an answer :)
Production will begin at the end of '08/beginning of '09, and I plan to release the first issue in early Spring '09 (ideally, on the date of the equinox, for a seasonal vibe. I'm all about the seasons.)
That's the plan for now. Check back for more details in April. Happy New Year!