Paper Nautilus Open Chapbook Contest

I’m very excited to announce the Paper Nautilus Open Chapbook Contest! Because there are often lots of questions about guidelines, I’m going to try sticking to bullet points to make all the basic information a little easier to find.

• Call for submissions: previously unpublished chapbook manuscripts of poetry, prose, or mixed genre.

• Submission period: May 15th, 2012 through August 1st, 2012. Submit your chapbook to our contest here.

• Entry Fee: $11 per submission. Multiple entries are allowed, but each must be accompanied by another $11 entry fee.

• Manuscripts should be between 10 and 20 pages of poetry, or 3500 to 7000 words of prose.

• For the purposes of this contest, 1 page is equal to roughly 350 words of prose, or 30-32 lines of poetry.

• Prior publication of individual pieces is OK, just as long as the collection as a whole is unpublished. Please include any acknowledgement of prior publication in the cover letter field when uploading to the submissions manager.

• Simultaneous submission is OK, just as long as you withdraw the manuscript immediately should it become unavailable.

• Prize: Publication, and the full print run of 100 copies of the chapbook. Chapbook will be 5.5″ x 8.5″ and perfect bound with glossy, full color cover. The winner may also purchase additional bulk copies from Paper Nautilus, if s/he would like.

• Judge: A retired professor of legal studies, Christine Beck‘s poems have been published in journals and anthologies. Her poem “Sometimes He Comes Home Bloody” won the Leo Connellan prize and was published in Connecticut Review in 2011. Her most recent chapbook of the same name is forthcoming from Pudding House Press. She is the programming director and Editor of the Newsletter of the Connecticut Poetry Society.

Why aren’t we just doing a separate contest for poetry and for fiction? This is a question that I anticipate getting a lot, and there are two answers – one practical, and one idealistic – for those who are curious: the practical answer is that from an administrative, financial, and time standpoint, I’m not sure it’s wise for Paper Nautilus to jump into chapbook publishing by sponsoring two contests at once. This is new territory, and I think “baby steps” are appropriate here, especially when entrusted with looking at whole manuscripts. The idealistic answer is because, quite simply, I’m not sure why manuscripts need to be divided into genres. As a writer working on a mixed genre collection myself, I’d like to see more contests and publications embrace the idea that a variety of styles can work well within the same text. And so this is my small contribution to possibly make this notion a little more common. Granted, not every writer wants to write in both genres, and rest assured that mixed genre manuscripts will not get priority treatment – send your flash fictions, a standalone 7500-word story, 20 pages straight of pantoums, or whatever you’re skilled at writing – but if you want to mix it up a little by working in both genres, Paper Nautilus supports and welcomes your work!

Questions about guidelines? Leave a comment, post it on our Facebook, or send an email to paper.nautilus@mail.com

So who will be our first entry at midnight tonight?

xoxo,
Paper Nautilus

Free Time and Feedback

As the semester winds down, I know that Paper Nautilus will seamlessly fill the new free time that comes from having weekly assignments lifted from the long to-do list. So if you’ve submitted work and are patiently waiting for a response, rest assured you’ll receive one soon and that you have not been forgotten.

In fact, I’m so excited to get to spend long stretches of time reading these submissions, that I have an idea on how to make it even more enjoyable for me. An idea that I’m a little nervous about, because I’m not sure if it’s just my excitement talking, or if it’s truly feasible at this time.

I’m thinking of having a chapbook contest. It would be a small one (10-20 pages, I think), and it would be for poetry, or fiction, or a combination of the two within the same book. And it would be a short run, as well – probably 50-100 copies, which would go to the winner as the prize, and the winner could sell them (or give them away, or make an avant-garde art installation out of them, or whatever).

What do you folks think? Is this something you’d be interested in?

I will also need a judge, and will be casually searching for one until I know for certain this chapbook contest is an idea that’s wise to move forward with. (If you have any leads, or are perhaps interested in being the contest judge, please feel free to send an email over to paper.nautilus@mail.com).

If you do have a strong feeling about this contest either way, please let me know, and that way I can take that into consideration. This is as much your magazine as it is mine.

xoxo,
Lisa

Oh, and P.S. don’t forget to check the Featured Work section – there’s a poem by Carol Berg that’s been added recently, and it’s one of my favorites.

2012 Massachusetts Poetry Festival

Hi folks, I know I’ve already mentioned this event, but it’s worth mentioning again. If you are in the area on April 20th – 23rd (or even if you’re not), you should seriously consider attending the 2012 Massachusetts Poetry Festival in Salem, Massachusetts. There are more amazing events and featured readers and workshops and readings than are even practical to lost here, so please go check out there website. While you’re there, it might be a good idea to register so you can reserve a spot in events that catch your eye – some of these workshops are already booked up!

2012 Massachusetts Poetry Festival

From North Coast to North Shore

While Paper Nautilus did not “officially” have a booth at the AWP conference that took place in Chicago last week, we did manage to squeeze a few issues on the corner of The Connecticut Review‘s table for those at the book fair passing by. I had some great conversations with fellow writers, and – as always – am impressed by the dedication, passion, and ingenuity of all the different publications I saw, as well as the folks presenting at the various events.

If you missed AWP this year, or are maybe experiencing some post-conference depression at having to return to normal life, you can still get excited for the 2012 Massachusetts Poetry Festival! The festival runs from April 20th – 22nd in the lovely North Shore area of Salem, MA. There will be workshops, readings, and a small press fair. Some folks in attendance will include Nikky Finney, Frank Bidart, Martha Collins, Joy Harjo, Robery Pinksy, Stephen Dunn, and many more. If you are local and looking to give back, they are also looking for volunteers. This event is truly not to be missed!

Also, be sure to take another look at the Featured Works section, which has been recently updated with some great stuff by Charles Rafferty and April Sopkin. After some trial-and-error (and more error – I am not so tech-savvy), I’ve found a way to give these selected gems a permanent fixture and also link to more than one at a time. So if you haven’t gotten your hands on an issue yet, go check out some favorites from the last issue.

Enjoy!
Paper Nautilus

Two Other Great Publications to Submit to – Hurry!

Don’t forget to send your work to Paper Nautilus first, but if you’ve already sent submissions our way, here are two other magazines looking for fine literary work:

Noctua Review based at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), is accepting submissions of poetry and prose until January 30th. This publication also gives special attention to the graduate community at SCSU and publishes current graduate students and alums alongside writers of all kinds from across the country. You can also find them on Facebook

Fresh Ink, is based at Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC), and publishes writers from both within the campus community as well as nationally. How to submit: Send five poems or up to 1000 words of prose, each piece in a separate word document, to freshink@nvcc.commnet.edu – be sure to put your name, email address, and telephone number in the body of the email. Submission deadline in February 15th. For questions, contact Greg Harding at jharding@nvcc.commnet.edu

Read, write, and stay warm.

xoxo,
Paper Nautilus

New “Featured Work” section!

Paper Nautilus is starting the new year with a new addition to our website: now under the “Featured Work” section in the menu bar above you can find exactly that – a selection of some of the fine poems, prose, and Aphorisms included in the pages of Paper Nautilus.

Since this is a new addition to the site, the approach is still a bit volatile until we determine what works best. For instance, featured work may only be located here for a few weeks, and then later refreshed with a different selection from the issue. Or, we may keep an ongoing collective of works here. But regardless of what method we find fits best, there will always be something worth reading (again) located here.

Our featured work right now is a poem by Colleen Michaels, “Bowing to Vines Out of Season.”

Also, past or potential contributors: Paper Nautilus is currently looking for your work for our 2012 issue! Head on over to our submission manager, and spread the word to all the writers in your life.

And remember that Paper Nautilus – like any independent literary publication – cannot exist without your support; this includes reading the magazine, sending us your work, and also purchasing an issue. For just $8 you can have well over 100 pages of innovative, powerful literature and help insure its future.

Many thanks,

Lisa
Paper Nautilus

I Might Have Some Explaining to Do, or: How I’m Learning to Stop Worrying and Admit My Mistakes

It’s been nearly ten months since Paper Nautilus went live back in February, but I’d like to introduce myself, officially: Hi. My name’s Lisa. As far as writers go, I’m a fairly private person.

I’m 26 years old. I work full-time proofreading legal contracts for an insurance company. I’m also a full-time graduate student working on my MFA in creative writing. I have a wonderful partner, who currently lives a six-hour’s drive away, working on his PhD.

I am the entire staff of Paper Nautilus: I maintain the websites; read and respond to all the submissions; format, proofread, and design the layout of the issue’s contents and cover; coordinate with the printer; package and mail each copy sent out; and pay for any costs of production from my personal bank account. If that sounds like a complaint, let me stress that it’s not: Paper Nautilus is a labor of love that, despite all my other obligations, is not going anywhere, and I am just as committed to producing a literary publication with an eclectic range of powerful work as ever.

But I also owe some of you an apology.

It has been brought to my attention that there have been several errors in the form of omissions. Today I discovered that at least two bios under the contributor’s notes were accidentally excluded. I’m going to wait a few days to see if anyone else comes forward with any more glaring errors on my part. I’ll then address all of the necessary corrections at once. Did I mention yet that I’m beyond mortified I didn’t catch these mistakes in time? While there is no excuse for this, I would like to offer a bit of explanation.

In late August, right after the 2011 issue reading period closed and right before the start of the semester, I went for a routine check-up that resulted in a string of medical investigations that are still ongoing. I have gone to several specialists, had dozens of blood samples drawn, and had everything from the waist up imaged piece-by-piece through varying forms of medical technology. After studying English for nearly eight years at the post-secondary level, I still cannot tell you for sure if it was ironic – or just plain coincidence – that the cost of my first of two MRIs in this ordeal was only six dollars off from the cost of printing Paper Nautilus, both in the four-digit range. And, out of the blue, I landed in the ER two days ago for a ruptured ovarian cyst.

Even though they’ve ruled out anything life-threatening, I’ve been admittedly a little distracted and overwhelmed lately. If I had any idea that these health issues would still be a demand on my time three months later, I would’ve just postponed the release date until January. Instead, I tried to stick as closely to the original timeline as possible and made some mistakes in my hastiness to get this issue to completion.

Public admissions of this sort might be seen as unprofessional or too personal. They’re certainly way out of character for me. However, I felt compelled to offer the readers and writers of Paper Nautilus some insight, and to try and reclaim some of my credibility. When a small upstart literary magazine is entrusted with celebrating and distributing fine creative work, and then said magazine’s first issue is released late AND has several significant errors, some damage control is in order. This was the most sincere way I could think of to accomplish that, so that anyone who wants to read or submit to Paper Nautilus knows that – despite a few very unfortunate errors – the 2011 issue has received lots of positive feedback, is full of engaging and skillful work, and will be followed with an even more impressive issue to be released late in 2012.

I’ll upload the missing contributors’ bios and any other missing sections in a few days. They will also be included in the forthcoming eBook version of the 2011 issue. I’ll continue reading the current submissions awaiting review in the next two weeks or so. And no matter how much work that I say I put into helping pull Paper Nautilus together, all of you folks and your support as readers and writers of the magazine are really what made this possible.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send an email to: paper.nautilus @ mail.com

xoxo,
Lisa

Darren Cormier: Wittgenstein the Photographer

It was brought to my attention that there’s an error in the 2011 issue that was just completed and mailed out. You’ll note that Darren Cormier is listed as a contributor in the back, but that I forgot to include his lovely work in the actual magazine! While Paper Nautilus has only one editor, and this editor has both a full time job and full time graduate school to tackle, I’m still completely embarrassed and recognize that such an oversight is unacceptable. I’ve recently had my own work accepted and then forgotten by a magazine, so I can say with experience that’s it’s a huge disappointment.

Which is why I’m going to share with all of you here the piece that should’ve been included under the Aphorisms section in the 2011 issue:

Wittgenstein the Photographer
Darren Cormier

He adjusts the lens and says to the fidgeting subject on the chair, “Don’t worry. The camera only adds about 20 pounds of torment.”

For anyone who has been curious or confused about what exactly an “Aphorism” was supposed to be in terms of our submission guidelines, Darren’s piece above captures it nicely: a bold statement made concisely with various levels of potential meaning. “Wittgenstein the Photographer” will be included in the next issue of Paper Nautilus, but I thought it was important to share Darren’s work here as well.

And since this mishap has got me thinking about it, in the future I’ll periodically be posting a selection of works from the 2011 issue, just because they’re all really fine pieces of writing, and who doesn’t like more of that?

Have a great holiday weekend, folks.

xoxo,
Paper Nautilus

2011 Issues are now available!

If you are a contributor, you can start checking your mailboxes for a copy soon.

If you would like to purchase an issue, you can do so at the following link:

http://readpapernautilus.blogspot.com/

We are excited (and relieved that it’s finally ready), and looking forward to reading all the submissions for the 2012 issue waiting for review.

Thank you all for your patience and support, and hope you enjoy the inaugural issue!

xoxo,
Paper Nautilus

Please stand by: we are experiencing electrical difficulites

So, some of you may have noticed that the estimated release date of October has passed and there’s still no confirmation of an issue being ready. There’s been some mention of this on our Facebook, but for those who are wondering “Where the hell is my contributor’s copy?” or getting nervous because this is our inaugural issue, I’m here to give you the full story, as well as some piece of mind.

I would like to start off first by saying that the printer we are using is a small, locally-owned, commercial printer – and the woman who has been working with me on Paper Nautilus has been really wonderful and very attentive. However, as can often happen when trying to talk about technical things to an industry expert, there were some miscommunications about the specs of the magazine. This resulted in having to reformat the entire issue from scratch. This also meant that the issue nearly doubled in size, which meant that we had too many pages to use perfect binding. While I was really excited about perfect binding, it’s also very exciting that we received so much excellent work that we would’ve jammed the press. The proof copy is still very attractive, even with saddle stitch.

And that should’ve settled it, and the issue should’ve been ready last week. The second setback was the unprecedented pre-Halloween snowstorm that caused widespread power outages throughout southern New England, a small number of which have yet to be restored. I couch-surfed for eight days to find a place to sleep with heat. Our printer just got electricity fully restored yesterday. It has been a real adventure for many of us around here, and I thank you for your patience as we work to get things up to speed and to send Paper Nautilus to your mailbox.

While I’m suspicious of posting an actual date for fear that an epic flood, meteorite, or giant squid will appear and cause more delays, know that I expect things will be all settled very soon, and I’ll be posting updates as soon as it’s confirmed for sure.

If you would like to pre-order an issue, there is a link under the “Issues” tab that will direct you to another site to place a secure order through Paypal.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to post a comment on our Facebook, or send an email to “Paper.nautilus (at) mail.com”

Thanks folks, and stay warm.

xoxo,
Paper Nautilus