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The Guest Editor Series
Insights into Editing, Submission, and Publication
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting poets on their creative journeys, we’re excited to introduce the Guest Editor Series—a new offering focused on the world of editing and publishing.
This series expands on our popular Guest Poet Series by bringing in experienced editors and publishing professionals to share practical guidance on navigating the submission and publication process. Whether you're just beginning to explore the idea of publishing your work or are looking to refine your approach, this series is designed to offer valuable insight and support.
Topics will include:
- What makes a strong submission
- What editors look for in poetry manuscripts
- Common pitfalls to avoid
- Behind-the-scenes of the editorial process for journals, anthologies, and books
Confirmed guests include representatives from Black Lawrence Press, Rattle, Beloit Poetry Journal, and The Alaska Quarterly Review.
Participation is completely free—just one more way we're working to nurture your growth as a poet.
Thursday, May 8, 5pm PT
Diane Goettel
A Deep Dive Into Small Press Publishing
Join us for an insightful conversation exploring the ins and outs of small press publishing. This session will cover what sets small presses apart, how to find the right fit for your work, and what to expect from the submission, editing, and publication process. Whether you're new to publishing or looking to deepen your understanding, this talk offers valuable guidance for navigating the vibrant world of independent literary publishing.
Diane Goettel is the Executive Editor of Black Lawrence Press. Her writing has recently appeared in Club Plum, Ethel, Border Crossings, Grimoire, and The Laurel Review. She lives in Mt. Vernon, New York with her family.
Thursday, June 26, 5pm PT
Timothy Green
Behind the Editor’s Desk
Learn about the business of writing and publishing poetry from the long-time editor of one of the largest literary journals in English. The session will explore how a poetry journal functions behind the scenes, what editors are looking for, and how to find an audience in the 21st century. We’ll also address alternative forms of publishing, including NFTs and social media, and have time for a Q & A at the end.
Timothy Green is the editor of Rattle magazine, host of the weekly Rattlecast and Critique of the Week, and co-host of The Poetry Space_, with his wife, Katie Dozier. His radio programming has aired on KPFK-Los Angeles and his articles on poetry in the Press-Enterprise newspaper. Green is the author of American Fractal and Hot Pink Moon, which was co-written with Katie Dozier. He’s also the co-founder of the Wrightwood Arts & Wine Festival and the Wrightwood Arts Center. Find him on X @timothygreen. He lives inThe Woodlands, Texas.
Thursday, July 17, 5pm PT
Ann Arbor and John Rosenwald
Learning from Editors: Observations and Suggestions
From 1976 until 2015 Ann Arbor and John Rosenwald served on the editorial staff of the Beloit Poetry Journal, founded in 1950, one of the earliest and most influential American "little magazines." Their combined seventy years of experience provide the basis for this talk about the process of writing and submitting work in all forms, of all lengths, and on all topics to literary journals small and large, internationally famous and locally significant. Please bring your curiosity and your questions.
John Rosenwald and Ann Arbor live in Farmington, Maine, near where Ann grew up and worked both in the local paper mill and on a ferry cruising between Maine and Nova Scotia. She has taught English to students from pre-kindergarten to graduate school and coached the Beloit College women’s basketball team. Until John's retirement in 2010 he was Professor of English literature and creative writing for 34 years at Beloit College. Together they have served as Foreign Experts in numerous major Chinese universities, creating a pilot program in Transdisciplinary Education and establishing a Center for the Understanding of Western Culture through Study of Western Literature.
As a photographer Ann has had work appear in national and international magazines. She has published poems in numerous journals, including Plume, and written a novel currently under consideration by a major publisher. John has held four Fulbright Scholarships, has published a novel, a collection of poems, and a prize-winning translation of Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus. Since 1975 they have been participants at Robert Bly's Annual Conference on the Great Mother and the New Father. Together they were awarded Honorary Doctorates in 2009 by the University of Maine Farmington.
Thursday, August 21, 5pm PT
Ronald Spatz
Ronald Spatz is the co-founding editor and longtime editor-in-chief of Alaska Quarterly Review (AQR), called “one of the nation’s best literary magazines” by The Washington Post. A former National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, he has taught English and Creative Writing at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) since 1980, where he founded LitSite Alaska, the UAA/Anchorage Daily News Statewide Creative Writing Contest, and served as founding Dean of the UAA University Honors College.
Spatz holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His writing and video work have appeared in journals and on public TV, while AQR selections have been widely reprinted in The Best American series, The Pushcart Prize, The New Yorker, and more. His many honors include the 2024 Governor’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award and the University of Alaska’s Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence.