editors speak
Cicada
Deborah Vetter
CICADA is one of the few teen literary magazines and we’re delighted
to see them coming back so strong after their redesign at the beginning
of this year. So Kid Magazine Writers asked CICADA editor Deborah
Vetter to share with us a little about what’s happened to CICADA and
what that might mean to us – both our younger writers and our oldies. She
graciously shared the following:
DV: We launched a redesign of CICADA in Jan/Feb 2008, going from a
128-page perfect-bound “book look” to a larger, staple-bound 8” x 10.5”
magazine with 48 pages. We’re still publishing the same type and caliber
of stories, poetry, and first-person experiences, but the look is
different with bolder graphics and spreads that allow greater scope for
artists and designers. We’ve also moved toward more interaction with our
readers (ages 14-23) by renaming the Editorial and Letters sections Our
Turn/Your Turn. Each bimonthly issue puts out a Call for Creative
Endeavors, based on an assigned topic such as Epiphany, Amnesty, or
Pilgrimage. Readers can submit poetry and art or photos online or via
snail mail, and we select a few to run in upcoming issues of CICADA.
We’ve also opened up General Submissions to our readership; writers and
illustrators ages 14-23 can
access guidelines
at our web site. Finally, readers can submit short book reviews for
posting on our Web site, and our The Slam is up and running with great
energy; anyone ages 14-23 can submit slammables or critique existing
slammables.
We’ve also opened up submissions to adult writers who have previously
published in CICADA and may be able to open that up further in the
future. Adult guidelines are
here. Click on
Contact Us, scroll down, and follow the prompts. Check for updates.
Anyone who wants to get a flavor of the new CICADA can (1) subscribe
(naturally, our first choice!), (2) contact
Customer Service
for a sample copy which costs $7.95, and/or (3)
log on for a
current sampling of contents and a sense of overall style and voice.
KMW: Now, we know some of our readers have wondered about the lags some
have experienced with the bug magazines in getting responses to
submissions and in getting paid a bit slower than “on publication.” So
we asked Debby if she could share any insight at all (without rudely
putting her on the spot – since we hate to torture editors who are nice
enough to speak with us.)
DV: We’re doing our best on both
fronts—and of course catching up is the goal. I know that everyone is
working hard to make it happen. And, for the record, our editorial
director, Alice Letvin, said that she appreciates you raising both
issues. We value our contributors!
So, a quickie but a reassuring look at the changes with CICADA – we hope
for a long healthy life for one of our very favorite teen literary
magazine.
This page last updated on 01 November 2008
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