A literary journal (or literary magazine) is a collection of writing made up of submissions from various writers. These submissions can come from all over the world. For A Common Place, submissions are exclusively from Longwood’s undergraduate students. During a certain period, a journal will accept submissions. Editors, who run the journal, will read submissions and decide which ones will be published. These pieces are collected into a volume of work and released. And yes, this process is inherently a bit subjective– but that only means that even if a piece isn’t accepted by one journal, it might be a favorite at another!

Literary journals are an important part of the literary community. They offer a platform for genres besides books, and allow writers to gain experience and make connections as they navigate their career. Since A Common Place is an undergraduate journal, our goal is to build a community here at Longwood, where aspiring writers can practice skills and connect with the literary world. Many host literary contests and events that foster a sense of community among writers and readers. 

Overall, the term “literary journal” is a bit hard to define because each one is unique. Some feature only a specific genre— like The Dark, which is mostly horror, or Clarkesworld, which publishes fantasy and sci-fi. Like many others, however, A Common Place accepts several genres—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Others, like Rattle, are specifically for poetry. Some are even more specific— for example, Kaleidoscope exclusively features work that’s related to disabilities. Others stick to a specific theme or motto, like Carve, which publishes work that promotes their belief in “honest fiction.” Some journals pay writers, others don’t. Some are nationally-known, while others have only a few issues. They may publish work online, in print, or both. A Common Place is publishing both online and print. Among literary journals, there’s endless opportunity for writers and endless options for readers.