Eastlit Live Art and News

Eastlit Live

Recently I haven’t said much about Eastlit Live. However, I have been asked a few times about it. Eastlit Live is still up and running as a concept mixed between Eastlit, the Eastlit Live You Tube channel and our Google+ account. You can access Eastlit Live Channel by clicking the link in the title above. We are always looking for multimedia submissions for Eastlit Live. they can be in any medium: writing, photography, video, audio or any combination. We are happy to consider music, talks, poetry readings or any other art genre of live art. Just send them in through the usual submissions e-mail, or if too big contact us through that e-mail. We can work something out.

A previous post describes the multimedia concept behind Eastlit LIve.

Live Art

Live art! Thomas Donaldson has an art show on in Chonburi, Thailand right now. Why not go along and take a look? I have inserted a flyer below. If you need an idea of his style of artwork, Thomas featured in the January 2014 issue of Eastlit in a piece titled: Thomas Donaldson Art.

Eastlit Live Art News March 2014. Thomas Donaldson Flyer for Where is My Head Art show.

 Other News

Eastlit April 2014 will be out on March 31 or April 1. This issue will include fiction, poetry, non-fiction, artwork, an interview, advice on writing and a book review. I hope you will enjoy the mix we have put together for you. Thanks also to all those who have contributed work for this issue.

We are still taking submissions for the June to December issues of Eastlit. Please go to our Eastlit submissions page to check the guidelines and send your work in. Also please pass this link on to anyone you know who may be interested.

If you have any live art in the form of video, audio or pictures, please also feel free to submit it for consideration for publication on Eastlit or Eastlit Live.

Enough for now.

Cheers.

Graham.

Eastlit Journal

Pieces submitted to Eastlit journal go through quite a process. It is actually a lot of work for us and the volunteer editorial board. For a while I have been thinking of writing a piece on what the process is. And finally here it is. I may turn this into an FAQ later. Any feedback on how clear or not the process description is will be appreciated. If making an FAQ, I will change the format to questions, answers and bullet points. We are not intending on changing the actual process as it is one thing that keeps us a little different from other online journals or print ones.

Eastlit Journal. How it is Published. How your work reaches publication. Eastlit July 2013 picture for the front page is "Rising" by Sinlaratn Soontornviset.Eastlit Journal – How it Works, Submission.

Every morning an administrator, usually me, checks the submissions and editors e-mail accounts. New submissions come through the submissions route, while amended ones or bio’s usually come through the editor’s e-mail. Let’s take a look at what happens when a submission comes in.

Each morning there may be several submissions. The first thing that happens is they are checked against our submission criteria.

If they meet the criteria, they will be assigned to a folder for consideration. There are separate journal folders for each month of the year. They usually go into consideration for the next month. However, before doing this, we do have to check whether an author has been previously published. If they have, we must make sure they are not being considered for consecutive issues of Eastlit. The final check will be to see whether a bio was included or not. Then the administrator will e-mail the author to confirm receiving the piece and letting them know which issue they are being considered for. If necessary we will also request a bio at this point.

If they do not meet our criteria, there are several things that may happen:

  1. Overt erotica will be deleted. The author will receive no response. We make it clear in our journal guidelines, that we do not accept erotica.
  2. Submissions from outside the regions with no obvious connection to the region will receive a response. The administrator will request a short justification from the author as to what the connection to East and/or South East Asia is. If this request is met and we accept the justification, we will then assign the piece for consideration and notify the author. Each case is individually considered.

Eastlit Journal. How it Works. Eastlit's June cover picture is by Vasan Sitthiket.Eastlit Journal – How it Works, Editorial Board and the Decision to Publish or Not.

On the 21st of each month the pieces for consideration for the month after next are assigned to several editorial board members. They then have until the 21st of the month, before the issue will be published, to vote on each piece they receive. For example, for the December issue board members will receive the pieces on 21st October and have until the 21st November to read and vote. The December issue will then be put together and published for December 1.

Board members have wide latitude on how to judge things. We want to have as much variety as possible in the Eastlit journal. Not every piece goes to every member of the journal’s board. We divide the pieces for consideration up and make groups of board members. Each group receives some pieces, but not all, to decide on. The make up of groups is varied by issue. Each group member has one vote. They can vote yes, no or not sure. The vote is completely secret. The administrators add up the scores to see if the piece is rejected or will be published. If there is no clear result then a long term Eastlit journal member, usually not me, will get a casting vote.

Eastlit Journal – How it Works, Notifying Authors.

When all the votes and decisions are in, there are only 9 or ten days until publication. Things get a little crazy. This is when I get very busy as I am the one who puts the journal together. After we are sure what will be published and what will not, all authors are sent an e-mail. They are either told they will be published or they have been rejected. If to be published, and they haven’t sent a bio in, then we will request one again. If rejected, we will usually encourage them to keep writing and to feel free to submit more work. There are also another couple of cases:

  • Non-native writers whose work needs editing. We may offer free editorial help with publication in a future issue.
  • Writers who have more than one piece of prose or more than 5 poems that we want to publish. We will publish some now and some in a future issue. The authors will be informed of this.

Eastlit Journal – How it Works, Making an Issue of Eastlit.

Then it is time to put the issue together. This means making a cover page, contents page, contributors page, a page for each piece or poetry collection, an editorial page (if we do one), and a page for any special series such as Steve Rosse’s How not to Write series.

The page for each piece is fairly straightforward is it has been submitted with no weird html formatting, has no pictures with it and has no spacing/indentation requirements. Some poetry has this. Inserting pictures is easy enough, getting rid of odd html formatting is easy but hard on the eyes. The hardest thing to do is actually insert html to create formatting for poems. It takes time. However, to date we have managed to always get this done when needed. Or at least nobody has complained! We also do individual SEO work on every piece of writing page to try and make sure your work is as visible as possible in searches. This takes a little time. We also do individual SEO work on every picture in a piece too.

The editorial, special series and contributors pages are fairly easy to make. They also have individual SEO work done on them.

The contents page is easy enough to make, but as it contains many links, we have to check them all!

The last made is usually the cover page. The picture is the one thing, I always choose. If we have pictures sent in by either writing or photographic contributors, it will always be selected from these. If not, it will usually be one of mine. Then there is the Photoshop work to actually create the cover. This takes a while as it needs care. I have learnt to double check spellings as changing them on the cover is a pain after the actual release of the Eastlit monthly journal. When the cover is designed the actual creation of the page is easy. Very careful SEO work is done on this page including SEO work on the picture to get it into picture searches too.

Eastlit Journal – How it Works, Publishing the Journal.

Then when the issue is ready, the home page needs to be updated, and an issue removed from the page tabs into the archive. We always keep the current issue plus the previous two months issues in the navigation bar. Then we can publish the issue.

It doesn’t all end there as when the issue is published we market it through social networks, e-mail list and via things such as Line. We hope our authors, editors and supporters push Eastlit this way too. And then I wait to see if anyone has spotted a typo, misspelt name or broken link. I usually hear of this within 48 hours of publication. Changes are made as soon as possible.

OK I will leave it there. There are many other cases, but this gives an idea of the basics of publishing an issue of Eastlit journal. And remember this is repeated every month!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

Cheers.

Graham.

 

News

There are a number of news items as we approach the end of March. I have set them out under headings so you can find what is relevant to you.

News

The April issue will be out on April 1, 2013. It will be an issue of eight or nine pieces including fiction, poetry and a couple of non-fiction pieces. This is continuing in line with our smaller issues policy from the start of this year.

Writers will be hearing in the next few days if their work is in or out.

Writing Process and Editing

We hope to be making an announcement on something new to help new and aspiring writers very soon. As soon as we have things confirmed, we will make it public. This fits with our aim of trying to help new writers and non-native writers. We remain fully committed to encouraging and supporting non-native writers.

Writers’ Group

The International Writers Group, which will be independent of Eastlit, has been set up. It is on Facebook as a Facebook page. Google stopped supporting Google Communities. Please take a look if interested. It is open to anyone writing in English. It is also open to those interested in writing and readers. Using Facebook means that writers can take advantage of easy ways to share, edit, co-write or seek opinions. This can also be done in a private way with only chosen people or publicly. That is up to the writer. Using Facebook does though mean you will need a Facebook account. But who doesn’t have one these days!

Right now the group is very new and small. We are actively seeking new members, so if you have friends who may be interested please let them know. The aim is to make this a group for the members and not have it dominated by a few.

Most of all we would love to hear your ideas. You can contact us in the community, through the usual channels here or via our g mail account.

Future Eastlit Issues

We are now taking submissions for our May and June issues. We are accepting fiction, poetry, non-fiction, relevant essays, novel extracts and photographs. If you have not submitted before, please take a look at our submission guidelines before sending work in.

We actively encourage non-native writers to send work in. See our commitment to supporting new writers.

Finally

If you do support our aims or even just enjoy the work, please do like or share us from the links at the bottom.

Cheers.

Graham.

News

News

The March issue will be out on March 1st. This one includes a variety of non-fiction. There are also the usual poetry and fiction. Plus in the March issue the second chapter of the Iron Butterfly will be run. The first chapter was in the January Eastlit.

Writers should hear about now whether we will be including their work. And thank you to all those who did submit what was a very varied selection this time.

Nice

It is nice to see more work coming in from Filipino writers. We have always wanted to have a strong representation from local as well as expat writers. Let’s hope this trend continues to some other countries. Please remember that are here to help non-native writers too. If you need some advice or editing help, please contact us.

New

Eastlit is looking at copy-editing what it publishes now to better help our writers.

We have also made a colour change to the background and a few words in the Eastlit tag-line. Please let us know if you have any comments on this either positive or negative!

Now we are moving into our fourth issue, we have made an archive section. Issues older than the current three will be moved to here. The December issue is the first moved.

Future Eastlit Issues.

We are still sticking with smaller issues for now. However, we hope within this to continue to bring variety. The coming issue will see more non-fiction.

We are taking submissions for our April and May issues now. Please feel free to send your work in.

Other News

We could still do with pictures for future issues if anyone is interested. Just contact us or send them in. Remember you retain copyright.

And that must be it for now, but

Finally, I’d like to thank Bryn for the extra work he has put in this month.

And on that note it is…

Cheers

Graham

 

February

The complete list of contents for the Eastlit February Issue is below. Please click on a link to go to the page. Eastlit Cover. Picture by Graham Lawrence. Design by Graham Lawrence. The cover shows buildings from Vientiene and provides the backdrop for the February 2013 issue of Eastlit. Editorial by Graham with a poem by Afzal Moolla. Hitoshi and the Orange Peel Mystery by Iain Maloney: This is an an extract from the novel Dog Mountain. Santubong Haiku by Colin W. Campbell. Going Home by Steve Rosse. Five Poems by Kislay Chuahan. The poems are: Afternoon Desert, An Old Age, Seashore Witness, Face of the Nature and Heart of Wood. Gip by Julien Headley. Two Poems by Terry Scott Niebeling. The poems are:Tender Thought and We See but We Don't (Easter Love). Flashing Police Lights Missing by Kersie Khambutta. Three Poems by Linda Woolven. The poems are: November Storm, Night Time Lovers and Laundry Day. Finding a Vein by Steve Tait. Contributors. An alphabetical list of all the contributors to the February issue of Eastlit complete with biographies of all the writers and poets. Note on Work. Please note that we publish work as received. We do not edit work for minor errors. We regard these as decisions made by the author. The one exception is that we may work with second language writers to help them say what they want to say. Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest on upcoming issues, competitions, incentives, contributors and news in general.

In spite of being a smaller issue, the Eastlit February issue is getting a lot of views. The number of readers is increasing every month right now. Thank you to our readers. Thank you also to the contributors for the poetry and prose that is attracting people.

After three issues, it feels like things are settling down a little. The crazy rushed feeling of November through January has now gone. It is now a time when we can consider new developments. While we do this, we will stick to the current format. Hopefully we can keep a nice mix of poetry and prose and writers new and experienced while adding something new as we go.

March and April Issues.

These will continue in the slimmer format for now. We are taking submissions for both of these issues now, so send them in! Please read the submission guidelines before submitting. We encourage non-native writers to submit work and will give assistance where needed.

Photographs

If you have photos, pictures or artwork from or connected to the region, we are very interested in using it on our front covers. As usual you retain all rights, and just grant us a license to publish it by submitting to us. We would also consider publishing artwork or pictures linked to a story if authors want this.

Previously Published Writers

If you had work published by Eastlit in the December or January issue, you are clear to submit more for the March issue. Writers and poets published in the February issue can submit work for the April issue. You can send it in at any time as we mark it for the next issue you can appear in, so don’t delay!

Chinese New Year

We at Eastlit would like to wish everyone who celebrates it, a Great Chinese New Year, and a wonderful year of the snake.

Other February 2013 News

We are still working on getting more involvement from the few places that are yet to feature in Eastlit. Indonesia remains top of that list, and we may have a development for one of the next issues. Fingers crossed.

There are a few things we at Eastlit will now put more energy into. The first is the writers’ group. The others are the Eastlit app and the possible greater involvement of some of our more regular contributors. More news on these as they arise. If anyone wants to volunteer for anything from writers’ groups to editing assistance, let us know.

You can also get all this news from our newsletter. Sign up now to have the news sent to you.

Finally

I would like to say a personal thank you to all of you who have had contact. After three or four months and looking back, it has been a great experience from my perpsective.

Cheers.

Graham.

 

New Year

We at Eastlit would like to wish all our contributors  readers and partners a very happy holiday season and a happy New Year. We wish everyone the best in 2013. In 2013 we hope that Eastlit will continue to bring readers an interesting variety of East and South East Asian based writing. We also hope we will be able to give an opportunity to new writers to establish a published foothold. Let’s hope 2013 is a good one for us all. Peace.

Eastlit New Year (January) Issue

The January or New Year issue will be out on 3rd January. We are very excited by this one. It includes more pieces from within the region. It also covers more countries and cultures. This issue will include fiction, non-fiction, poetry and at least one novel extract. We hope it will be as well received by our readership as the first issue of Eastlit. We also hope you enjoy the pieces as much as we did.

Writers Based Outside the Region

Eastlit will always consider writing from anyone based outside the region. We do, however, ask these writers to tell us how their work connects with the region. Please do this if submitting from outside East or South East Asia. As from 2013, we will not read or reply to  submissions not doing this. Eastlit is a monthly publication with few staff. Time to read, discuss, reply and decide is limited, so please help us in this case.

Photographs

Any photographers out there? We are accepting photograph submissions. These photos will be considered for our journal front cover. Copyright will remain with the photographer. You will just be granting us a non-exclusive licence to publish your photo when you submit it. Full credit will be given.

February Issue

We are now taking submissions for Eastlit’s February issue.  Please send them in over the New Year or after. We may though take a little longer to reply over the New year period.  Eastlit is also now looking for book reviews for this and later issues.

Remember

We now have an Eastlit newsletter. If you want news sent direct to you, Sign up for our free newsletter!

Finally

I would like to thank everyone again for the support they have given Eastlit. Have a great 2013

Cheers.

Graham.

 

News

There are a number of announcements in this news issue. I have tried to organize them under headings for ease. We are fast approaching a time of holidays, and we intend to start marking submissions for our February issue very soon. Then hopefully we will get through all the reading and still enjoy New Year. The next issue will be out in early January.

Information for Writers Published in Eastlit

Any writer published in an issue of Eastlit will not be published in the next issue. For example, if you were published in issue one, the next one you can be considered for will be issue three. Of course you can submit work at any time. We will just decide what issue to consider it for. Please keep those submissions coming in!

Eastlit Newsletter

We now have an Eastlit newsletter ready to launch soon. If you want news sent direct to you, Sign up for our free newsletter! Of course, if you prefer to follow us on social networks or by checking the site, that is great. From time to time the newsletter may contain unique information.

February Issue

This issue will see the launch of book reviews. We are accepting submissions of these now.

Writers Group

We are looking to launch a writers group around February or March 2013. This will be associated with Eastlit. However, we do not want it to be an Eastlit exclusive. The group will be open to anyone. We want this group to be an active group. We also want this group to be a place where writers can feel free to express themselves, and where everyone will be regarded as an equal. We also encourage non-native writers to join. More on this as we get nearer the time. However, if you are interested contact us and we will keep you informed.

Other News

We would like to add another editor to read submissions. If you are interested contact admin. We would ideally like to have a non-native editor from within our region. However, we realize this may not be possible. We are also open to the idea of guest editors who cover only one month each.

I am still working on the app. Finding time is not easy.

We hope to start sharing news and updates from our contributors, too. This will be in these news segments or in our newsletter.

Contributors for the January issue will start to hear if they will be published in the next seven to ten days.

And that is enough for this one.

Cheers.

Graham.

Eastlit Issue One

Eastlit Issue one is now out. Take a look. You can go the front cover. Then click the cover for the contents. You can also go to current issue at the top of each page.

We have eleven contributors for this issue. There are 9 poems and 8 pieces of prose.

We appreciate your feedback. Let us know what you think of it. You can go to the contact page or e-mail us.

Other News.

We are now listed on the writers resource site Duotrope. We also are in the poetry listing of Andromeda Rutgers. Plus we are on Litlist. It is nice to see referrals from these sites. It is nice to be listed.

We get asked if Australia is in our region. Technically it is not. But the connection between Australia and the region is strong. It is growing too. We welcome Australian based writers to send work in and if there is connection, we will consider it.

Don’t forget submissions for issue two are open. Visit our submissions page to send work in. Issue two is out in January 2013.

Anyway, today is not about news. Issue one is out. It is out one day early too! We hope you find something interesting. We did. You can find it here.

Cheers.

Graham.

News

Eastlit news this week:

News on Issues 1 and 2:

It is only a week until the first issue is out. For this issue we were aiming at a maximum of 12 pages. It looks like the December 2012 issue will come in at either 10 or 11. We are still waiting on a change to one piece. It is a pretty exciting time for us.

We are now taking submissions for the January issue. We already have a number and so far they are all from within the region! In issue two we will have completely different writers and poets. In this January Issue we also hope to have more pages. We have more time and less distractions for this one. So keep those pieces coming in!

News on Submissions:

The submission guidelines have been changed. We have learnt we need to tighten things up to avoid having to reject too much from outside the region. Most changes affect writers outside East and South East Asia. We want writers to explain how their work connects now. We still encourage writers outside especially those from regional ethnic roots living abroad, or those writing about the region. However, there can be many ways of seeing connection to East our region, and we encourage writers to explain how. We are pretty open minded.

Other News:

I am still working on the mobile app. The plan is to trial it after the first issue. This will be for Android. If it successful, we will move to iOS and Windows.

We are planning an Eastlit writers group. This will be announced fairly soon.

We are not planning a forum. We are also not planning open comments at this point.

These news posts will be weekly.

Cheers.

Graham.