Falling Star Magazine Fall 2012

So after a very long selection process we're finally getting the new issue out.

I've never realised how much work goes into putting together a literary magazine until I got the job with Falling Star. We've received hundreds of submissions over the year, and I've had to read through each one personally before passing them onto my editor. Not to mention writing all the countless, personalised rejections to all those hopeful writers. This is a proper job, but one I've had to juggle with my other writing projects and a day job that takes care of most of the bills. It's a lot of work, but at the end of the day really satisfying.

The beautiful thing about literary magazines is that they're labours of love and not (usually) commercial. Literary journals look for quality fiction and poetry, work with literary merit that doesn't necessarily fill a market niche, unlike many publishing houses or magazines. Through working for one, I've really gained appreciation for all the other literary editors out there and their dedication to the work.

Last January, I realised why I love this job. We hosted a launch party in Madrid for the spring issue, and we saw turnout of 50 people from Madrid's literary and artistic scene on a Tuesday night. It was a magical experience, one of those which validate why you write. Madrid is a place that has a really active literary scene. If it weren't for their help and support, I would probably still be sitting in an underground lab, analysing data and getting extremely depressed, or perhaps enduring a worse fate, like working in a bank somewhere. 

Getting this issue out was tough, the editor has been working hard and gaining a lot of success and recognition for his fiction. I was working in Georgia, trying to decide on the fate of my life while reading through submissions, and then I moved back to Spain and resumed my old life. Eventually we realised we wanted to give something back to the writers who contributed and to pay back the writing successes we've had over the year.

Here's to a more productive 2013, now that we can't use the end of the world as an excuse anymore.

For more details on the magazine, check out our website or our facebook page.

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