Site visits, here I come...

Time Spent: 2 Hours.

Today was spent doing yet more research on journals to submit to. I wish I could say something more exciting than that about that subject, but I can't. It's exciting for me because I get to read and learn about the things I need to do to become a better writer and submit stories to places.

But here's the exciting part: I made phone calls for site visits! And they were GREAT phone calls! First I talked to Jodee Stanley at The Ninth Letter in Urbana (UIUC), and she has graciously agreed to host one of the site visits. So on April 7, I am going to go visit them and talk to Jodee about some different aspects of the journal: what editors look for in submissions and what they want to see in pieces they publish, what her job is like as the editor, etc. I think she's also going to have other editors there who can talk with me about some of these things as well. I'm looking at this not only from a writer's view, but I've always thought that editing might be a good place for me. The other phone call was to Richard Newman at The River Styx in St. Louis, an independent journal with a huge following. He's also agreed to allow me come to talk with him and his staff, we just need to agree on a date.

Probably the scariest (or maybe just most intimidating) part of this AST is dealing with people in the real world. I'm shy (no, really I am) and speaking to people I've never met, ESPECIALLY over the phone, is an absolute chore or me. I've just learned, and proven to myself, that I can do it! YAY!