A Peek Behind The Scenes Part III - Publishing The Story

My short story “When Morning Come” appears in the Summer 2026 issue of The Chestnut Review.  It’s about two little girls who seek refuge in the fantastical world of Greek mythology when their real lives become too difficult to bear. You can either read the story or listen to a reading of it.

When asked if I’d like to record myself reading the story, I almost said, “No thanks.”  First of all, I’m not a fan of listening to my own voice.  Second of all, being a woman of a certain age, I don’t sound anything like the story’s preteen protagonist.  But since I wasn’t sure if anyone on the publication’s staff could pull off telling Lashaun’s story in a halfway convincing manner, I figured what the heck.  If anybody’s gonna take a hit, it might as well be me. 🙃

When my editor asked about my intention, as far as “When Morning Come” is concerned, the following was my response: I hope my story inspires readers to pay more attention to the young people in their lives, young girls in particular, and to be more proactive, decisive and sincere when it comes to protecting them from harm. We could all stand to do a better job when it comes to recognizing and addressing a child’s plea for help.

Anyway, if you enjoy the story, let me know and feel free to share the link.

A Peek Behind The Scenes - Part II

Part II - Submitting The Story

By late July, I had a draft of “When Morning Come” that I felt comfortable submitting to literary journals and contests.  Typically, I send my finished work to prospective publishers with the help of Submittable (a digital submission manager).  

Most of the journals I sent “When Morning Come” required submissions via Submittable, but a few of them had their own digital/software systems.

I started submitting the story in late July of 2025.  The publications on my list included: Black Bird; Black Warrior; Chestnut Review; Missouri Review; Ploughshares; Subtropics and Virginia Quarterly Review. 

Prior to submitting my work, I always read at least one sample or the most current issue of a journal in order to make sure we’re a good fit. These days, I always make sure there are a couple of journals on my submission list that might be considered “above my pay grade.”  I’m saying, why not? You’ll never know unless you try.   

6 of the 7 publications I submitted to rejected the story.   The first rejection was in September of 2025.  The following is what a typical rejection looks like:  “Sorry, this doesn’t fit our needs at this time.”  “We’re going to pass on this one.”  “Unfortunately this submission is not right for us.  Best of luck in placing it elsewhere.”

To my surprise and delight, 3 of the publications that rejected the work (Black Bird,  Missouri Review & Ploughshares) were kind enough to break me off a few words of praise and encouragement.  Some of the comments included: 

“This submission received special attention.  We especially admired the style (and) the story’s grounded feel.”

“. . . please know that we have enjoyed your submission and hope you will try again during our next reading period . . . Please feel free to mention our praise for your work the next time you submit.”

Those “encouraging rejections” from some fairly top tier literary journals let me know that I was close and if I persisted, I could probably find a publisher who would grant me a, “Yes!”  Sure enough, in February of 2026, a literary journal asked if they could put “When Morning Come” on their short-list for the summer issue.  Being put on their short list was no guarantee of publication, but they said they’d make a decision no later than May 1.  On March 2, 2026, I received an email letting me know that they had selected the story for their summer issue. 

A Peek Behind The Scenes - Part I "Finding" The Story

I thought it might be interesting/different/helpful to give a behind the scenes peek at my creative process when it comes to writing a story and submitting it for publication. My short story, “When Morning Come” was recently published in an online literary journal. Before I reveal the journal’s name, I’d like to share a few details about the story’s journey.

“Finding” The Story

I keep a number of folders containing notes and drafts of unfinished stories.  

While thumbing through one such folder in late June (or early July) of 2025, I 

found 2 pages of notes and a fully drafted first page for “When Morning Come.” 

Even though I still have no idea what inspired the story or where I originally intended to take it, I was intrigued by the challenge of fleshing out a work that I’d initially conceived in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s.  After reading and carefully mulling over the rediscovered material, I sat down and just started writing.  It was a fairly effortless endeavor.  It almost felt as if the young girl’s voice, the plot line and all of the little details had just been sitting there all along, lurking if you will, somewhere in those magical spaces that stretch between my fingers, the keyboard and the far corners of my imagination.