Better Than Starbucks
Poetry and Fiction Journal
. . . if you love diversity and creative writing in any and every form, then you’re in the right place . . .
May 2021
Vol VI No II
Published quarterly:
February, May, August,
and November.
Opportunities
We started publishing our online journal in May of 2016. We were a monthly publication until July 2018, then transitioned to bi-monthly, and since January of 2018, we have also produced a print edition as well as digital e-book versions. In 2021 we became a quarterly, publishing on the first of each of February, May, August, and November.
As a dynamic young publication, we always have opportunities as we expand, as people join and leave our staff. If you think you might want to be part of our exciting team please contact us at: betterthanstarbucks2@gmail.com and include the position you are most interested in on your subject line and tell us a little about yourself.
We are an all-volunteer staff; no one draws a check. We are truly a labor of love and if you have the same kind of drive and vision, can devote a few hours per month, and are willing to meet deadlines, Better Than Starbucks can be an enriching part of your life. All editors answer directly to the editor-in-chief.
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Currently we need:
Copy Editors
Copy Editing is both the hardest and easiest place to start. If you have experience, or if you simply want to sharpen your grammatical/editorial eye, Better Than Starbucks Copy Editors have the joy of watching a publication go out into the world neat and clean and as free of typos as is possible. And you get to say, “I made that!”
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Interviewers
Once or twice per year, you will need to bring us an interview of an interesting, or well known, or important member of the literary community (they can be all three, but we have also published interviews that were more of an introduction for most of our readers). We will expect you to find your subject and develop the interview. We do sometimes help facilitate if you are having a tough time reaching your subject. The BTS Interview aims to ask unique and personalized questions.
Section Editors
The section editor acts as a sort of “independent franchise.” You will need to have a strong connection to the community you edit, bringing your own poets and creating your own style and flavor for the section. We currently get many submissions for Formal/Rhyming, Free Verse, Haiku, and Fiction, but the other sections receive few, by comparison. We will forward the poetry from your area to you when we receive it, but we will expect you to be able to find and showcase the poets of your area or genre. Fiction, Flash and Micro Fiction, and Creative Non-Fiction are open for an editor, as are Experimental, Form, and Prose Poetry.
If you have editorial experience in an area/genre not listed here, contact us to discuss the possibility of adding a page for your content. Robert Schechter did just that and now edits our Poetry for Children section.
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One or more International Editors
We are looking for voices from Africa, Central Asia or the Far East, as well as from South/Central America, continental Europe and Russia.
A Poetry Translations Editor
If you are a polyglot, or work with poets from many languages who write and translate, or who translate, this could be for you. We usually publish both the original and the translation into English. Susan McLean is currently the editor of Poetry Translations, however she will soon be resigning for personal reasons, so we are still looking for a Poetry Translations editor. As there are so many languages and global regions which produce gorgeous poetry our readers would enjoy, we would also be interested in having periodic guest editors of Poetry Translations.
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Note: We currently have two copy editors who are doing a great job. If you're volunteering as an intern, we have lots of other tasks that would help us! Personally, I wish we had a techie (or even a wizard) to help out, and an Art Director would be wonderful also. Lastly, if you have experience in public relations, social media, etc. we'd love to have a media manager, spreading the word, networking, and building the journal’s profile.
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— Vera Ignatowitsch