MCWC Virtual Winter publishing Series: Publishing with Small Presses

With Diana Arterian

The realm of publishing can often feel difficult to understand, even for the most adept writer. When do I know my manuscript is ready to send out? Where should I submit it? How should I interpret this response from a press? In this seminar, we’ll touch on the various elements of publishing: from penning cover letters to locating publishing venues, as well as how to keep track of your submissions. Instructor Diana Arterian went through the journey of publishing her first book of poetry, and is currently publishing a book of translation as well as a book of essays. She has over a decade of experience in small press publishing, giving her particular insight into both sides of the editorial table. By the end of the seminar, you’ll have step-by-step instructions on the entire publication process, as well as a greater sense of the publishing world in general.

Diana Arterian is the author of the poetry collection Playing Monster :: Seiche, which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and was the Editors’ Selection for the 1913 First Book Prize. She also penned the chapbooks With Lightness & Darkness and Other Brief Pieces (Essay Press), Death Centos (Ugly Duckling Presse), and co-edited Among Margins: Critical & Lyrical Writing on Aesthetics (Ricochet). She founded two small presses, Gold Line and Ricochet, as well as worked for Les Figues Press, Black Clock magazine, and more. A Poetry and Infidel Poetics Editor at Noemi Press, her creative work has been recognized with fellowships from the Banff Centre, Caldera, Millay, Vermont Studio Center, and Yaddo, and her poetry, criticism, conversations, and translations have been featured in BOMB, Denver Quarterly, LitHub, Los Angeles Review of Books, NPR, The New York Times Book Review, and The Poetry Foundation website, among others. Diana holds a PhD in Literature & Creative Writing at the University of Southern California, and an MFA in poetry from CalArts. She is currently Assistant Director for Los Angeles Poet Laureate Robin Coste Lewis’ Poetic Truths & Reconciliation Commission: Los Angeles project. She has held teaching positions at CalArts and Wichita State, and is currently teaching at Merrimack College and Fordham University.