Contributing Editor, Carl Scharwath's Interview with Barbara Leonhard
I had the pleasure of speaking with Barbara Leonhard who is an accomplished writer and is the editor for multiple publications. For this interview, I will focus on her thoughts as an editor and publisher.
Good morning, Barbara, thank you for being here and speaking to the readers of ILA Magazine. We would love to know more about your journey as an editor/publisher, so let's begin:
What draws you to the role of a literary magazine editor?
Becoming an editor was a surprise venture. In 2022, Gabriela Marie Milton, the first editor for MasticadoresUSA, invited me to take over the role because she was opening her own publishing house. I was honored to step in. MasticadoresUSA is one of over 20 literary magazines created by Juan Re Crivello. The offer and transition came so quickly that I didn't fully consider what I was taking on. Editing a literary magazine was not on my plans, but my background in teaching English composition to both American and International students at a Midwest university gave me background in editing. I was also an English Language and Literature major in college and graduate school. Because I'm a published writer and poet, I am familiar with the publication process. I feel I have learned a great deal since I started.
Although editing for MasticadoresUSA takes time, I recently started my own literary journal called Feed the Holy on Blogspot. For this journal, "holy" does not relate to religion, which is the first association people think of with the word, "holy". Because we are living in fraught times, I wanted a place for writers and poets to explore what is sacred to them. Is it nature? Joy? Survival? How can we love and spread kindness and compassion? What are we grateful for? Hopeful for? The focus in this journal is more specific than the focus for MasticadoresUSA. Because I know so much more now that I have a couple of years of editing a literary journal, I am able to get things done more efficiently. Balancing two journals is going fine.
I thoroughly enjoy editing for each literary journal. But on top of these endeavors, I accepted Juan Re Crivello's offer to make me co-poetry editor for his latest creation, LatinosUSA - English Edition. All I need to do is republish poems from MasticadoresUSA a couple of days a week. The authors love seeing their work published again.
What do you think is the most rewarding aspect of working on a literary magazine?
I enjoy meeting authors, corresponding with them, and showcasing their work. I like designing the posts, and organizing my calendars and spreadsheets to keep organized. It reminds me of my teaching years. Through editing, I am closer to the current literary scene. I'm impressed by the many award-winning writers and poets who have submitted to both MasticadoresUSA and Feed the Holy. I love helping them promote their books, as well.
How do you balance your personal writing or reading with your editorial responsibilities?
It's a challenge to keep up with it all at times. When I accepted the first editing position at MasticadoresUSA in 2022, I had just published my first poetry book, "Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir", which was about me and my mother. I was her main caregiver as she aged and started suffering from Alzheimer's. My uncle asked me if I loved her. The book resulted from grief therapy and a life review of my relationship with my mother to figure out why I wouldn't love her. The book was a bestseller on Amazon.
After that publication, I felt lost. And I was getting used to being an editor. But through my editing, I met Nolcha Fox, a prolific and funny poet. We shared the same sense of humor. One day we started writing humorous poems together, using a shared Google Drive folder. Those poems became Too Much Fun to be Legal (Garden of Neuro Publishing, 2024). Writing this book taught me a lot about mind-melding. Our poems sound like one voice. It was also good for me to write and then let go of a poem instead of hanging onto it for constant revision.
And this year I have a new book coming out on February 13th with Alien Buddha Press. The Lost Book of Zeroth is a satirical speculative book of poetry and short fiction about actual humanoid AI robots creating chaos. The book is about what it means to be human because these robots are sentient and display a range of human emotions and failures. They are narcissistic and dangerous. Even the robots' good deeds are suspect. Overseeing the robots is a robot goddess called Zeroth, who sends her three fates (Siri, Alexa, and Meta) to spy on all beings and nonbeings. The last part of the book, I, Human, contains my malcontent poems about recent and current social and political issues. These poems are the soul of the book.
As I look back, I feel I have been productive with both the editing and the personal writing. I have some ideas for a new book, too.
How do you balance publishing established authors with discovering new voices?
I believe in supporting new voices and established writers and poets. I recall being a new writer, and I appreciated being given a chance to be published. An editor has the opportunity to build a community as well as a fine journal. I know my readers, and I believe they can show whose work they appreciate the most. If a work is well constructed and follows the submission guidelines, I will accept it. Of course, I like some works better than others. But I use objective, not subjective, guidelines. That's my goal. When I receive a submission, I don't assume the writer is inexperienced. I want to treat all writers the same.
On MasticadoresUSA, my acceptance rate may be higher than it is on Feed the Holy, which is a new journal, by the way, Duotrope picked up. People are still learning what is expected. I'm getting submissions that are unrelated to the themes. Hence, I'm returning work to obviously skilled writers. If they submit work that follows the themes, I am happy to reconsider the work. Writers of all skill vers are capable of forgetting to read the submission guidelines.
What innovative ideas do you have for increasing readership and engagement?
The key to building up readership and engagement is to connect with the writers and to use social media. My hope is that people will share their publications on Facebook, Threads, BlueSky and other social media. I tried to share liberally but AI slapped my hands, accusing me of spreading spam. I also want to balance my desire to promote the authors with my need to promote my own books. I don't have a media person to help promote myself or my authors. My literary journals are my responsibility. There is no "team". So I encourage authors to follow or subscribe (both journals are free). That way they can get the Daily Digest or Follow.It News, which they can share with others. I also give them the links, which they can post on social media. It takes both the editor and the authors to promote the publications. Many writers are very shy, so I understand that spreading their good news may be uncomfortable. However, the public wants to see the published pieces. MasticadoresUSA has over 115,000 views. Feed the Holy, only two months old, already has 5, 475 views.
Please tell us your best advice to someone submitting to your journal?
The best advice I can give is to follow the submission guidelines and read some of the posts in the journals to see what the journal likes to feature. It's also crucial to keep track of links and publication times. personally, in a Word document, I record when, what, and where I submit my writing and when it is accepted or returned. By doing this, I can avoid repeating a submission to a journal, and I don't have to inquire when the work will appear.
Another suggestion to authors is to make sure you are submitting the final draft. Almost all the editors I know expect submissions to be polished.
Finally, love what you do even when you're in a dry spell. Sometimes when we feel lost with what to write, we think we have dried up. But our minds are always composing and problem-solving our creative ideas. Just take things step by step, and one day you will discover that you have a new collection of poems or stories, or a solid direction with a novel. For me, the winter months feel quiet, and I learned that there are logical reasons for that. Winter is a time to go inward. It's a quiet creative time when ideas germinate. In the spring, I have a great deal more energy, so I find I'm busier with my writing, harvesting those lush ideas that I nurtured in the winter. Other distractions can affect your writing. Life happens. Be gentle with yourself. You can't control everything, even your creative urges. You'll find the time for your writing. Thank you, Carl, for this opportunity to visit about editing. I appreciate your questions!
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Thank you, Barbara, the readers of ILA Magazine and myself wish you a blessed and Happy New Year. We also wish you the best in your future writing and editing/publishing endeavors.
Barbara Leonhard is the author of Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir and co-author of Too Much Fun to Be Legal. Her poetry has received awards and honors from Well-Versed 2021 and Spillwords Press. She's a nominee for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Trending poets named her Poet of the Year 2023. Some of her poems have been translated into Italian, Albanian and Chinese. Barbara is the Editor for MasticadoresUSA, the Co-Poetry Editor for LatinosUSA-English Edition, and the Editor for her literary journal, FEED THE HOLY. Visit her blog when you have the chance at:
A very engaging interview with Barbara!