Open Mic, Oh My!

Head on over to the Open Mic, read read read, and, most importantly, leave your feedback. Like something in particular about a piece? Or is there something about it that doesn’t quite work? Help your fellow writers workshop their works-in-progress by leaving constructive comments.

The feedback frenzy lasts 24 hours only, so make sure to head over NOW!

 (For those of you who missed last month’s announcement)

You’ll notice that Open Mic is now password-protected. Why? 

Because although Open Mic is a writing workshop, where writers post works-in-progress for critique, and not meant as a platform to publish work, it is a grey enough area that some journals, magazines, and other publishers may still consider pieces (even unfinished ones) posted online in a public forum to be “previously published.”

There is, however, general consensus that pieces posted in a password-protected forum are considered “not public” and therefore not “previously published.” Since one of the main goals of Open Mic is to help writers fine-tune their pieces for publication, we want to make sure that pieces submitted here won’t be considered ineligible for publication elsewhere. Making Open Mic submissions password-protected should resolve this issue.

This was a decision that we thought long and hard about. To password-protect the posts is to add a small hurdle — albeit a necessary one — in what is an otherwise welcoming and open experience. We’re trying to make it as painless as possible.

The logistics:

Anyone can receive the password to read the Open Mic submissions and/or comment on them. Simply email openmic@hazelandwren.com, and the magic word will be immediately emailed to you via automatic response. No one needs to submit any personal information or payment in order to receive the password.

Enter the password once on any post, and all Open Mic posts will automatically become visible. The password is the same for every Open Mic post, and it will never change.