Love and loss…two subjects we all know a little too well.  Have you experienced love and loss in your art, writing, or photography?  We want to hear and see it all for Issue 2 of Drop of Ink.

Submission Guidelines

DEADLINE:

Friday, June 4, 2010

ACCEPTED FORMATS:

• Blog posts
• Essays
• Song lyrics
• Poetry
• Photography
• Visual art
• Journal Entries
• Potent e-mail conversations
• Short stories
• Written performance pieces
• Reflections
• Things written on napkins in the dead of night (and later translated to the digital form in one way or another)
• Musings
• Lists
• Letters, open or otherwise
• And so on… (use your imagination)

LIMITATIONS:

You may submit as many pieces as you like, but DOI has the right to publish only some of the pieces.  We will not edit individual pieces, but reserve the right to ask the creator to edit for space.  We prefer that written pieces stay under 3,500 words.

Submit written pieces in Word (.doc or .docx) format.  Submit photography or art in JPEG, TIFF or GIF format.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

All submissions should be sent as attachments by e-mail to dropofinkjournal@gmail.com.

QUESTIONS?

E-mail dropofinkjournal@gmail.com.

It’s finally here!  The first issue of Drop of Ink is available for download.  It’s time to read and enjoy and most importantly CIRCULATE!!!

Without further adieu….

We’ve been having what can be termed a “good problem,” over here at Drop of Ink.  See, when we started this endeavor, we never expected the amount of response that we got for our first issue.  It was overwhelming, to say the least, to see the sheer number of things sent our way.  And all of this is a good problem.

But even good problems have slight downsides.  There’s just no way we can finish publication in our original timetable.  Therefore, our target publication date has been pushed back from April 5, 2010 to April 12, 2010.    Just one short week to help us put the finishing touches on what is shaping up to be a truly amaazing project.

And if you’re so excited about Drop of Ink that you can’t wait to submit to the next issue, you can do so starting now through May 17, 2010.  The theme is “Love and Loss.”  Feel free to interpret that any way you see fit. Guidelines are the same as they were for the first issue (save the theme) and can be found here.

Some people have been wondering what’s going on with the next issue already.  The buzz around Drop of Ink is growing and I’m happy to oblige.

The next issue, Summer 2010 will be published in the first week of July.  The submission deadline will be Monday, May 17, 2010.  The theme of the issue will be “Love and Loss.”  Remember themes are meant to be broad to incorporate as much as possible–so odds are if you think it touches on either love or loss, it does and it’s appropriate for the issue.

So if you didn’t get a chance to submit to the first issue, or you’re ready to start writing and creating some more, feel free to get a jump start on the Summer Issue.  Submissions will be continuously open, but please indicate that you’re submitting to Issue 2 in the subject of your e-mail to dropofinkjournal@gmail.com.

Issue 1 is slated to hit the interwebs on Monday, April 5, 2010.  Get ready for a truly talent-packed issue.

Thank you to all of you wonderful participants!  Thanks to you we’ve received over 30 submissions for our very first issue!  This is a huge accomplishment an a testament to the great work going on out there, including your own.

Today, all submitters were sent an e-mail to clarify any publication information that they have.  If you submitted but did NOT receive an e-mail, e-mail me at dropofinkjournal@gmail.com.

Our first issue will be out the first week in April.

And if you didn’t submit this time around, don’t worry.  You’ll get your chance.  Submissions will open up again in April for the summer issue.  The theme will be “Love and Loss.”  So start thinking about what you want to submit now.

…but it hasn’t run out yet.  You still have one week–that’s seven days–to submit something for Drop of Ink’s first issue.  We’ve already received several submissions and are ecstatic about each one.  This issue, even though it’s our first, is already shaping up to be something very special.  And it’s time you were involved in making it special.

Here’s what we accept:

• Blog posts
• Essays
• Song lyrics
• Poetry
• Photography
• Visual art
• Journal Entries
• Potent e-mail conversations
• Short stories
• Written performance pieces
• Reflections
• Things written on napkins in the dead of night (and later translated to the digital form in one way or another)
• Musings
• Lists
• Letters, open or otherwise
• And so on… (use your imagination)

Some people have been asking about copyright issues.  Rest assured that the rights to the piece will remain with you and Drop of Ink will only have limited rights to publish and distribute within the context of the issue for which you are submitting (in this case, the first issue).  You will retain rights to republish, distribute and do whatever else your heart desires.

How to submit: All submissions should be sent by e-mail to dropofinkjournal@gmail.com.  For non-visual art and non-photography, please either use the body of the e-mail or a Word document.

Many of you may be wondering where the name Drop of Ink came from.  Well, I’ll tell you.  When I was searching for a name for this endeavor, I happened across a quote from Lord Byron.  The quote is from Don Juan and is as follows:

But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think;
‘Tis strange, the shortest letter which man uses
Instead of speech, may form a lasting link
Of ages; to what straits old Time reduces
Frail man, when paper – even a rag like this – ,
Survives himself, his tomb, and all that’s his.

The idea of a drop of ink, for words or visual art, became a theme of sorts.  Our thoughts are only as good as the ink we put behind them.  Otherwise, who will see our thoughts.  How will we make them known?

Earlier today, I realized that one of the reasons we may not be getting as many photographic and artistic submissions may be because the name limits itself to writers and bloggers.  So I’ve extended the DOI name to include the visual arts.  The name will now be Drop of Ink:  A Bloggers’, Artists’ and Writers’ Journal.

So what are you waiting for?  There’s only a week and a half left to submit.  Get on with it!

People draw inspiration from different things.  But in the hopes of inspiring you, I’ve posted some of my favorite quotes about beginnings and endings and all that goes along with it.

• “The great majority of men are bundles of beginnings.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”  Thomas Paine
• “What we call the beginning is often the end.  And to make an end is to make a beginning.  The end is where we start from.”  T.S. Eliot
• “Every beginning is a consequence – every beginning ends some thing.”  Paul Ambroise Valery

What are some of your favorite quotes about beginnings and endings?

The inaugural issue of Drop of Ink will be available in April 2010.  To do this, we need submissions from you, the writing and blogging public.  This quarter’s theme is aptly “Beginnings and Endings.”

What do we accept?  Well, I guess the question should probably be what we don’t accept.  Because we’ll accept just about anything, such as:

• Blog posts
• Essays
• Song lyrics
• Poetry
• Photography
• Visual art
• Journal Entries
• Potent e-mail conversations
• Short stories
• Written performance pieces
• Reflections
• Things written on napkins in the dead of night (and later translated to the digital form in one way or another)
• Musings
• Lists
• Letters, open or otherwise
• And so on… (use your imagination)

This issue’s deadline for submissions is March 1, 2010.  All submissions should be sent by e-mail to dropofinkjournal@gmail.com.  For non-visual art and non-photography, please either use the body of the e-mail or a Word document.

This is your chance to contribute to a growing movement.  Submit now and submit often!

The mission of DROP OF INK is to provide bloggers and writers everywhere a space to publish, promote and promulgate.  We exist to create a dialogue between bloggers, writers and readers within which true change may come.

DROP OF INK is published quarterly online in an easy-to-share format that can be printed or saved for posterity.

Think of DROP OF INK as your home away from home.  Whether you blog, journal, draft or write, DROP OF INK is there to put your words out to a larger audience.

Join us today!  Bookmark this page for future information on submissions, editorial positions, ways to get involved and more.  And always feel free to e-mail us at dropofinkjournal@gmail.com and follow us on twitter @dropinkjournal.