Moonday Mag is home to speculative writing, including horror, fantasy, scifi, magical realism, anything that spawns from the “what if” of a creator’s mind. Publishing quarterly online and in print, Moonday Mag was started by Editor-in-Chief Caridad Cole who sought to “bridge a gap” she experienced when seeking to publish her own work. “Moonday Mag will give speculative writers a more traditional platform for their work, and in turn, give them the confidence to pursue even bigger goals. I wanted to create a magazine that I myself would strive to be published in, a place that publishes work that makes me think, Wow I wish I had written that!“
The name for Moonday Mag, Cole explains, “comes from an old teenagehood blog, which was named for a combination of Monday (the day of the week I was born, and the subject of my favorite nursery rhyme, “Monday’s Child”) and the moon (an obsession for as long as I can remember). The first poem I ever wrote was called “Starstruck by the Power of the Moon,” and I have no idea why. Maybe I’m from there.”
Speculative Inspiration
The inspiration Moonday Mag is grounded in Cole’s own experiences with writing and publishing. “After graduating college and dipping my toe into the world of submitting my own writing,” she shares, “I quickly discovered that there was a missing market between literary and speculative. There are several amazing indie lit mags filling that void — and I have definitely submitted to all of them — but not enough! I really believe in ‘the more the merrier,’ so as soon as I had the idea, I couldn’t let it go. I think it was a little less than a month between me saying, ‘What if I started a literary magazine?’ to my partner and buying a domain.”
That enthusiasm is backed by experience, as Cole details, “My background is as a writer, although I took only one creative writing class in high school and then double majored in creative writing and film production in college. I spent much of my 20s working in film, both in front of and behind the camera, while occasionally writing on the side. For some reason I found pursuing writing full-time to be too daunting, even though pursuing the arts in general is very hard! Being the editor of this magazine has been a hands-on learning experience.
“Prior to this, I regularly provided English tutoring, academic paper help, developmental editing, proofreading and things like that. I never worked on a school paper or published in my college’s literary magazine (but it’s Conjunctions and I’m planning on it). However, I’ve found that my experience in the freelance art world and my lofty reading habit has helped me run this magazine. Not to mention the awesome fiction and poetry editors I’ve enlisted along the way: Piper and Magdalena, respectively, were both published in Moonday Mag and understood what I was looking for perfectly. Having their eyes helps me achieve the goal of publishing the best in speculative literature.”
Careful Curation
For writers encouraged to consider sending their work, Cole explains the process, “Submissions are first read by our readers, and then by the editors. They are then tagged with themes we’re interested in building issues around. If feedback is requested, we can always provide it. Response time is anywhere from a day to three months, but if we love your work and don’t have an issue it quite fits into yet, your response may be delayed up to six months. Every single submission is read by at least three people and will always be considered.”
With such a careful curation process in place, Cole adds that “readers can expect to find magic and madness, lovely fever dreams, absurdism bordering on nightmarish. Fairytales and fables alongside body horror and death. All strung together with gorgeous prose and punctuated with mindbening visual art.”
Recent contributors included Michelle Yu, Janet Ruhe-Schoen, Willie Cole, K. V. Raghupathi, Elizabeth Anne Schwartz, Amy Guidry, Juan Antonio Picasso, Lawrence Dagstine, Ava DeVries, Jaina Cipriano, James Harper, Rick McQuiston, Jillian Thomas, Patty Paine, Warren Benedetto, Jason Huls, Matina Vossou, Kathryn Reichert, Joseph A. Miller, and Briar Hyssop.
Supporting Writers & Community
Most start-ups have a deep learning curve or two, but Cole met with a common challenge that allowed her to develop a more compassionate response and some sage advice. “I have learned to always read the work! Some people are shy, some people don’t want to be perceived, some people are terrified of the blank space of an email and would rather click send as soon as possible. So even when a submitter has completely ignored the guidelines, I always read their work. Learning this lesson has led to some of my favorite pieces in the magazine to date, as well as giving me the opportunity to point people in the direction of a magazine better suited for them. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Not everything needs to be a one-woman show.
Looking to the future, Cole shares an expansive view, “I really envision Moonday Mag expanding from publication to community. I’d love to get more involved in my local literary scene and host future in-person events. I’ve also envisioned an annual microgrant, which I hope to make a reality soon. I want this magazine to feel like a place where indie writers and artists can receive support. It’s tough out there!”
It is tough, and getting tougher for a lot of publications, but ask Cole how long Moonday Mag will be around, and she reply resolutely: “We will haunt this earth forever and ever.”
