Rating online lit mags

Scott Boyan at Thinksimian collected raw data from the storySouth Million Writer’s Award and used it to rate online literary magazines. Word Riot came in sixth, which I guess is fitting since we’re coming into our sixth year. Another suspicious six and we’ll be the demonic journal of record.

This is the first time I’ve seen any sort of statistical approach to ranking online lit mags. I often wonder what exactly the place of online journals is in the larger literary community. In thirty years, how will the journals be remembered? Will they be remembered at all?

I didn’t start Word Riot with any larger plan in mind. I noticed this past year that writers submitting work to us were much more reverent in their approach to the magazine. It gave me some sort of ironic pleasure: not in the meglomaniacal now-you-finally-give-me-the-respect-I-deserve way, but in the are-you-kidding-me? -I-run-this-thing-on-my-couch-with-my-laptop kind of way. I think of Word Riot as more a fun hobby that gives back to the literary-minded than as any sort of serious endeavor. And I believe that attitude is what has helped this thing last six years and will help it last into the forseeable future.

Word Riot takes up just enough of my time to be a comfy rock in my life, but not enough to be a burden when life gets intense. Word Riot is just this wonderful constant for me.  I know I’ll be asking how Word Riot will be remembered when it hits the 10-year mark. And I sincerely hope I’ll be asking the same question at a 20-year celebration.