Update

It’s been awhile – too long – since I’ve done anything with this publication. When burnout hits, it hits hard, and trying to salvage what’s left of motivation is a struggle. Between that and how hard it was to stay visible in the shifting writing community climate, exhausting. I’ll be honest, my original vision for Scribe Base was fairly different compared to where it ended up (not that I’m complaining – I loved reading all the submissions that were sent in over the years!) but I realize the crossroads a little more clearly now and that, likely, a return to the original vision may be the only way to reignite the motivation here. Attempt to revitalize this again, despite past attempts to do so that were short-lived? Or start a new journey focused on topics that I believe need more representation than what they’re currently receiving? So, for now, I’m exploring details of a new publication and I welcome everyone here to join me on this new journey. Specifically, it will feature speculative fiction and liminal spaces, as well as animal and environmental poetics. Reflection pieces, musings, prose, and so on. I especially would love to see it, some day, have a collection of works with philosophical weight. That is the intention with the new one – works that have philosophical considerations underpinning them. The site is not up and running just yet but I do have a bluesky for it in the meantime.

For this site? I’ll keep it up, of course. I still would like to explore, again, the original vision behind this site: serving as a sort of base/hub for writers. That is, works on approaches to writing, writing about writing (whether approaching this from a linguistics slant or considerations of creativity and struggles), and even writing prompts or advice and workshops! The very first issue had elements of this vision. We’ll see how it goes. But, for now, my focus will be on the new site and getting it operational.

Space 2020 Issue Updated – Two New Pieces Posted!

Check out our Space 2020 issue for new pieces that were just posted! Lost and Recurrent Dream, both by Kerfe Roig. 

Check out the full issue here and also look at the issue currently open for submissions (Emergence) until the end of the month.

Stay tuned for details of our next issue – horror, specific theme details to be announced next week. This next issue’s reading window will be between August 1st and October 31st. For this issue we will also be accepting media (book, film, TV show, etc.) reviews so long as the media in question is horror.

Summer Issue – Emergence

Following our Spring Space issue (deadline closing soon, by the way), our next issue, Emergence, will be accepting submissions between June 1st and July 31st.

The prompt for this is a little open-ended but all possible topics center around the current pandemic, lockdowns, and so on. Submissions could focus on struggles faced during this time and how you got through them or a speculative exploration into what’s different about, for instance, the urban landscape in a year as a result of the current event. If you have a topic but unsure if it fits the theme, e-mail us at sbsubmit475@gmail.com.

We’re accepting poetry, prose, plays, artwork, and nonfiction (creative and otherwise). 

Persistence

I recently finished a graphic novel adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. I’ve been meaning to give it (more specifically, the original version) a read, but found a graphic novel version via the library. 

It’s rather painful and haunting to see exactly what factory workers went through then – just to survive. It’s especially haunting to see specters of that time linger around today: the treatment Ona received by her boss, occupational hazards, and that being off from work entails severe financial security, inducing anxiety about whether or not there’ll be so much as food in the fridge or a roof over one’s head before long; nor is one’s job necessarily protected should an individual have to take time off for medical reasons. 

These problems persist through time, and I’m not quite sure how much progress has abated them since Sinclair’s novel. I’ve often thought that where problems exist, there must be some other way, that something is wrong in the process or system itself. I don’t have answers – this short post isn’t about that, but rather about Sinclair’s novel and how parallels can be drawn over a century later. I am curious what books people would recommend that are like this (and also Kafka’s works). Sinclair’s novel has also given me an idea about a future issue’s theme.

Anthology

There is an anthology project outside of Scribe Base I’m editing that will receive both a print and digital release. Contributors will receive a PDF copy of the final version.

The project deals with polytheistic religions and practices and accepts non-fiction. Poetry will be considered only if there is commentary that goes alongside with it. Full project details here. If you’d like to submit a piece or query, or refer someone who might be interested in submitting, send it over to SubmissionsBA@gmail.com.

Winter 2019 and Upcoming Issue

Recently, a publicist for an artist reached out and asked if we would feature a song on our platform – prior to this, we’ve only dealt with text, artwork, and photography, but we considered branching out and checking the song. We would like to ask our community what you think about its message and invite you to share anything you’d like regarding struggling and strife. Life’s hard; support and solidarity with others helps us get through it.

Link to the song and its intended message can be found in our Winter 2019 issue page; other recent additions to our issue in progress can be found there as well.

Last, we’ve received some feedback that general issues are at times difficult to write for–having a focus assists the writing process. We’ve also encountered this when trying to write for more general issues, so let’s have themed issues more frequently. We don’t wish to limit some of our writers, however, so we’re thinking 1-2 issues/year could be general issues. But, for now, here is a brief outline of what the next issue’s theme will be: space. Whether this manifests as architecture playing a role in the story (or even a non-fiction piece on an architectural style), an urban landscape, unfamiliar territory, or boundary lines of some sort, we’re interested.

Winter 2019 Deadline Extension

We would like to extend the deadline for this issue just slightly, until next Friday, the 27th. Any theme/setting/etc. will be considered, but pieces with a wintry/seasonal theme are more than welcome. Stay tuned for more info regarding themes of issues next year! Nothing is for sure yet, but currently considering pieces that revolve around the topics of journeys, travel, new beginnings, and space (city landscapes & architecture) for our Spring one.

Winter 2019

Unfortunately, so far, we’ve not received any submissions for the Winter 2019 issue. It’s disheartening–and what amplifies this issue is that we’re unable to pay anyone accepted pieces. Does anyone have any advice? Just one person running this magazine and I’m unable at the present moment to sink money into advertising and such.