Recently, we put up an Instagram poll asking our audience if they had any questions for us. Here are the questions and answers.
What do you normally publish in an issue?
We normally publish about 20 pieces each issue with two categories, prose and poetry. The prose category contains a broad range of genres like screenplays, spoken word, nonfiction, and fiction. For journalistic pieces, we publish those under the blog. In addition some prose and poem submissions are also published under the blog.
Will you ever have team applications?
Yes definitely! Right now I want to focus mainly on the Contest and the Love Letter Project but after my schedule clears up I will definitely work on expanding the team. I already have some positions in my mind like a prose editor blog contributor, and poetry editor so be sure to stay tuned!
How has running a lit mag impacted your own writing?
This is a great question! I personally believe that writers improve their writing by becoming readers. Working as an editor of a literary magazine means that I have to devote a lot of time to read all the wonderful and talented submissions. Since August, I have probably read around 300 poems, screenplays, blog submissions, and prose pieces. I had a lot of fun reading the different styles of writing and the different genres and themes. It definitely incentivized me to try new genres like screenplays and spoken word poetry. I also discovered that my diction has improved since August and I haven’t had a case of writer’s block in a long time. There are just so many inspiring stories out there!
Why the name ‘Ice Lolly Review’?
I get this question a lot. Honestly, I’m not quite sure. The name just stuck (no pun intended). I thought it would be cool (again no pun intended) to use the metaphor of a popsicle or ice lolly when looking for submissions. The magazine would look for pieces that dyed teeth blue and tasted sour and sweet and left a refreshing aftertaste in your mouth. Besides, there are so many literary magazines out there and I wanted this one to be unique. After all, what magazine names themselves after the British terminology for ‘popsicle’? I also really wanted to draw a picture of a popsicle.
What’s the response time for submissions?
The magazine’s response time is around 2 weeks but we usually respond quicker to submissions.
How many submissions have the magazine received since August?
Since August 2020, we have received over 300 submissions from 21 different countries and 18 different states. I am so grateful for the support we have received and cannot thank everyone enough.
What are the long-term plans for the magazine?
In the long term, I plan to expand the magazine’s team and work on new projects and writing contests. There are so many ideas and plans I have for the magazine. I don’t plan to shut down Ice Lolly Review for quite some time. Right now I’m looking into registering the magazine as an official non-profit and creating our own trademark.
What would you say is the magazine’s theme song?
The magazine’s theme song is definitely “Another Day of Sun” from the musical movie “La La Land.” Although upon first glance the song is about actors and musicians, there are certain lines that speak to all artistic creators out there. It talks about artistic creators chasing their dreams whether that be becoming a NY Times bestseller, movie director, etc. And that’s what this magazine is all about. It’s about encouraging young writers to continue to write and giving them the recognition and motivation that they need to keep going. My favorite line is “And when they let you down. You’ll get up off the ground.” This is especially personal to me because my own writing has been rejected over 30 times. So whenever I feel bummed or upset I play this song to lift myself up and to continue to write. After all, tomorrow is a new day, a new sunrise, another day of sun.
What did you use to create the magazine’s website?
I used Wix to design the website. If you’re looking to create your own website I also recommend Weebly.
Will you ever accept art in issues?
Right now, I am trying to incorporate artists/photographers in certain events like the Love Letter Project and the magazine also has recently begun to have contests looking for cover art. In the future, I will definitely consider opening issues to artists/photographers.
I love your social media posts! What do you use to create them?
Thanks! I use the app Canva to design Instagram posts and create logos while the social media manager Matthew manages the Twitter account. You should check Canva out. It’s really awesome!
If anyone has any more questions feel free to comment down below and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!