Happy Wednesday, readers, writers, and shark fans! I have MISSED you!!
Most of you who submitted know this, but those of you who didn’t know, or who might be coming to this issue unaware (welcome!), I went through a pretty big moment with my mental health mid-2025. I couldn’t see a way out or through it. My husband suggested taking something, anything, everything off of my plate that I could during that time so I could come back to myself. After a lot of going back and forth, I decided to put Lit Shark on hiatus until the start of 2026, so we’d be back in time for its third birthday. And we did; we made it back, I healed a bit, and most importantly, it was confirmed for me just how important Lit Shark is to me. Right after putting it on pause, I had more time, but I felt more directionless, and it was much harder to find joy and purpose in my days. I had to find joy, self-worth, and meaning in other, smaller things, and when it was time to come back, I was deeply and truly ready.
I missed the community, the words, the work, the sharks. I’m grateful for you being here. Thank you for filling my cup.
Now, enough about me, because THIS ISSUE, this issue is lovely. Between the pieces that were submitted before the hiatus (from writers who patiently let me hold onto their work until we came back; thank you), during the hiatus, unbeknownst to the wait time they had coming, and after we returned, I read over 1,000 submissions for this issue alone. While this is “The Winter Edition,” it’s much more about winter’s thaw, rebirth, and hope. There were many pieces along the way about overcoming writer’s block, going through a tough breakup, navigating grief, rediscovering the self, and feeling like Jesus walking on water or rising like a phoenix from the ashes. Going back to me for a moment, it was the kind of hope I needed while I was away, and it was reassuring, like a balm, when I returned.
I hope you’ll enjoy this issue as much as I enjoyed creating it. It was a labor of love and healing and fresh air after holding my breath for too long.
Without further ado… the issue!
Welcome to Issue 10: The Winter Edition!
A Special Thank You to Our Contributors and All Who Submitted!
Available to All Readers, Writers, and Shark Fans
We believe literature of all kinds should be accessible to everyone, no matter their financial situations, educational affiliations, etc. So we’re offering each of our issues as a free PDF that you can download and read. You can then read it on your phone, computer, or e-reader, or you could even print out a copy! (If you’re new here, welcome! You can read all of our previous issues here.)
Choose Your Edition
Depending on your preferences, we’re offering two-page spread and one-page spread editions. The two-page spread will feel more like a book with facing pages. The one-page spread will display one page at a time, which may be friendlier for those who want to read on an e-reader (though I prefer the book-like feeling of the two-page spread, and it’s been okay to read on my Kindle Paperwhite; the display is simply smaller!).
The Paperback Edition Is on the Way!
We will also be offering a paperback edition via Amazon, which will be available this week for purchase. It will contain the same content, but we wanted to offer this for those of you (like me) who enjoy reading physical copies, need more time physically away from screens, or want to financially support Lit Shark’s future. The cover will be a beautiful matte, and the spine of each issue, when you place them next to each other, will create a surprise image. We’ve officially reached the point where we’ve published enough issues that readers can start to guess what the spines will reveal!
More Ways to Support on the Way!
We’ve received some really kind messages, asking for additional ways to support Lit Shark, since we keep our submissions free and also keep all of our issues free on our website for anyone and everyone to read. If you’d like to financially donate to Lit Shark, you can buy one of our issues on Amazon, shop our Lit Shark Shop, or drop something in our Tip Jar.
Also! If you happen to use Chill Subs to submit and keep track of your submissions, we’re listed over there! They have a rating system, like being “new writer friendly” and “a hidden gem” (ooo!), which helps literary magazines rank higher in the system.
Thank you so much for all the ways you support us!!
Thank You.
Thank you to all of you for the incredible support and excitement you’ve shown to Lit Shark. This issue came together so beautifully, and we’re excited to see where the rest of 2026 will take us. I can’t wait to continue on this journey with you. Thank you so much for being here.
Our next issue, Issue 11 of Lit Shark Magazine: The SHARK DOG Edition, will be available in mid- to late-June, and submissions close this upcoming Monday, June 1st, if you want to hurry and get some work in (and we need more submissions!). The issue started in response to the XL Bully Ban in the UK and Wales (you can read our earlier comments on it here and here), and the issue is for misunderstood and marginalized breeds of dogs and other species of animal, stigmatized animals like sharks and hyenas, and also human experiences that relate to feeling excluded, misunderstood, and marginalized. We’ve all had our moments of feeling misunderstood, left out, and stuck in the shadows, and we’ve surely seen animals go through it, too; it’s time we write about it.
Also, if you’d like to be more involved in our journey, our submissions are always open, our submissions for our children/teen publication (open to children and teen writers, as well as parents, teachers, librarians, and children, middle-grade, and YA authors) are ALSO always open, and you can also participate in our Poem of the Month contest, or even become a contributor on our team. However you decide to be involved, we’re grateful to have you in our community!
0 Comments