Happy Tuesday, readers, writers, and shark fans! Those of you who have been around for a bit know that I LOVE Tuesdays for release days, because it takes me back to Tuesdays being the big release day each week for new albums, books, and movies! So I’m VERY pleased to have good news for you today!
I said back when I released Issue 10 of Lit Shark Magazine: The Winter Edition that I was just coming back from Lit Shark’s hiatus, and that I had missed this community, its creativity, and its support the entire time I was gone, and that remains true, even if this has otherwise been a quiet year. That issue came out in May, and at that time, I was excited to spend the summer releasing this issue and the SHARK WEEK issue, and then life did its thing. One major piece of bad news after another, and while I was making progress with these issues, I wasn’t quite completing them. Then in August, when I thought I was finally going to be able to turn it around, my brother tragically passed away, and I’ve needed some time to process that and grieve.
Now that I’ve had a chance to settle back into this issue and its mission, I’m so pleased with how it came together. It’s a SHARK DOG Edition and has all of the pitbull love and heart of Issue 6, even though there aren’t as many works about our beloved shark dogs in this one. This issue is much more about complex human issues and largely centers around other stigmatized animals, like sharks, hyenas, vultures, coyotes, and crows. While it’s not what I originally envisioned, I’m so grateful to give these equally important experiences space to share, be vulnerable, and exist. That’s what this magazine is all about!
Though it’s coming much later than I originally wanted, I hope you can feel all of the love and thought that went into this issue, and more importantly, I hope you enjoy the works, the heart, and the talent in this issue as much as I do. It’s a lovely issue, and I’m grateful it’s part of the Lit Shark family.
Without further ado… the issue!
Welcome to Issue 11: The SHARK DOG 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.
This is a very big month for us, as we’re releasing Issues 11, 12, AND 13 this month to make sure we cover all of our issues for the year. In November, if your work has been selected to be included in the Best of 2025/2026 Anthology, you’ll be hearing from us about what we need for the anthology. Also in November, if you’ve submitted to Lit Pup Magazine, you’ll finally be hearing from us! Also-also in November, if you’d like to submit to Issue 14, which will come out in January to be a TRUE WINTER ISSUE, you’ll be able to start submitting, so get ready! Also, our first books from our Shiver Collective Imprint will be coming out, so be on the lookout for that, too!
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