Happy New Year from Soft Star!
Learn what's on the horizon for the magazine this year
Hello, all, and welcome to 2023!
Last year was a landmark year in my life for many reasons, but chief among those reasons was the birth of Soft Star Magazine. Starting a new literary and arts magazine has been a dream of mine for many years, and I am so grateful that last year I was able to make that dream into a reality. However, that would never have been possible without the contributions of so many talented writers and artists and the attention and patronage of the over 300 subscribers to this Substack. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you, and I am so excited to see what’s in store for the Soft Star community as the new year unfolds.
That being said, let’s take a look towards the future. I have a few important announcements to share regarding Soft Star in 2023:
New: Subscription Tiers
I am thrilled to announce that as of today, Soft Star is now offering tiered subscriptions! That means that your options for involvement in Soft Star Magazine are expanding. The tiers are as follows:
Free
Free subscribers will continue to receive all contributor posts in their email inboxes. This includes all fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that is published on Soft Star. You’ll also receive all important announcement emails (like theme and deadline announcements). If you’re already a free subscriber, expect to see more or less the same types and amount of content that you’re currently receiving.
Paid
Paid subscribers to Soft Star receive all free-tier content plus access to monthly letters from the editor (yours truly). These Month-in-Review posts will cover a variety of topics — recommended reading, short essays related to the current issue’s theme, previews of print issues in progress, and more. Becoming a paid member means getting a glimpse into the inner workings of Soft Star. All contributors published on the website receive complimentary paid subscriptions to the magazine.
Founding Member
Founding members receive all of the above content, plus a free physical copy of every issue published during their membership.
Submission Fees
Running a magazine as a team of one has been an immense joy. However, it isn't cheap, and so far I've been covering all costs myself. Those costs are mostly comprised of printing and postage costs for contributor copies of the print issues, as well as Canva and Adobe CreativeCloud subscriptions.
Therefore, I’ve made the decision to introduce submission fees for written submissions (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry). The fee is $2 per submitted piece. There will be no fee for visual art submissions; visual art is published only in the print editions and not on Substack, and also don't require the same time for me to read and edit, so this only seemed fair.
I fully expect to continue covering the operating costs of Soft Star primarily by myself, but these submission fees will take a little bit of that pressure off and allow me to continue sharing Soft Star for free online. If you’d like to help out with operating costs, consider upgrading to a paid membership or buying me a coffee on Ko-fi.
Issue Two: Aurora Print Edition
The design process for Issue Two’s print edition is in full swing! My current goal is to have the print edition available as both a free PDF and a physical copy for purchase by the end of January. When the design process is complete, I will send a proof to all contributors for review and approval. The print edition will not go live until I have received approval from every contributor. Keep an eye on this space (or on Instagram or Twitter) for updates.
However, pieces from Issue Two: Aurora will continue being posted here on Substack through January 25th, so please enjoy those in the meantime!
Issue Three Submissions
Stay tuned in the coming days for a post announcing the theme of Issue Three! Submissions will re-open when that post goes live.
I wish each and every one of you a bright future in the year ahead!
Until next time,
Miranda