Jordan Blum, founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Bookends Review, holds an MFA in fiction and teaches composition at several colleges/universities. He’s published creative and/or scholarly pieces in several magazines, journals, and collections. Beyond that, he’s a former Features Editor at PopMatters and a past or present contributor to Grammy.com, Metal Injection, PROG, Consequence, WhatCulture, Loudwire, The Prog Report, and Kerrang! Finally, his three books (On Track: Jethro Tull, On Track: Opeth, and On Track: Dream Theater), were published by Sonicbond Publishing.
Jordan, you’re the Editor-in-Chief of The Bookends Review. What has been the most surprising thing about managing this online magazine?
Honestly, and not to sound too self-congratulatory or anything like that, the amount of submissions & support we receive. This summer marks our 12th anniversary (WOW!) and I still feel very humbled by and appreciative of how many people choose us for their work and/or share and comment on what we publish. To frequently see people on social media and elsewhere showing love for TBR, as well as seeing past/present/future contributors show such surprise and joy at being accepted and published, is something I never could’ve expected and could never take for granted. Likewise, being asked to do interviews like this one is a pleasant sign that TBR has some name-recognition in the independent literary/creative community haha.
What was the main driving factor that motivated you to launch this independent magazine?
I started TBR with two friends from college in 2012. All of us were writers and I was getting my MFA in fiction and just starting to teach. I was also starting to send out my own work, network with other artists, and get accustomed to how the process works regarding submissions, acceptances, rejections, etc. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to be a part of both sides of the process and give others a chance to be published. I guess it’s kind of like how some actors want to start directing or some musicians want to start producing others’ and/or put out music on their own label. I thought it’d be a very rewarding experience (which it has) to provide another place to publish, share experiences and creativity, etc. Plus, it’d give me a new appreciation for the scene so that I’d better understand how to submit my own work, why some of my work wasn’t getting published, and the like. Being on both sides of the process inevitably enhances your ability to be on either side, if that makes sense.
I don’t remember how long it took us to finally launch the website, but I don’t think it was more than a month or two from initial discussions about it. We didn’t spend a lot of time thinking of the name, either. Growing up loving music from the 1960s, I was (and still am) a huge fan of Simon & Garfunkel (especially the Bookends album). So, I just suggested that we combine that title with a typical word used for journals (“Review”) and BAM! We had The Bookends Review.
Before long, my two friends decided to leave the journal due to having other commitments and interests. It was a very amicable split and I’m still very close with one of them. Thus, I’ve been running the journal since its inception, give or take the initial few months.
Jordan, you’re actively seeking volunteers to join The Bookends Review team. What qualities are you looking for in a prospective team member, what does the workload look like, and how can interested volunteers reach out to apply?
Yes, I’m still looking for at least one Fiction Editor and one Book Recommendations Editor. Prospective members should have some publications under their belt and a passion for their field and a love for the community (obviously). This probably goes without saying, but they should also be fairly self-motivated, inclusive, and responsible/dedicated so that they’re able to find the time and effort to vote on submissions and do other tasks. I don’t necessarily limit anyone from applying due to age or academic degrees/other qualifications, although both could play a part. For the most part, it’s about compatibility and the general vibe I get from people who’re interested in joining the team. Because we’re such a small team and we’re independent (and it’s a voluntary position), I’m generally happy that anyone wants to help! So, I wouldn’t feel right about requiring too much in terms of what they’ve done previously. As long as they’re a good and open-minded person who’s familiar with the journal and has some experience with the field/genre they want to oversee, I’m interested.
The main task for each editor is to check our Submittable page to vote on submissions for their category. I do like to have pieces voted on and decided on within a month of when they’re submitted, but everyone is encouraged to go at their own pace and vote on as many as they can/want when they can. They just need to make it clear if they’re voting yes, no, or undecided (and why). If needed, I’ll go in and make the final decision, but in general, whatever the category editor decides is what the final decision is. (I simply facilitate the acceptance or rejection email and get the piece ready.) Everyone’s encouraged to spread the word and help get submissions, of course, but the Book Recommendations Editor has the added expectation of finding new book reviews to publish (if not writing their own). We get a fair number of solicitations for book reviews, so it’s nice to have someone on board to select which ones to review themselves or try to find an outside writer for it.
If anyone is interested, please see our News page for more information, and email me at jordanblum@thebookendsreview.com.
Since you’re a music fan, I have to ask this: Do you write with music on or off? What does your writing routine look like? How do you balance managing a literary journal with devoting time to your writing projects?
Oh, thanks for asking! Aside from teaching, I do everything with music (or a podcast) playing. Silence distracts me, which might be an odd thing to say haha. Granted, I often miss huge chunks of the music or podcast since I’m so focused on what I’m doing, but that just comes with the territory. Because I spend so much time teaching or writing about music and other forms of entertainment, I confess that I haven’t focused on my own creative writing in a long time. When I’m writing about entertainment, though (lists, essays, reviews, etc.) I do it first thing in the morning if possible and outline what I’m going to write. I’ll sketch out what I want each paragraph/point to cover and decide what background information I’ll need to provide context. When I do retrospective essays for the anniversary of an album or movie, I’ll spend a few hours doing research first so that I have a good number of reputable sources and a clear overview of what the argument will be. I’ll also get things such as headlines, excerpts, featured images, and YouTube links ready (if needed) before I start writing just to make sure that all the little things are in place first.
In terms of balancing things, it’s honestly not as difficult as it may seem. I get each week’s posts ready the prior Sunday (so if things are going up on July 15, 17, and 19, I’ll get them scheduled in WordPress on July 7). I also check emails, social media, and Submittable daily and do what I need to there. Other than that, though, it’s not that time-consuming, especially since we stopped putting out ‘Best of’ print anthologies every year. That was an arduous task.
What general advice do you have for emerging writers about receiving feedback on writing projects?
Believe in yourself no matter what, and don’t take rejection or criticism of your work as rejection/criticism of you. That’s easier said than done, of course, and I’m sure we could all learn from that (me included). I even tell my writing students the same thing regarding my feedback on their writing and the feedback they get from each other during peer reviews. Learn from the feedback and be open to it, as it reflects a more objective and honest reaction to your work (as opposed to the inherently limited and subjective reaction we give to our own work). At the same time, be confident in what you’ve written and don’t be afraid to keep what you think needs to be there. In other words, I’d suggest being patient and shopping around a piece that you 100% love instead of getting rid of things you don’t want to just to get it published sooner. Maybe other people will disagree with that viewpoint, but I’ve always felt that way. Also, realize that acceptances and rejections come with the territory. You can’t please everyone or have a perfect track record in terms of acceptances. Learn to welcome the process and feel motivation, rather than dejection, when a piece doesn’t get accepted. After all, your piece could be exceptional but not for what that publication is looking for.
Are you writing a manuscript right now? What can you tell us about your work-in-progress?
I do have a full book written (it was my thesis for my MFA) but I haven’t touched it since then (so, in nearly 15 years). That’s probably not the answer you wanted haha. I’m always working on lists and reviews related to music, though, so those are my works-in-progress, I guess. I don’t want to specify anything since it’s always changing and what I mention could be published by the time this goes up, though. I am thinking about doing another book (about either The Flaming Lips or Between the Buried and Me), and I would like to get back to my fiction/poetry at some point. At the very least, I am planning to put together a chapbook of poetry or maybe mix both genres to encapsulate everything I’ve published thus far.
Jordan, what can we expect to see from you in the near future? Any new developments?
I’m always putting out new write-ups about entertainment, so keep an eye out for those things! I’m also working on some bios/press releases for bands. Again, I know that’s not probably not the ideal answer since it’s not related to poetry/fiction, but I have to be honest haha.
What can members of the literary community do to help support The Bookends Review?
The best thing people can do is spread the word! By all means, share a post that resonates with you, submit to the journal when you can, and tell your friends about us. Also, I’m always open to hearing ideas people may have for what we could do (or what we could be doing better). Lastly, we do accept donations via PayPal to help TBR keep going, so please feel free to show some love that way if you’d like. We really appreciate it.
Is there anything else you’d like to share or promote?
Not that I can think of. Just a reminder that our summer reading period ends on August 31, so please send us what you can ASAP. We can’t wait to see what you’ve got!
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Pauline Shen 